diff --git a/qa/workunits/fs/misc/rstats.sh b/qa/workunits/fs/misc/rstats.sh
index e6b3eddf287e8..951cd274df7d5 100755
--- a/qa/workunits/fs/misc/rstats.sh
+++ b/qa/workunits/fs/misc/rstats.sh
@@ -75,6 +75,11 @@ touch d1/d2/f3 # create new file
 wait_until_changed rctime
 check_rctime
 
+old_value=`getfattr --only-value -n ceph.dir.rctime .`
+setfattr -n "ceph.dir.rctime" -v `date -d 'now+1hour' +%s` .
+wait_until_changed rctime
+check_rctime
+
 cd ..
 rm -rf rstats_testdir
 echo OK
diff --git a/src/client/Client.cc b/src/client/Client.cc
index 86e01944f2e6b..2298d0074678b 100644
--- a/src/client/Client.cc
+++ b/src/client/Client.cc
@@ -12918,7 +12918,13 @@ const Client::VXattr Client::_dir_vxattrs[] = {
   XATTR_NAME_CEPH(dir, rsubdirs, VXATTR_RSTAT),
   XATTR_NAME_CEPH(dir, rsnaps, VXATTR_RSTAT),
   XATTR_NAME_CEPH(dir, rbytes, VXATTR_RSTAT),
-  XATTR_NAME_CEPH(dir, rctime, VXATTR_RSTAT),
+  {
+    name: "ceph.dir.rctime",
+    getxattr_cb: &Client::_vxattrcb_dir_rctime,
+    readonly: false,
+    exists_cb: NULL,
+    flags: VXATTR_RSTAT,
+  },
   {
     name: "ceph.quota",
     getxattr_cb: &Client::_vxattrcb_quota,
diff --git a/src/mds/Locker.cc b/src/mds/Locker.cc
index bacc79a10381d..b467e3184d370 100644
--- a/src/mds/Locker.cc
+++ b/src/mds/Locker.cc
@@ -2852,11 +2852,9 @@ bool Locker::check_inode_max_size(CInode *in, bool force_wrlock,
     pi.inode->rstat.rbytes = new_size;
     dout(10) << "check_inode_max_size mtime " << pi.inode->mtime << " -> " << new_mtime << dendl;
     pi.inode->mtime = new_mtime;
-    if (new_mtime > pi.inode->ctime) {
-      pi.inode->ctime = new_mtime;
-      if (new_mtime > pi.inode->rstat.rctime)
-	pi.inode->rstat.rctime = new_mtime;
-    }
+    pi.inode->ctime = ceph_clock_now();
+    if (pi.inode->ctime > pi.inode->rstat.rctime)
+      pi.inode->rstat.rctime = pi.inode->ctime;
   }
 
   // use EOpen if the file is still open; otherwise, use EUpdate.
@@ -3657,22 +3655,16 @@ void Locker::_update_cap_fields(CInode *in, int dirty, const cref_t<MClientCaps>
     return;
 
   /* m must be valid if there are dirty caps */
+  bool changed = false;
   ceph_assert(m);
   uint64_t features = m->get_connection()->get_features();
 
-  if (m->get_ctime() > pi->ctime) {
-    dout(7) << "  ctime " << pi->ctime << " -> " << m->get_ctime()
-	    << " for " << *in << dendl;
-    pi->ctime = m->get_ctime();
-    if (m->get_ctime() > pi->rstat.rctime)
-      pi->rstat.rctime = m->get_ctime();
-  }
-
   if ((features & CEPH_FEATURE_FS_CHANGE_ATTR) &&
       m->get_change_attr() > pi->change_attr) {
     dout(7) << "  change_attr " << pi->change_attr << " -> " << m->get_change_attr()
 	    << " for " << *in << dendl;
     pi->change_attr = m->get_change_attr();
+    changed = true;
   }
 
