u16 state;
        char lvb[DLM_LVB_LEN];
        unsigned int inflight_locks;
+       unsigned int inflight_assert_workers;
        unsigned long refmap[BITS_TO_LONGS(O2NM_MAX_NODES)];
 };
 
 void dlm_lockres_grab_inflight_ref(struct dlm_ctxt *dlm,
                                   struct dlm_lock_resource *res);
 
+void __dlm_lockres_grab_inflight_worker(struct dlm_ctxt *dlm,
+               struct dlm_lock_resource *res);
+
 void dlm_queue_ast(struct dlm_ctxt *dlm, struct dlm_lock *lock);
 void dlm_queue_bast(struct dlm_ctxt *dlm, struct dlm_lock *lock);
 void __dlm_queue_ast(struct dlm_ctxt *dlm, struct dlm_lock *lock);
 
        atomic_set(&res->asts_reserved, 0);
        res->migration_pending = 0;
        res->inflight_locks = 0;
+       res->inflight_assert_workers = 0;
 
        res->dlm = dlm;
 
        wake_up(&res->wq);
 }
 
+void __dlm_lockres_grab_inflight_worker(struct dlm_ctxt *dlm,
+               struct dlm_lock_resource *res)
+{
+       assert_spin_locked(&res->spinlock);
+       res->inflight_assert_workers++;
+       mlog(0, "%s:%.*s: inflight assert worker++: now %u\n",
+                       dlm->name, res->lockname.len, res->lockname.name,
+                       res->inflight_assert_workers);
+}
+
+static void dlm_lockres_grab_inflight_worker(struct dlm_ctxt *dlm,
+               struct dlm_lock_resource *res)
+{
+       spin_lock(&res->spinlock);
+       __dlm_lockres_grab_inflight_worker(dlm, res);
+       spin_unlock(&res->spinlock);
+}
+
+static void __dlm_lockres_drop_inflight_worker(struct dlm_ctxt *dlm,
+               struct dlm_lock_resource *res)
+{
+       assert_spin_locked(&res->spinlock);
+       BUG_ON(res->inflight_assert_workers == 0);
+       res->inflight_assert_workers--;
+       mlog(0, "%s:%.*s: inflight assert worker--: now %u\n",
+                       dlm->name, res->lockname.len, res->lockname.name,
+                       res->inflight_assert_workers);
+}
+
+static void dlm_lockres_drop_inflight_worker(struct dlm_ctxt *dlm,
+               struct dlm_lock_resource *res)
+{
+       spin_lock(&res->spinlock);
+       __dlm_lockres_drop_inflight_worker(dlm, res);
+       spin_unlock(&res->spinlock);
+}
+
 /*
  * lookup a lock resource by name.
  * may already exist in the hashtable.
                        mlog(ML_ERROR, "failed to dispatch assert master work\n");
                        response = DLM_MASTER_RESP_ERROR;
                        dlm_lockres_put(res);
-               }
+               } else
+                       dlm_lockres_grab_inflight_worker(dlm, res);
        } else {
                if (res)
                        dlm_lockres_put(res);
        dlm_lockres_release_ast(dlm, res);
 
 put:
+       dlm_lockres_drop_inflight_worker(dlm, res);
+
        dlm_lockres_put(res);
 
        mlog(0, "finished with dlm_assert_master_worker\n");
 
                 * refs on it. */
                unused = __dlm_lockres_unused(lockres);
                if (!unused ||
-                   (lockres->state & DLM_LOCK_RES_MIGRATING)) {
+                   (lockres->state & DLM_LOCK_RES_MIGRATING) ||
+                   (lockres->inflight_assert_workers != 0)) {
                        mlog(0, "%s: res %.*s is in use or being remastered, "
-                            "used %d, state %d\n", dlm->name,
-                            lockres->lockname.len, lockres->lockname.name,
-                            !unused, lockres->state);
+                            "used %d, state %d, assert master workers %u\n",
+                            dlm->name, lockres->lockname.len,
+                            lockres->lockname.name,
+                            !unused, lockres->state,
+                            lockres->inflight_assert_workers);
                        list_move_tail(&lockres->purge, &dlm->purge_list);
                        spin_unlock(&lockres->spinlock);
                        continue;