diff --git a/drivers/md/dm-cache-policy-cleaner.c b/drivers/md/dm-cache-policy-cleaner.c
index b04d1f904d07..004e463c9423 100644
--- a/drivers/md/dm-cache-policy-cleaner.c
+++ b/drivers/md/dm-cache-policy-cleaner.c
@@ -171,7 +171,8 @@ static void remove_cache_hash_entry(struct wb_cache_entry *e)
 /* Public interface (see dm-cache-policy.h */
 static int wb_map(struct dm_cache_policy *pe, dm_oblock_t oblock,
 		  bool can_block, bool can_migrate, bool discarded_oblock,
-		  struct bio *bio, struct policy_result *result)
+		  struct bio *bio, struct policy_locker *locker,
+		  struct policy_result *result)
 {
 	struct policy *p = to_policy(pe);
 	struct wb_cache_entry *e;
diff --git a/drivers/md/dm-cache-policy-internal.h b/drivers/md/dm-cache-policy-internal.h
index 2256a1f24f73..c198e6defb9c 100644
--- a/drivers/md/dm-cache-policy-internal.h
+++ b/drivers/md/dm-cache-policy-internal.h
@@ -16,9 +16,10 @@
  */
 static inline int policy_map(struct dm_cache_policy *p, dm_oblock_t oblock,
 			     bool can_block, bool can_migrate, bool discarded_oblock,
-			     struct bio *bio, struct policy_result *result)
+			     struct bio *bio, struct policy_locker *locker,
+			     struct policy_result *result)
 {
-	return p->map(p, oblock, can_block, can_migrate, discarded_oblock, bio, result);
+	return p->map(p, oblock, can_block, can_migrate, discarded_oblock, bio, locker, result);
 }
 
 static inline int policy_lookup(struct dm_cache_policy *p, dm_oblock_t oblock, dm_cblock_t *cblock)
diff --git a/drivers/md/dm-cache-policy-mq.c b/drivers/md/dm-cache-policy-mq.c
index 3ddd1162334d..515d44bf24d3 100644
--- a/drivers/md/dm-cache-policy-mq.c
+++ b/drivers/md/dm-cache-policy-mq.c
@@ -693,9 +693,10 @@ static void requeue(struct mq_policy *mq, struct entry *e)
  * - set the hit count to a hard coded value other than 1, eg, is it better
  *   if it goes in at level 2?
  */
-static int demote_cblock(struct mq_policy *mq, dm_oblock_t *oblock)
+static int demote_cblock(struct mq_policy *mq,
+			 struct policy_locker *locker, dm_oblock_t *oblock)
 {
-	struct entry *demoted = pop(mq, &mq->cache_clean);
+	struct entry *demoted = peek(&mq->cache_clean);
 
 	if (!demoted)
 		/*
@@ -707,6 +708,13 @@ static int demote_cblock(struct mq_policy *mq, dm_oblock_t *oblock)
 		 */
 		return -ENOSPC;
 
+	if (locker->fn(locker, demoted->oblock))
+		/*
+		 * We couldn't lock the demoted block.
+		 */
+		return -EBUSY;
+
+	del(mq, demoted);
 	*oblock = demoted->oblock;
 	free_entry(&mq->cache_pool, demoted);
 
@@ -795,6 +803,7 @@ static int cache_entry_found(struct mq_policy *mq,
  * finding which cache block to use.
  */
 static int pre_cache_to_cache(struct mq_policy *mq, struct entry *e,
+			      struct policy_locker *locker,
 			      struct policy_result *result)
 {
 	int r;
@@ -803,11 +812,12 @@ static int pre_cache_to_cache(struct mq_policy *mq, struct entry *e,
 	/* Ensure there's a free cblock in the cache */
 	if (epool_empty(&mq->cache_pool)) {
 		result->op = POLICY_REPLACE;
-		r = demote_cblock(mq, &result->old_oblock);
+		r = demote_cblock(mq, locker, &result->old_oblock);
 		if (r) {
 			result->op = POLICY_MISS;
 			return 0;
 		}
+
 	} else
 		result->op = POLICY_NEW;
 
@@ -829,7 +839,8 @@ static int pre_cache_to_cache(struct mq_policy *mq, struct entry *e,
 
 static int pre_cache_entry_found(struct mq_policy *mq, struct entry *e,
 				 bool can_migrate, bool discarded_oblock,
-				 int data_dir, struct policy_result *result)
+				 int data_dir, struct policy_locker *locker,
+				 struct policy_result *result)
 {
 	int r = 0;
 
