diff --git a/src/mds/CInode.cc b/src/mds/CInode.cc
index 9512ebfbb1a..1e112864f63 100644
--- a/src/mds/CInode.cc
+++ b/src/mds/CInode.cc
@@ -2751,10 +2751,24 @@ client_t CInode::calc_ideal_loner()
   return loner;
 }
 
-client_t CInode::choose_ideal_loner()
+bool CInode::choose_ideal_loner()
 {
   want_loner_cap = calc_ideal_loner();
-  return want_loner_cap;
+  int changed = false;
+  if (loner_cap >= 0 && loner_cap != want_loner_cap) {
+    if (!try_drop_loner())
+      return false;
+    changed = true;
+  }
+
+  if (want_loner_cap >= 0) {
+    if (loner_cap < 0) {
+      set_loner_cap(want_loner_cap);
+      changed = true;
+    } else
+      assert(loner_cap == want_loner_cap);
+  }
+  return changed;
 }
 
 bool CInode::try_set_loner()
@@ -2822,9 +2836,8 @@ void CInode::choose_lock_state(SimpleLock *lock, int allissued)
 void CInode::choose_lock_states(int dirty_caps)
 {
   int issued = get_caps_issued() | dirty_caps;
-  if (is_auth() && (issued & (CEPH_CAP_ANY_EXCL|CEPH_CAP_ANY_WR)) &&
-      choose_ideal_loner() >= 0)
-    try_set_loner();
+  if (is_auth() && (issued & (CEPH_CAP_ANY_EXCL|CEPH_CAP_ANY_WR)))
+    choose_ideal_loner();
   choose_lock_state(&filelock, issued);
   choose_lock_state(&nestlock, issued);
   choose_lock_state(&dirfragtreelock, issued);
@@ -3314,12 +3327,8 @@ int CInode::encode_inodestat(bufferlist& bl, Session *session,
     if (!no_caps && !cap) {
       // add a new cap
       cap = add_client_cap(client, session, realm);
-      if (is_auth()) {
-	if (choose_ideal_loner() >= 0)
-	  try_set_loner();
-	else if (get_wanted_loner() < 0)
-	  try_drop_loner();
-      }
+      if (is_auth())
+	choose_ideal_loner();
     }
 
     int issue = 0;
diff --git a/src/mds/CInode.h b/src/mds/CInode.h
index f95f299f4a1..b0cbc39a151 100644
--- a/src/mds/CInode.h
+++ b/src/mds/CInode.h
@@ -936,9 +936,9 @@ public:
   }
 
   client_t calc_ideal_loner();
-  client_t choose_ideal_loner();
-  bool try_set_loner();
   void set_loner_cap(client_t l);
+  bool choose_ideal_loner();
+  bool try_set_loner();
   bool try_drop_loner();
 
   // choose new lock state during recovery, based on issued caps
diff --git a/src/mds/Locker.cc b/src/mds/Locker.cc
index 01427c63b82..f2055db87dd 100644
--- a/src/mds/Locker.cc
+++ b/src/mds/Locker.cc
@@ -958,6 +958,7 @@ void Locker::eval_gather(SimpleLock *lock, bool first, bool *pneed_issue, list<M
       case LOCK_TSYN_MIX:
       case LOCK_SYNC_MIX:
       case LOCK_EXCL_MIX:
+      case LOCK_XSYN_MIX:
 	in->start_scatter(static_cast<ScatterLock *>(lock));
 	if (lock->get_parent()->is_replicated()) {
 	  bufferlist softdata;
@@ -1038,15 +1039,15 @@ bool Locker::eval(CInode *in, int mask, bool caps_imported)
 
   // choose loner?
   if (in->is_auth() && in->is_head()) {
-    if (in->choose_ideal_loner() >= 0) {
-      if (in->try_set_loner()) {
-	dout(10) << "eval set loner to client." << in->get_loner() << dendl;
-	need_issue = true;
-	mask = -1;
-      } else
-	dout(10) << "eval want loner client." << in->get_wanted_loner() << " but failed to set it" << dendl;
-    } else
-      dout(10) << "eval doesn't want loner" << dendl;
+    client_t orig_loner = in->get_loner();
+    if (in->choose_ideal_loner()) {
+      dout(10) << "eval set loner: client." << orig_loner << " -> client." << in->get_loner() << dendl;
+      need_issue = true;
+      mask = -1;
+    } else if (in->get_wanted_loner() != in->get_loner()) {
+      dout(10) << "eval want loner: client." << in->get_wanted_loner() << " but failed to set it" << dendl;
+      mask = -1;
+    }
   }
 
  retry:
@@ -1067,19 +1068,14 @@ bool Locker::eval(CInode *in, int mask, bool caps_imported)
 
