diff --git a/io_uring/poll.c b/io_uring/poll.c
index 1b78b527075deb..b444b7d8769738 100644
--- a/io_uring/poll.c
+++ b/io_uring/poll.c
@@ -40,7 +40,14 @@ struct io_poll_table {
 };
 
 #define IO_POLL_CANCEL_FLAG	BIT(31)
-#define IO_POLL_REF_MASK	GENMASK(30, 0)
+#define IO_POLL_RETRY_FLAG	BIT(30)
+#define IO_POLL_REF_MASK	GENMASK(29, 0)
+
+/*
+ * We usually have 1-2 refs taken, 128 is more than enough and we want to
+ * maximise the margin between this amount and the moment when it overflows.
+ */
+#define IO_POLL_REF_BIAS	128
 
 #define IO_WQE_F_DOUBLE		1
 
@@ -58,6 +65,21 @@ static inline bool wqe_is_double(struct wait_queue_entry *wqe)
 	return priv & IO_WQE_F_DOUBLE;
 }
 
+static bool io_poll_get_ownership_slowpath(struct io_kiocb *req)
+{
+	int v;
+
+	/*
+	 * poll_refs are already elevated and we don't have much hope for
+	 * grabbing the ownership. Instead of incrementing set a retry flag
+	 * to notify the loop that there might have been some change.
+	 */
+	v = atomic_fetch_or(IO_POLL_RETRY_FLAG, &req->poll_refs);
+	if (v & IO_POLL_REF_MASK)
+		return false;
+	return !(atomic_fetch_inc(&req->poll_refs) & IO_POLL_REF_MASK);
+}
+
 /*
  * If refs part of ->poll_refs (see IO_POLL_REF_MASK) is 0, it's free. We can
  * bump it and acquire ownership. It's disallowed to modify requests while not
@@ -66,6 +88,8 @@ static inline bool wqe_is_double(struct wait_queue_entry *wqe)
  */
 static inline bool io_poll_get_ownership(struct io_kiocb *req)
 {
+	if (unlikely(atomic_read(&req->poll_refs) >= IO_POLL_REF_BIAS))
+		return io_poll_get_ownership_slowpath(req);
 	return !(atomic_fetch_inc(&req->poll_refs) & IO_POLL_REF_MASK);
 }
 
@@ -235,6 +259,16 @@ static int io_poll_check_events(struct io_kiocb *req, bool *locked)
 		 */
 		if ((v & IO_POLL_REF_MASK) != 1)
 			req->cqe.res = 0;
+		if (v & IO_POLL_RETRY_FLAG) {
+			req->cqe.res = 0;
+			/*
+			 * We won't find new events that came in between
+			 * vfs_poll and the ref put unless we clear the flag
+			 * in advance.
+			 */
+			atomic_andnot(IO_POLL_RETRY_FLAG, &req->poll_refs);
+			v &= ~IO_POLL_RETRY_FLAG;
+		}
 
 		/* the mask was stashed in __io_poll_execute */
 		if (!req->cqe.res) {