diff --git a/fs/xfs/xfs_inode.c b/fs/xfs/xfs_inode.c
index 04bf467b1090..766a621b970d 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/xfs_inode.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/xfs_inode.c
@@ -1217,7 +1217,7 @@ xfs_link(
 {
 	xfs_mount_t		*mp = tdp->i_mount;
 	xfs_trans_t		*tp;
-	int			error;
+	int			error, nospace_error = 0;
 	int			resblks;
 
 	trace_xfs_link(tdp, target_name);
@@ -1236,19 +1236,11 @@ xfs_link(
 		goto std_return;
 
 	resblks = XFS_LINK_SPACE_RES(mp, target_name->len);
-	error = xfs_trans_alloc(mp, &M_RES(mp)->tr_link, resblks, 0, 0, &tp);
-	if (error == -ENOSPC) {
-		resblks = 0;
-		error = xfs_trans_alloc(mp, &M_RES(mp)->tr_link, 0, 0, 0, &tp);
-	}
+	error = xfs_trans_alloc_dir(tdp, &M_RES(mp)->tr_link, sip, &resblks,
+			&tp, &nospace_error);
 	if (error)
 		goto std_return;
 
-	xfs_lock_two_inodes(sip, XFS_ILOCK_EXCL, tdp, XFS_ILOCK_EXCL);
-
-	xfs_trans_ijoin(tp, sip, XFS_ILOCK_EXCL);
-	xfs_trans_ijoin(tp, tdp, XFS_ILOCK_EXCL);
-
 	error = xfs_iext_count_may_overflow(tdp, XFS_DATA_FORK,
 			XFS_IEXT_DIR_MANIP_CNT(mp));
 	if (error)
@@ -1306,6 +1298,8 @@ xfs_link(
  error_return:
 	xfs_trans_cancel(tp);
  std_return:
+	if (error == -ENOSPC && nospace_error)
+		error = nospace_error;
 	return error;
 }
 
@@ -2755,6 +2749,7 @@ xfs_remove(
 	xfs_mount_t		*mp = dp->i_mount;
 	xfs_trans_t             *tp = NULL;
 	int			is_dir = S_ISDIR(VFS_I(ip)->i_mode);
+	int			dontcare;
 	int                     error = 0;
 	uint			resblks;
 
@@ -2772,31 +2767,24 @@ xfs_remove(
 		goto std_return;
 
 	/*
-	 * We try to get the real space reservation first,
-	 * allowing for directory btree deletion(s) implying
-	 * possible bmap insert(s).  If we can't get the space
-	 * reservation then we use 0 instead, and avoid the bmap
-	 * btree insert(s) in the directory code by, if the bmap
-	 * insert tries to happen, instead trimming the LAST
-	 * block from the directory.
+	 * We try to get the real space reservation first, allowing for
+	 * directory btree deletion(s) implying possible bmap insert(s).  If we
+	 * can't get the space reservation then we use 0 instead, and avoid the
+	 * bmap btree insert(s) in the directory code by, if the bmap insert
+	 * tries to happen, instead trimming the LAST block from the directory.
+	 *
+	 * Ignore EDQUOT and ENOSPC being returned via nospace_error because
+	 * the directory code can handle a reservationless update and we don't
+	 * want to prevent a user from trying to free space by deleting things.
 	 */
 	resblks = XFS_REMOVE_SPACE_RES(mp);
-	error = xfs_trans_alloc(mp, &M_RES(mp)->tr_remove, resblks, 0, 0, &tp);
-	if (error == -ENOSPC) {
-		resblks = 0;
-		error = xfs_trans_alloc(mp, &M_RES(mp)->tr_remove, 0, 0, 0,
-				&tp);
-	}
+	error = xfs_trans_alloc_dir(dp, &M_RES(mp)->tr_remove, ip, &resblks,
+			&tp, &dontcare);
 	if (error) {
 		ASSERT(error != -ENOSPC);
 		goto std_return;
 	}
 
