static int dlm_do_assert_master(struct dlm_ctxt *dlm,
                                struct dlm_lock_resource *res,
                                void *nodemap, u32 flags);
+static void dlm_deref_lockres_worker(struct dlm_work_item *item, void *data);
 
 static inline int dlm_mle_equal(struct dlm_ctxt *dlm,
                                struct dlm_master_list_entry *mle,
        unsigned int namelen = res->lockname.len;
 
        BUG_ON(namelen > O2NM_MAX_NAME_LEN);
+
+       spin_lock(&res->spinlock);
+       res->state |= DLM_LOCK_RES_SETREF_INPROG;
+       spin_unlock(&res->spinlock);
+
 again:
        reassert = 0;
 
        if (reassert)
                goto again;
 
+       spin_lock(&res->spinlock);
+       res->state &= ~DLM_LOCK_RES_SETREF_INPROG;
+       spin_unlock(&res->spinlock);
+       wake_up(&res->wq);
+
        return ret;
 }
 
        int ret = -EINVAL;
        u8 node;
        unsigned int hash;
+       struct dlm_work_item *item;
+       int cleared = 0;
+       int dispatch = 0;
 
        if (!dlm_grab(dlm))
                return 0;
        spin_unlock(&dlm->spinlock);
 
        spin_lock(&res->spinlock);
-       BUG_ON(res->state & DLM_LOCK_RES_DROPPING_REF);
-       if (test_bit(node, res->refmap)) {
-               ret = 0;
-               dlm_lockres_clear_refmap_bit(node, res);
-       } else {
-               mlog(ML_ERROR, "%s:%.*s: node %u trying to drop ref "
-                    "but it is already dropped!\n", dlm->name, namelen,
-                    name, node);
-               __dlm_print_one_lock_resource(res);
+       if (res->state & DLM_LOCK_RES_SETREF_INPROG)
+               dispatch = 1;
+       else {
+               BUG_ON(res->state & DLM_LOCK_RES_DROPPING_REF);
+               if (test_bit(node, res->refmap)) {
+                       dlm_lockres_clear_refmap_bit(node, res);
+                       cleared = 1;
+               }
        }
        spin_unlock(&res->spinlock);
 
-       if (!ret)
-               dlm_lockres_calc_usage(dlm, res);
+       if (!dispatch) {
+               if (cleared)
+                       dlm_lockres_calc_usage(dlm, res);
+               else {
+                       mlog(ML_ERROR, "%s:%.*s: node %u trying to drop ref "
+                       "but it is already dropped!\n", dlm->name,
+                       res->lockname.len, res->lockname.name, node);
+                       __dlm_print_one_lock_resource(res);
+               }
+               ret = 0;
+               goto done;
+       }
+
+       item = kzalloc(sizeof(*item), GFP_NOFS);
+       if (!item) {
+               ret = -ENOMEM;
+               mlog_errno(ret);
+               goto done;
+       }
+
+       dlm_init_work_item(dlm, item, dlm_deref_lockres_worker, NULL);
+       item->u.dl.deref_res = res;
+       item->u.dl.deref_node = node;
+
+       spin_lock(&dlm->work_lock);
+       list_add_tail(&item->list, &dlm->work_list);
+       spin_unlock(&dlm->work_lock);
+
+       queue_work(dlm->dlm_worker, &dlm->dispatched_work);
+       return 0;
+
 done:
        if (res)
                dlm_lockres_put(res);
        dlm_put(dlm);
+
        return ret;
 }
 
+static void dlm_deref_lockres_worker(struct dlm_work_item *item, void *data)
+{
+       struct dlm_ctxt *dlm;
+       struct dlm_lock_resource *res;
+       u8 node;
+       u8 cleared = 0;
+
+       dlm = item->dlm;
+       res = item->u.dl.deref_res;
+       node = item->u.dl.deref_node;
+
+       spin_lock(&res->spinlock);
+       BUG_ON(res->state & DLM_LOCK_RES_DROPPING_REF);
+       if (test_bit(node, res->refmap)) {
+               __dlm_wait_on_lockres_flags(res, DLM_LOCK_RES_SETREF_INPROG);
+               dlm_lockres_clear_refmap_bit(node, res);
+               cleared = 1;
+       }
+       spin_unlock(&res->spinlock);
+
+       if (cleared) {
+               mlog(0, "%s:%.*s node %u ref dropped in dispatch\n",
+                    dlm->name, res->lockname.len, res->lockname.name, node);
+               dlm_lockres_calc_usage(dlm, res);
+       } else {
+               mlog(ML_ERROR, "%s:%.*s: node %u trying to drop ref "
+                    "but it is already dropped!\n", dlm->name,
+                    res->lockname.len, res->lockname.name, node);
+               __dlm_print_one_lock_resource(res);
+       }
+
+       dlm_lockres_put(res);
+}
+
 
 /*
  * DLM_MIGRATE_LOCKRES