   // drop loner?
   if (in->is_auth() && in->is_head() && in->get_wanted_loner() != in->get_loner()) {
-    dout(10) << "  trying to drop loner" << dendl;
     if (in->try_drop_loner()) {
-      dout(10) << "  dropped loner" << dendl;
       need_issue = true;
-
       if (in->get_wanted_loner() >= 0) {
-	if (in->try_set_loner()) {
-	  dout(10) << "eval end set loner to client." << in->get_loner() << dendl;
-	  mask = -1;
-	  goto retry;
-	} else {
-	  dout(10) << "eval want loner client." << in->get_wanted_loner() << " but failed to set it" << dendl;
-	}
+	dout(10) << "eval end set loner to client." << in->get_loner() << dendl;
+	bool ok = in->try_set_loner();
+	assert(ok);
+	mask = -1;
+	goto retry;
       }
     }
   }
@@ -4187,11 +4183,7 @@ void Locker::simple_lock(SimpleLock *lock, bool *need_issue)
 
   switch (lock->get_state()) {
   case LOCK_SYNC: lock->set_state(LOCK_SYNC_LOCK); break;
-  case LOCK_XSYN:
-    file_excl(static_cast<ScatterLock*>(lock), need_issue);
-    if (lock->get_state() != LOCK_EXCL)
-      return;
-    // fall-thru
+  case LOCK_XSYN: lock->set_state(LOCK_XSYN_LOCK); break;
   case LOCK_EXCL: lock->set_state(LOCK_EXCL_LOCK); break;
   case LOCK_MIX: lock->set_state(LOCK_MIX_LOCK);
     (static_cast<ScatterLock *>(lock))->clear_unscatter_wanted();
@@ -4858,7 +4850,7 @@ void Locker::file_eval(ScatterLock *lock, bool *need_issue)
 	   !lock->is_rdlocked() &&
 	   //!lock->is_waiter_for(SimpleLock::WAIT_WR) &&
 	   (lock->get_scatter_wanted() ||
-	    (in->get_wanted_loner() < 0 && (wanted & CEPH_CAP_GWR)))) {
+	    (in->get_target_loner() < 0 && (wanted & CEPH_CAP_GWR)))) {
     dout(7) << "file_eval stable, bump to mixed " << *lock
 	    << " on " << *lock->get_parent() << dendl;
     scatter_mix(lock, need_issue);
@@ -4916,12 +4908,8 @@ void Locker::scatter_mix(ScatterLock *lock, bool *need_issue)
     // gather?
     switch (lock->get_state()) {
     case LOCK_SYNC: lock->set_state(LOCK_SYNC_MIX); break;
-    case LOCK_XSYN:
-      file_excl(lock, need_issue);
-      if (lock->get_state() != LOCK_EXCL)
-	return;
-      // fall-thru
     case LOCK_EXCL: lock->set_state(LOCK_EXCL_MIX); break;
+    case LOCK_XSYN: lock->set_state(LOCK_XSYN_MIX); break;
     case LOCK_TSYN: lock->set_state(LOCK_TSYN_MIX); break;
     default: ceph_abort();
     }
@@ -4930,8 +4918,7 @@ void Locker::scatter_mix(ScatterLock *lock, bool *need_issue)
     if (lock->is_rdlocked())
       gather++;
     if (in->is_replicated()) {
-      if (lock->get_state() != LOCK_EXCL_MIX &&   // EXCL replica is already LOCK
-	  lock->get_state() != LOCK_XSYN_EXCL) {  // XSYN replica is already LOCK;  ** FIXME here too!
+      if (lock->get_state() == LOCK_SYNC_MIX) { // for the rest states, replicas are already LOCK
 	send_lock_message(lock, LOCK_AC_MIX);
 	lock->init_gather();
 	gather++;
diff --git a/src/mds/SimpleLock.h b/src/mds/SimpleLock.h
index 6e60d2a7015..8c52df733c5 100644
--- a/src/mds/SimpleLock.h
+++ b/src/mds/SimpleLock.h
@@ -120,6 +120,8 @@ public:
     case LOCK_XSYN_EXCL: return "xsyn->excl";
     case LOCK_EXCL_XSYN: return "excl->xsyn";
     case LOCK_XSYN_SYNC: return "xsyn->sync";
+    case LOCK_XSYN_LOCK: return "xsyn->lock";
+    case LOCK_XSYN_MIX: return "xsyn->mix";
 