-	xfs_lock_two_inodes(dp, XFS_ILOCK_EXCL, ip, XFS_ILOCK_EXCL);
-
-	xfs_trans_ijoin(tp, dp, XFS_ILOCK_EXCL);
-	xfs_trans_ijoin(tp, ip, XFS_ILOCK_EXCL);
-
 	/*
 	 * If we're removing a directory perform some additional validation.
 	 */
diff --git a/fs/xfs/xfs_trans.c b/fs/xfs/xfs_trans.c
index 59e2f9031b9f..3d11f9bb0dbb 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/xfs_trans.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/xfs_trans.c
@@ -1210,3 +1210,89 @@ out_cancel:
 	xfs_trans_cancel(tp);
 	return error;
 }
+
+/*
+ * Allocate an transaction, lock and join the directory and child inodes to it,
+ * and reserve quota for a directory update.  If there isn't sufficient space,
+ * @dblocks will be set to zero for a reservationless directory update and
+ * @nospace_error will be set to a negative errno describing the space
+ * constraint we hit.
+ *
+ * The caller must ensure that the on-disk dquots attached to this inode have
+ * already been allocated and initialized.  The ILOCKs will be dropped when the
+ * transaction is committed or cancelled.
+ */
+int
+xfs_trans_alloc_dir(
+	struct xfs_inode	*dp,
+	struct xfs_trans_res	*resv,
+	struct xfs_inode	*ip,
+	unsigned int		*dblocks,
+	struct xfs_trans	**tpp,
+	int			*nospace_error)
+{
+	struct xfs_trans	*tp;
+	struct xfs_mount	*mp = ip->i_mount;
+	unsigned int		resblks;
+	bool			retried = false;
+	int			error;
+
+retry:
+	*nospace_error = 0;
+	resblks = *dblocks;
+	error = xfs_trans_alloc(mp, resv, resblks, 0, 0, &tp);
+	if (error == -ENOSPC) {
+		*nospace_error = error;
+		resblks = 0;
+		error = xfs_trans_alloc(mp, resv, resblks, 0, 0, &tp);
+	}
+	if (error)
+		return error;
+
+	xfs_lock_two_inodes(dp, XFS_ILOCK_EXCL, ip, XFS_ILOCK_EXCL);
+
+	xfs_trans_ijoin(tp, dp, XFS_ILOCK_EXCL);
+	xfs_trans_ijoin(tp, ip, XFS_ILOCK_EXCL);
+
+	error = xfs_qm_dqattach_locked(dp, false);
+	if (error) {
+		/* Caller should have allocated the dquots! */
+		ASSERT(error != -ENOENT);
+		goto out_cancel;
+	}
+
+	error = xfs_qm_dqattach_locked(ip, false);
+	if (error) {
+		/* Caller should have allocated the dquots! */
+		ASSERT(error != -ENOENT);
+		goto out_cancel;
+	}
+
+	if (resblks == 0)
+		goto done;
+
+	error = xfs_trans_reserve_quota_nblks(tp, dp, resblks, 0, false);
+	if (error == -EDQUOT || error == -ENOSPC) {
+		if (!retried) {
+			xfs_trans_cancel(tp);
+			xfs_blockgc_free_quota(dp, 0);
+			retried = true;
+			goto retry;
+		}
+
+		*nospace_error = error;
+		resblks = 0;
+		error = 0;
+	}
+	if (error)
+		goto out_cancel;
+
+done:
+	*tpp = tp;
+	*dblocks = resblks;
+	return 0;
+
+out_cancel:
+	xfs_trans_cancel(tp);
+	return error;
+}
diff --git a/fs/xfs/xfs_trans.h b/fs/xfs/xfs_trans.h
index a487b264a9eb..faa282204498 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/xfs_trans.h
+++ b/fs/xfs/xfs_trans.h
@@ -259,6 +259,9 @@ int xfs_trans_alloc_icreate(struct xfs_mount *mp, struct xfs_trans_res *resv,
 int xfs_trans_alloc_ichange(struct xfs_inode *ip, struct xfs_dquot *udqp,
 		struct xfs_dquot *gdqp, struct xfs_dquot *pdqp, bool force,
 		struct xfs_trans **tpp);
+int xfs_trans_alloc_dir(struct xfs_inode *dp, struct xfs_trans_res *resv,
+		struct xfs_inode *ip, unsigned int *dblocks,
+		struct xfs_trans **tpp, int *nospace_error);
 
 static inline void
 xfs_trans_set_context(