diff --git a/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_ag.c b/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_ag.c
index ae45f546ed86fdadf16d363b6315813a52284fd7..2d8910046ed9595512163997c734d59cead2e320 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_ag.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_ag.c
@@ -81,6 +81,19 @@ xfs_perag_get_tag(
 	return pag;
 }
 
+/* Get a passive reference to the given perag. */
+struct xfs_perag *
+xfs_perag_hold(
+	struct xfs_perag	*pag)
+{
+	ASSERT(atomic_read(&pag->pag_ref) > 0 ||
+	       atomic_read(&pag->pag_active_ref) > 0);
+
+	trace_xfs_perag_hold(pag, _RET_IP_);
+	atomic_inc(&pag->pag_ref);
+	return pag;
+}
+
 void
 xfs_perag_put(
 	struct xfs_perag	*pag)
diff --git a/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_ag.h b/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_ag.h
index 5e18536dfdcecce70572565cac837b20e59b4131..8092eaba977d4c004d1abbe04f80df9781d69c4b 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_ag.h
+++ b/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_ag.h
@@ -134,6 +134,7 @@ void xfs_free_perag(struct xfs_mount *mp);
 struct xfs_perag *xfs_perag_get(struct xfs_mount *mp, xfs_agnumber_t agno);
 struct xfs_perag *xfs_perag_get_tag(struct xfs_mount *mp, xfs_agnumber_t agno,
 		unsigned int tag);
+struct xfs_perag *xfs_perag_hold(struct xfs_perag *pag);
 void xfs_perag_put(struct xfs_perag *pag);
 
 /* Active AG references */
diff --git a/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_alloc_btree.c b/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_alloc_btree.c
index 0f29c7b1b39f32fc4fa87812a5fff553b2699f42..8e8416c14cec7bf7d6a067b05be94abbb457f881 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_alloc_btree.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_alloc_btree.c
@@ -492,9 +492,7 @@ xfs_allocbt_init_common(
 		cur->bc_statoff = XFS_STATS_CALC_INDEX(xs_abtb_2);
 	}
 
-	/* take a reference for the cursor */
-	atomic_inc(&pag->pag_ref);
-	cur->bc_ag.pag = pag;
+	cur->bc_ag.pag = xfs_perag_hold(pag);
 
 	if (xfs_has_crc(mp))
 		cur->bc_flags |= XFS_BTREE_CRC_BLOCKS;
diff --git a/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_ialloc_btree.c b/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_ialloc_btree.c
index 1d2af50ac95b01d9637ee272cf890b717401935f..ad6c521f05ebd11ae2f5aea3b33e6489811b0a41 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_ialloc_btree.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_ialloc_btree.c
@@ -450,9 +450,7 @@ xfs_inobt_init_common(
 	if (xfs_has_crc(mp))
 		cur->bc_flags |= XFS_BTREE_CRC_BLOCKS;
 
-	/* take a reference for the cursor */
-	atomic_inc(&pag->pag_ref);
-	cur->bc_ag.pag = pag;
+	cur->bc_ag.pag = xfs_perag_hold(pag);
 	return cur;
 }
 
diff --git a/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_refcount_btree.c b/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_refcount_btree.c
index 749e837de98d5ee8695f1ee028b89ad41b86f13f..03d2b01487a15e62a646979a6a2c8a78ec6c126b 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_refcount_btree.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_refcount_btree.c
@@ -340,10 +340,7 @@ xfs_refcountbt_init_common(
 
 	cur->bc_flags |= XFS_BTREE_CRC_BLOCKS;
 
-	/* take a reference for the cursor */
-	atomic_inc(&pag->pag_ref);
-	cur->bc_ag.pag = pag;
-
+	cur->bc_ag.pag = xfs_perag_hold(pag);
 	cur->bc_ag.refc.nr_ops = 0;
 	cur->bc_ag.refc.shape_changes = 0;
 	cur->bc_ops = &xfs_refcountbt_ops;
diff --git a/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_rmap_btree.c b/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_rmap_btree.c
index d3285684bb5eb34e8371c1542b1cd0e07bf4e6d6..56d074b426609e3edf8e3abf975364b40831e581 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_rmap_btree.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_rmap_btree.c
@@ -460,10 +460,7 @@ xfs_rmapbt_init_common(
 	cur->bc_statoff = XFS_STATS_CALC_INDEX(xs_rmap_2);
 	cur->bc_ops = &xfs_rmapbt_ops;
 
-	/* take a reference for the cursor */
-	atomic_inc(&pag->pag_ref);
-	cur->bc_ag.pag = pag;
-
+	cur->bc_ag.pag = xfs_perag_hold(pag);
 	return cur;
 }
 
diff --git a/fs/xfs/xfs_iunlink_item.c b/fs/xfs/xfs_iunlink_item.c
index 43005ce8bd48a1f3c11193ba9a2a09ffed40f6e0..2ddccb172fa013a90e15f4ecba88f9020e2abdcd 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/xfs_iunlink_item.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/xfs_iunlink_item.c
@@ -168,9 +168,7 @@ xfs_iunlink_log_inode(
 	iup->ip = ip;
 	iup->next_agino = next_agino;
 	iup->old_agino = ip->i_next_unlinked;
-
-	atomic_inc(&pag->pag_ref);
-	iup->pag = pag;
+	iup->pag = xfs_perag_hold(pag);
 
 	xfs_trans_add_item(tp, &iup->item);
 	tp->t_flags |= XFS_TRANS_DIRTY;
diff --git a/fs/xfs/xfs_iwalk.c b/fs/xfs/xfs_iwalk.c
index 21be93bf006dd60438abb181003759f09f6aff53..b3275e8d47b6057f8a2a776e6bddd3ec2f8a5600 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/xfs_iwalk.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/xfs_iwalk.c
@@ -667,11 +667,10 @@ xfs_iwalk_threaded(
 		iwag->mp = mp;
 
 		/*
-		 * perag is being handed off to async work, so take another
+		 * perag is being handed off to async work, so take a passive
 		 * reference for the async work to release.
 		 */
-		atomic_inc(&pag->pag_ref);
-		iwag->pag = pag;
+		iwag->pag = xfs_perag_hold(pag);
 		iwag->iwalk_fn = iwalk_fn;
 		iwag->data = data;
 		iwag->startino = startino;
diff --git a/fs/xfs/xfs_trace.h b/fs/xfs/xfs_trace.h
index 9c0006c55fec3c869d2484106eba463c581a6fcd..db09bb77176584fae32d2307e82a8c24ae907f4d 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/xfs_trace.h
+++ b/fs/xfs/xfs_trace.h
@@ -190,6 +190,7 @@ DEFINE_EVENT(xfs_perag_class, name,	\
 	TP_ARGS(pag, caller_ip))
 DEFINE_PERAG_REF_EVENT(xfs_perag_get);
 DEFINE_PERAG_REF_EVENT(xfs_perag_get_tag);
+DEFINE_PERAG_REF_EVENT(xfs_perag_hold);
 DEFINE_PERAG_REF_EVENT(xfs_perag_put);
 DEFINE_PERAG_REF_EVENT(xfs_perag_grab);
 DEFINE_PERAG_REF_EVENT(xfs_perag_grab_tag);