@@ -842,7 +853,7 @@ static int pre_cache_entry_found(struct mq_policy *mq, struct entry *e,
 
 	else {
 		requeue(mq, e);
-		r = pre_cache_to_cache(mq, e, result);
+		r = pre_cache_to_cache(mq, e, locker, result);
 	}
 
 	return r;
@@ -872,6 +883,7 @@ static void insert_in_pre_cache(struct mq_policy *mq,
 }
 
 static void insert_in_cache(struct mq_policy *mq, dm_oblock_t oblock,
+			    struct policy_locker *locker,
 			    struct policy_result *result)
 {
 	int r;
@@ -879,7 +891,7 @@ static void insert_in_cache(struct mq_policy *mq, dm_oblock_t oblock,
 
 	if (epool_empty(&mq->cache_pool)) {
 		result->op = POLICY_REPLACE;
-		r = demote_cblock(mq, &result->old_oblock);
+		r = demote_cblock(mq, locker, &result->old_oblock);
 		if (unlikely(r)) {
 			result->op = POLICY_MISS;
 			insert_in_pre_cache(mq, oblock);
@@ -907,11 +919,12 @@ static void insert_in_cache(struct mq_policy *mq, dm_oblock_t oblock,
 
 static int no_entry_found(struct mq_policy *mq, dm_oblock_t oblock,
 			  bool can_migrate, bool discarded_oblock,
-			  int data_dir, struct policy_result *result)
+			  int data_dir, struct policy_locker *locker,
+			  struct policy_result *result)
 {
 	if (adjusted_promote_threshold(mq, discarded_oblock, data_dir) <= 1) {
 		if (can_migrate)
-			insert_in_cache(mq, oblock, result);
+			insert_in_cache(mq, oblock, locker, result);
 		else
 			return -EWOULDBLOCK;
 	} else {
@@ -928,7 +941,8 @@ static int no_entry_found(struct mq_policy *mq, dm_oblock_t oblock,
  */
 static int map(struct mq_policy *mq, dm_oblock_t oblock,
 	       bool can_migrate, bool discarded_oblock,
-	       int data_dir, struct policy_result *result)
+	       int data_dir, struct policy_locker *locker,
+	       struct policy_result *result)
 {
 	int r = 0;
 	struct entry *e = hash_lookup(mq, oblock);
@@ -942,11 +956,11 @@ static int map(struct mq_policy *mq, dm_oblock_t oblock,
 
 	else if (e)
 		r = pre_cache_entry_found(mq, e, can_migrate, discarded_oblock,
-					  data_dir, result);
+					  data_dir, locker, result);
 
 	else
 		r = no_entry_found(mq, oblock, can_migrate, discarded_oblock,
-				   data_dir, result);
+				   data_dir, locker, result);
 
 	if (r == -EWOULDBLOCK)
 		result->op = POLICY_MISS;
@@ -1012,7 +1026,8 @@ static void copy_tick(struct mq_policy *mq)
 
 static int mq_map(struct dm_cache_policy *p, dm_oblock_t oblock,
 		  bool can_block, bool can_migrate, bool discarded_oblock,
-		  struct bio *bio, struct policy_result *result)
+		  struct bio *bio, struct policy_locker *locker,
+		  struct policy_result *result)
 {
 	int r;
 	struct mq_policy *mq = to_mq_policy(p);
@@ -1028,7 +1043,7 @@ static int mq_map(struct dm_cache_policy *p, dm_oblock_t oblock,
 
 	iot_examine_bio(&mq->tracker, bio);
 	r = map(mq, oblock, can_migrate, discarded_oblock,
-		bio_data_dir(bio), result);
+		bio_data_dir(bio), locker, result);
 
 	mutex_unlock(&mq->lock);
 
diff --git a/drivers/md/dm-cache-policy.h b/drivers/md/dm-cache-policy.h
index f50fe360c546..5524e21e4836 100644
--- a/drivers/md/dm-cache-policy.h
+++ b/drivers/md/dm-cache-policy.h
@@ -69,6 +69,18 @@ enum policy_operation {
 	POLICY_REPLACE
 };
 