   // file
@@ -3687,8 +3679,7 @@ void Locker::_update_cap_fields(CInode *in, int dirty, const cref_t<MClientCaps>
       dout(7) << "  mtime " << pi->mtime << " -> " << mtime
 	      << " for " << *in << dendl;
       pi->mtime = mtime;
-      if (mtime > pi->rstat.rctime)
-	pi->rstat.rctime = mtime;
+      changed = true;
     }
     if (in->is_file() &&   // ONLY if regular file
 	size > pi->size) {
@@ -3696,11 +3687,13 @@ void Locker::_update_cap_fields(CInode *in, int dirty, const cref_t<MClientCaps>
 	      << " for " << *in << dendl;
       pi->size = size;
       pi->rstat.rbytes = size;
+      changed = true;
     }
     if (in->is_file() &&
         (dirty & CEPH_CAP_FILE_WR) &&
         inline_version > pi->inline_data.version) {
       pi->inline_data.version = inline_version;
+      changed = true;
       if (inline_version != CEPH_INLINE_NONE && m->inline_data.length() > 0)
 	pi->inline_data.set_data(m->inline_data);
       else
@@ -3710,12 +3703,14 @@ void Locker::_update_cap_fields(CInode *in, int dirty, const cref_t<MClientCaps>
       dout(7) << "  atime " << pi->atime << " -> " << atime
 	      << " for " << *in << dendl;
       pi->atime = atime;
+      changed = true;
     }
     if ((dirty & CEPH_CAP_FILE_EXCL) &&
 	ceph_seq_cmp(pi->time_warp_seq, m->get_time_warp_seq()) < 0) {
       dout(7) << "  time_warp_seq " << pi->time_warp_seq << " -> " << m->get_time_warp_seq()
 	      << " for " << *in << dendl;
       pi->time_warp_seq = m->get_time_warp_seq();
+      changed = true;
     }
   }
   // auth
@@ -3725,26 +3720,35 @@ void Locker::_update_cap_fields(CInode *in, int dirty, const cref_t<MClientCaps>
 	      << " -> " << m->head.uid
 	      << " for " << *in << dendl;
       pi->uid = m->head.uid;
+      changed = true;
     }
     if (m->head.gid != pi->gid) {
       dout(7) << "  gid " << pi->gid
 	      << " -> " << m->head.gid
 	      << " for " << *in << dendl;
       pi->gid = m->head.gid;
+      changed = true;
     }
     if (m->head.mode != pi->mode) {
       dout(7) << "  mode " << oct << pi->mode
 	      << " -> " << m->head.mode << dec
 	      << " for " << *in << dendl;
       pi->mode = m->head.mode;
+      changed = true;
     }
     if ((features & CEPH_FEATURE_FS_BTIME) && m->get_btime() != pi->btime) {
       dout(7) << "  btime " << oct << pi->btime
 	      << " -> " << m->get_btime() << dec
 	      << " for " << *in << dendl;
       pi->btime = m->get_btime();
+      changed = true;
     }
   }
+
+  if (changed) {
+    pi->ctime = std::max(pi->ctime, ceph_clock_now());
+    pi->rstat.rctime = std::max(pi->rstat.rctime, pi->ctime);
+  }
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/src/mds/MDCache.cc b/src/mds/MDCache.cc
index 9438925ffd65d..22614487cf851 100644
--- a/src/mds/MDCache.cc
+++ b/src/mds/MDCache.cc
@@ -2183,12 +2183,7 @@ void MDCache::predirty_journal_parents(MutationRef mut, EMetaBlob *blob,
 	pf->fragstat.mtime = mut->get_op_stamp();
 	pf->fragstat.change_attr++;
 	dout(10) << "predirty_journal_parents bumping change_attr to " << pf->fragstat.change_attr << " on " << parent << dendl;
-	if (pf->fragstat.mtime > pf->rstat.rctime) {
-	  dout(10) << "predirty_journal_parents updating mtime on " << *parent << dendl;
-	  pf->rstat.rctime = pf->fragstat.mtime;
-	} else {
-	  dout(10) << "predirty_journal_parents updating mtime UNDERWATER on " << *parent << dendl;
-	}
+	pf->rstat.rctime = std::max(pf->rstat.rctime, ceph_clock_now());
       }
       if (linkunlink) {
 	dout(10) << "predirty_journal_parents updating size on " << *parent << dendl;
@@ -2306,7 +2301,7 @@ void MDCache::predirty_journal_parents(MutationRef mut, EMetaBlob *blob,
       pi.inode->dirstat.add_delta(pf->fragstat, pf->accounted_fragstat, &touched_mtime, &touched_chattr);
       pf->accounted_fragstat = pf->fragstat;
       if (touched_mtime)
-	pi.inode->mtime = pi.inode->ctime = pi.inode->dirstat.mtime;
+	pi.inode->mtime = pi.inode->dirstat.mtime;
       if (touched_chattr)
 	pi.inode->change_attr = pi.inode->dirstat.change_attr;
       dout(20) << "predirty_journal_parents     gives " << pi.inode->dirstat << " on " << *pin << dendl;
diff --git a/src/mds/Server.cc b/src/mds/Server.cc
index b0113d73fb50f..86b73b27ef97f 100644
--- a/src/mds/Server.cc
+++ b/src/mds/Server.cc
@@ -5324,6 +5324,21 @@ bool Server::xlock_policylock(MDRequestRef& mdr, CInode *in, bool want_layout, b
   return true;
 }
 
