diff --git a/fs/xfs/xfs_inode.c b/fs/xfs/xfs_inode.c
index cb4833d064..1a40dea669 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/xfs_inode.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/xfs_inode.c
@@ -3035,7 +3035,8 @@ xfs_rename(
 					&dfops, &first_block, spaceres);
 
 	/*
-	 * Set up the target.
+	 * Check for expected errors before we dirty the transaction
+	 * so we can return an error without a transaction abort.
 	 */
 	if (target_ip == NULL) {
 		/*
@@ -3047,6 +3048,45 @@ xfs_rename(
 			if (error)
 				goto out_trans_cancel;
 		}
+	} else {
+		/*
+		 * If target exists and it's a directory, check that whether
+		 * it can be destroyed.
+		 */
+		if (S_ISDIR(VFS_I(target_ip)->i_mode) &&
+		    (!xfs_dir_isempty(target_ip) ||
+		     (VFS_I(target_ip)->i_nlink > 2))) {
+			error = -EEXIST;
+			goto out_trans_cancel;
+		}
+	}
+
+	/*
+	 * Directory entry creation below may acquire the AGF. Remove
+	 * the whiteout from the unlinked list first to preserve correct
+	 * AGI/AGF locking order. This dirties the transaction so failures
+	 * after this point will abort and log recovery will clean up the
+	 * mess.
+	 *
+	 * For whiteouts, we need to bump the link count on the whiteout
+	 * inode. After this point, we have a real link, clear the tmpfile
+	 * state flag from the inode so it doesn't accidentally get misused
+	 * in future.
+	 */
+	if (wip) {
+		ASSERT(VFS_I(wip)->i_nlink == 0);
+		error = xfs_iunlink_remove(tp, wip);
+		if (error)
+			goto out_trans_cancel;
+
+		xfs_bumplink(tp, wip);
+		VFS_I(wip)->i_state &= ~I_LINKABLE;
+	}
+
+	/*
+	 * Set up the target.
+	 */
+	if (target_ip == NULL) {
 		/*
 		 * If target does not exist and the rename crosses
 		 * directories, adjust the target directory link count
@@ -3067,22 +3107,6 @@ xfs_rename(
 				goto out_bmap_cancel;
 		}
 	} else { /* target_ip != NULL */
-		/*
-		 * If target exists and it's a directory, check that both
-		 * target and source are directories and that target can be
-		 * destroyed, or that neither is a directory.
-		 */
-		if (S_ISDIR(VFS_I(target_ip)->i_mode)) {
-			/*
-			 * Make sure target dir is empty.
-			 */
-			if (!(xfs_dir_isempty(target_ip)) ||
-			    (VFS_I(target_ip)->i_nlink > 2)) {
-				error = -EEXIST;
-				goto out_trans_cancel;
-			}
-		}
-
 		/*
 		 * Link the source inode under the target name.
 		 * If the source inode is a directory and we are moving
@@ -3175,32 +3199,6 @@ xfs_rename(
 	if (error)
 		goto out_bmap_cancel;
 
-	/*
-	 * For whiteouts, we need to bump the link count on the whiteout inode.
-	 * This means that failures all the way up to this point leave the inode
-	 * on the unlinked list and so cleanup is a simple matter of dropping
-	 * the remaining reference to it. If we fail here after bumping the link
-	 * count, we're shutting down the filesystem so we'll never see the
-	 * intermediate state on disk.
-	 */
-	if (wip) {
-		ASSERT(VFS_I(wip)->i_nlink == 0);
-		error = xfs_bumplink(tp, wip);
-		if (error)
-			goto out_bmap_cancel;
-		error = xfs_iunlink_remove(tp, wip);
-		if (error)
-			goto out_bmap_cancel;
-		xfs_trans_log_inode(tp, wip, XFS_ILOG_CORE);
-
-		/*
-		 * Now we have a real link, clear the "I'm a tmpfile" state
-		 * flag from the inode so it doesn't accidentally get misused in
-		 * future.
-		 */
-		VFS_I(wip)->i_state &= ~I_LINKABLE;
-	}
-
 	xfs_trans_ichgtime(tp, src_dp, XFS_ICHGTIME_MOD | XFS_ICHGTIME_CHG);
 	xfs_trans_log_inode(tp, src_dp, XFS_ILOG_CORE);
 	if (new_parent)