diff --git a/libxfs/xfs_defer.c b/libxfs/xfs_defer.c
index 58ad1881d..98f1cbe6a 100644
--- a/libxfs/xfs_defer.c
+++ b/libxfs/xfs_defer.c
@@ -176,6 +176,58 @@ static struct kmem_cache	*xfs_defer_pending_cache;
  * Note that the continuation requested between t2 and t3 is likely to
  * reoccur.
  */
+STATIC struct xfs_log_item *
+xfs_defer_barrier_create_intent(
+	struct xfs_trans		*tp,
+	struct list_head		*items,
+	unsigned int			count,
+	bool				sort)
+{
+	return NULL;
+}
+
+STATIC void
+xfs_defer_barrier_abort_intent(
+	struct xfs_log_item		*intent)
+{
+	/* empty */
+}
+
+STATIC struct xfs_log_item *
+xfs_defer_barrier_create_done(
+	struct xfs_trans		*tp,
+	struct xfs_log_item		*intent,
+	unsigned int			count)
+{
+	return NULL;
+}
+
+STATIC int
+xfs_defer_barrier_finish_item(
+	struct xfs_trans		*tp,
+	struct xfs_log_item		*done,
+	struct list_head		*item,
+	struct xfs_btree_cur		**state)
+{
+	ASSERT(0);
+	return -EFSCORRUPTED;
+}
+
+STATIC void
+xfs_defer_barrier_cancel_item(
+	struct list_head		*item)
+{
+	ASSERT(0);
+}
+
+static const struct xfs_defer_op_type xfs_barrier_defer_type = {
+	.max_items	= 1,
+	.create_intent	= xfs_defer_barrier_create_intent,
+	.abort_intent	= xfs_defer_barrier_abort_intent,
+	.create_done	= xfs_defer_barrier_create_done,
+	.finish_item	= xfs_defer_barrier_finish_item,
+	.cancel_item	= xfs_defer_barrier_cancel_item,
+};
 
 static const struct xfs_defer_op_type *defer_op_types[] = {
 	[XFS_DEFER_OPS_TYPE_BMAP]	= &xfs_bmap_update_defer_type,
@@ -184,6 +236,7 @@ static const struct xfs_defer_op_type *defer_op_types[] = {
 	[XFS_DEFER_OPS_TYPE_FREE]	= &xfs_extent_free_defer_type,
 	[XFS_DEFER_OPS_TYPE_AGFL_FREE]	= &xfs_agfl_free_defer_type,
 	[XFS_DEFER_OPS_TYPE_ATTR]	= &xfs_attr_defer_type,
+	[XFS_DEFER_OPS_TYPE_BARRIER]	= &xfs_barrier_defer_type,
 };
 
 /* Create a log intent done item for a log intent item. */
@@ -773,6 +826,23 @@ xfs_defer_can_append(
 	return true;
 }
 
+/* Create a new pending item at the end of the transaction list. */
+static inline struct xfs_defer_pending *
+xfs_defer_alloc(
+	struct xfs_trans		*tp,
+	enum xfs_defer_ops_type		type)
+{
+	struct xfs_defer_pending	*dfp;
+
+	dfp = kmem_cache_zalloc(xfs_defer_pending_cache,
+			GFP_NOFS | __GFP_NOFAIL);
+	dfp->dfp_type = type;
+	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&dfp->dfp_work);
+	list_add_tail(&dfp->dfp_list, &tp->t_dfops);
+
+	return dfp;
+}
+
 /* Add an item for later deferred processing. */
 struct xfs_defer_pending *
 xfs_defer_add(
@@ -787,23 +857,38 @@ xfs_defer_add(
 	BUILD_BUG_ON(ARRAY_SIZE(defer_op_types) != XFS_DEFER_OPS_TYPE_MAX);
 
 	dfp = xfs_defer_find_last(tp, type, ops);
-	if (!dfp || !xfs_defer_can_append(dfp, ops)) {
-		/* Create a new pending item at the end of the intake list. */
-		dfp = kmem_cache_zalloc(xfs_defer_pending_cache,
-				GFP_NOFS | __GFP_NOFAIL);
-		dfp->dfp_type = type;
-		dfp->dfp_intent = NULL;
-		dfp->dfp_done = NULL;
-		dfp->dfp_count = 0;
-		INIT_LIST_HEAD(&dfp->dfp_work);
-		list_add_tail(&dfp->dfp_list, &tp->t_dfops);
-	}
+	if (!dfp || !xfs_defer_can_append(dfp, ops))
+		dfp = xfs_defer_alloc(tp, type);
 
 	xfs_defer_add_item(dfp, li);
 	trace_xfs_defer_add_item(tp->t_mountp, dfp, li);
 	return dfp;
 }
 
+/*
+ * Add a defer ops barrier to force two otherwise adjacent deferred work items
+ * to be tracked separately and have separate log items.
+ */
+void
+xfs_defer_add_barrier(
+	struct xfs_trans		*tp)
+{
+	struct xfs_defer_pending	*dfp;
+	const enum xfs_defer_ops_type	type = XFS_DEFER_OPS_TYPE_BARRIER;
+	const struct xfs_defer_op_type	*ops = defer_op_types[type];
+
+	ASSERT(tp->t_flags & XFS_TRANS_PERM_LOG_RES);
+
+	/* If the last defer op added was a barrier, we're done. */
+	dfp = xfs_defer_find_last(tp, type, ops);
+	if (dfp)
+		return;
+
+	xfs_defer_alloc(tp, type);
+
+	trace_xfs_defer_add_item(tp->t_mountp, dfp, NULL);
+}
+
 /*
  * Create a pending deferred work item to replay the recovered intent item
  * and add it to the list.
diff --git a/libxfs/xfs_defer.h b/libxfs/xfs_defer.h
index b0284154f..5b1990ef3 100644
--- a/libxfs/xfs_defer.h
+++ b/libxfs/xfs_defer.h
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ enum xfs_defer_ops_type {
 	XFS_DEFER_OPS_TYPE_FREE,
 	XFS_DEFER_OPS_TYPE_AGFL_FREE,
 	XFS_DEFER_OPS_TYPE_ATTR,
+	XFS_DEFER_OPS_TYPE_BARRIER,
 	XFS_DEFER_OPS_TYPE_MAX,
 };
 
@@ -163,4 +164,6 @@ xfs_defer_add_item(
 int __init xfs_defer_init_item_caches(void);
 void xfs_defer_destroy_item_caches(void);
 
+void xfs_defer_add_barrier(struct xfs_trans *tp);
+
 #endif /* __XFS_DEFER_H__ */