+bool Server::wrlock_nestlock(MDRequestRef& mdr, CInode *in)
+{
+  if (mdr->locking_state & MutationImpl::ALL_LOCKED)
+    return true;
+
+  MutationImpl::LockOpVec lov;
+  lov.add_wrlock(&in->nestlock);
+
+  if (!mds->locker->acquire_locks(mdr, lov))
+    return false;
+
+  mdr->locking_state |= MutationImpl::ALL_LOCKED;
+  return true;
+}
+
 CInode* Server::try_get_auth_inode(MDRequestRef& mdr, inodeno_t ino)
 {
   CInode *in = mdcache->get_inode(ino);
@@ -5861,6 +5876,34 @@ void Server::handle_set_vxattr(MDRequestRef& mdr, CInode *cur)
     auto pi = cur->project_inode(mdr);
     cur->setxattr_ephemeral_dist(val);
     pip = pi.inode.get();
+  } else if (name == "ceph.dir.rctime") {
+    if (!cur->is_dir()) {
+      respond_to_request(mdr, -EINVAL);
+      return;
+    }
+
+    uint64_t sec, nsec = 0;
+    try {
+      if (auto pos = value.find('.', 0); pos != string::npos) {
+        sec  = boost::lexical_cast<uint64_t>(value.substr(0, pos));
+        nsec = boost::lexical_cast<uint64_t>(value.substr(pos+1));
+      } else {
+        sec = boost::lexical_cast<uint64_t>(value);
+      }
+    } catch (boost::bad_lexical_cast const&) {
+      dout(10) << "bad vxattr value, unable to parse utime_t for " << name << dendl;
+      respond_to_request(mdr, -EINVAL);
+      return;
+    }
+    utime_t val(sec, nsec);
+
+    if (!wrlock_nestlock(mdr, cur))
+      return;
+
+    auto pi = cur->project_inode(mdr);
+    pi.inode->rstat.rctime = val;
+    mdr->no_early_reply = true;
+    pip = pi.inode.get();
   } else {
     dout(10) << " unknown vxattr " << name << dendl;
     respond_to_request(mdr, -CEPHFS_EINVAL);
diff --git a/src/mds/Server.h b/src/mds/Server.h
index 76f38717c7265..b0d5161b10c36 100644
--- a/src/mds/Server.h
+++ b/src/mds/Server.h
@@ -206,6 +206,7 @@ class Server {
 
   bool xlock_policylock(MDRequestRef& mdr, CInode *in,
 			bool want_layout=false, bool xlock_snaplock=false);
+  bool wrlock_nestlock(MDRequestRef& mdr, CInode *in);
   CInode* try_get_auth_inode(MDRequestRef& mdr, inodeno_t ino);
   void handle_client_setattr(MDRequestRef& mdr);
   void handle_client_setlayout(MDRequestRef& mdr);
@@ -418,7 +419,8 @@ class Server {
            xattr_name == "ceph.dir.subvolume" ||
            xattr_name == "ceph.dir.pin" ||
            xattr_name == "ceph.dir.pin.random" ||
-           xattr_name == "ceph.dir.pin.distributed";
+           xattr_name == "ceph.dir.pin.distributed" ||
+           xattr_name == "ceph.dir.rctime";
   }
 
   static bool is_allowed_ceph_xattr(std::string_view xattr_name) {