     case LOCK_SYNC_MIX: return "sync->mix";
     case LOCK_SYNC_MIX2: return "sync->mix(2)";
diff --git a/src/mds/locks.c b/src/mds/locks.c
index 2fc0a5fc041..de99abe7a7d 100644
--- a/src/mds/locks.c
+++ b/src/mds/locks.c
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ const struct sm_state_t filelock[LOCK_MAX] = {
     [LOCK_EXCL_LOCK] = { LOCK_LOCK, false, LOCK_LOCK, 0,    0,   0,   0,   XCL, 0,   0,   CEPH_CAP_GCACHE|CEPH_CAP_GBUFFER,0,0,0 },
     [LOCK_MIX_LOCK]  = { LOCK_LOCK, false, LOCK_MIX,  AUTH, 0,   REQ, 0,   0,   0,   0,   0,0,0,0 },
     [LOCK_MIX_LOCK2] = { LOCK_LOCK, false, LOCK_LOCK, AUTH, 0,   REQ, 0,   0,   0,   0,   0,0,0,0 },
+    [LOCK_XSYN_LOCK] = { LOCK_LOCK, true,  LOCK_LOCK, AUTH, 0,   0,   XCL, 0,   0,   0,   0,CEPH_CAP_GCACHE|CEPH_CAP_GBUFFER,0,0 },
 
     [LOCK_PREXLOCK]  = { LOCK_LOCK, false, LOCK_LOCK, 0,    XCL, 0,   0,   0,   0,   ANY, CEPH_CAP_GCACHE|CEPH_CAP_GBUFFER,0,0,0 },
     [LOCK_XLOCK]     = { LOCK_LOCK, false, LOCK_LOCK, 0,    XCL, 0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   CEPH_CAP_GCACHE|CEPH_CAP_GBUFFER,0,0,0 },
@@ -106,6 +107,7 @@ const struct sm_state_t filelock[LOCK_MAX] = {
     [LOCK_SYNC_MIX]  = { LOCK_MIX,  false, LOCK_SYNC_MIX2,ANY,0, 0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   CEPH_CAP_GRD|CEPH_CAP_GLAZYIO,0,0,CEPH_CAP_GRD },
     [LOCK_SYNC_MIX2] = { LOCK_MIX,  false, 0,         0,    0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   CEPH_CAP_GRD|CEPH_CAP_GLAZYIO,0,0,CEPH_CAP_GRD },
     [LOCK_EXCL_MIX]  = { LOCK_MIX,  true,  LOCK_LOCK, 0,    0,   0,   XCL, 0,   0,   0,   0,CEPH_CAP_GRD|CEPH_CAP_GWR|CEPH_CAP_GLAZYIO,0,0 },
+    [LOCK_XSYN_MIX]  = { LOCK_MIX,  true,  LOCK_LOCK, 0,    0,   0,   XCL, 0,   0,   0,   0,0,0,0 },
     
     [LOCK_EXCL]      = { 0,         true,  LOCK_LOCK, 0,    0,   XCL, XCL, 0,   0,   0,   0,CEPH_CAP_GSHARED|CEPH_CAP_GEXCL|CEPH_CAP_GCACHE|CEPH_CAP_GRD|CEPH_CAP_GWR|CEPH_CAP_GBUFFER|CEPH_CAP_GLAZYIO,0,0 },
     [LOCK_SYNC_EXCL] = { LOCK_EXCL, true,  LOCK_LOCK, AUTH, 0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,CEPH_CAP_GSHARED|CEPH_CAP_GCACHE|CEPH_CAP_GRD,0,0 },
diff --git a/src/mds/locks.h b/src/mds/locks.h
index 9f4ea566b4a..252cf0ed524 100644
--- a/src/mds/locks.h
+++ b/src/mds/locks.h
@@ -94,6 +94,8 @@ enum {
   LOCK_XSYN_EXCL,
   LOCK_EXCL_XSYN,
   LOCK_XSYN_SYNC,
+  LOCK_XSYN_LOCK,
+  LOCK_XSYN_MIX,
 
   LOCK_MAX,
 };