+/*
+ * When issuing a POLICY_REPLACE the policy needs to make a callback to
+ * lock the block being demoted.  This doesn't need to occur during a
+ * writeback operation since the block remains in the cache.
+ */
+struct policy_locker;
+typedef int (*policy_lock_fn)(struct policy_locker *l, dm_oblock_t oblock);
+
+struct policy_locker {
+	policy_lock_fn fn;
+};
+
 /*
  * This is the instruction passed back to the core target.
  */
@@ -122,7 +134,8 @@ struct dm_cache_policy {
 	 */
 	int (*map)(struct dm_cache_policy *p, dm_oblock_t oblock,
 		   bool can_block, bool can_migrate, bool discarded_oblock,
-		   struct bio *bio, struct policy_result *result);
+		   struct bio *bio, struct policy_locker *locker,
+		   struct policy_result *result);
 
 	/*
 	 * Sometimes we want to see if a block is in the cache, without
diff --git a/drivers/md/dm-cache-target.c b/drivers/md/dm-cache-target.c
index 41b2594a80c6..d5982480630b 100644
--- a/drivers/md/dm-cache-target.c
+++ b/drivers/md/dm-cache-target.c
@@ -1439,16 +1439,43 @@ static void inc_miss_counter(struct cache *cache, struct bio *bio)
 		   &cache->stats.read_miss : &cache->stats.write_miss);
 }
 
+/*----------------------------------------------------------------*/
+
+struct old_oblock_lock {
+	struct policy_locker locker;
+	struct cache *cache;
+	struct prealloc *structs;
+	struct dm_bio_prison_cell *cell;
+};
+
+static int null_locker(struct policy_locker *locker, dm_oblock_t b)
+{
+	/* This should never be called */
+	BUG();
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static int cell_locker(struct policy_locker *locker, dm_oblock_t b)
+{
+	struct old_oblock_lock *l = container_of(locker, struct old_oblock_lock, locker);
+	struct dm_bio_prison_cell *cell_prealloc = prealloc_get_cell(l->structs);
+
+	return bio_detain(l->cache, b, NULL, cell_prealloc,
+			  (cell_free_fn) prealloc_put_cell,
+			  l->structs, &l->cell);
+}
+
 static void process_bio(struct cache *cache, struct prealloc *structs,
 			struct bio *bio)
 {
 	int r;
 	bool release_cell = true;
 	dm_oblock_t block = get_bio_block(cache, bio);
-	struct dm_bio_prison_cell *cell_prealloc, *old_ocell, *new_ocell;
+	struct dm_bio_prison_cell *cell_prealloc, *new_ocell;
 	struct policy_result lookup_result;
 	bool passthrough = passthrough_mode(&cache->features);
 	bool discarded_block, can_migrate;
+	struct old_oblock_lock ool;
 
 	/*
 	 * Check to see if that block is currently migrating.
@@ -1463,8 +1490,12 @@ static void process_bio(struct cache *cache, struct prealloc *structs,
 	discarded_block = is_discarded_oblock(cache, block);
 	can_migrate = !passthrough && (discarded_block || spare_migration_bandwidth(cache));
 
+	ool.locker.fn = cell_locker;
+	ool.cache = cache;
+	ool.structs = structs;
+	ool.cell = NULL;
 	r = policy_map(cache->policy, block, true, can_migrate, discarded_block,
-		       bio, &lookup_result);
+		       bio, &ool.locker, &lookup_result);
 
 	if (r == -EWOULDBLOCK)
 		/* migration has been denied */
@@ -1521,27 +1552,11 @@ static void process_bio(struct cache *cache, struct prealloc *structs,
 		break;
 
 	case POLICY_REPLACE:
-		cell_prealloc = prealloc_get_cell(structs);
-		r = bio_detain(cache, lookup_result.old_oblock, bio, cell_prealloc,
-			       (cell_free_fn) prealloc_put_cell,
-			       structs, &old_ocell);
-		if (r > 0) {
-			/*
-			 * We have to be careful to avoid lock inversion of
-			 * the cells.  So we back off, and wait for the
-			 * old_ocell to become free.
-			 */
-			policy_force_mapping(cache->policy, block,
-					     lookup_result.old_oblock);
-			atomic_inc(&cache->stats.cache_cell_clash);
-			break;
-		}
 		atomic_inc(&cache->stats.demotion);
 		atomic_inc(&cache->stats.promotion);
-
 		demote_then_promote(cache, structs, lookup_result.old_oblock,
 				    block, lookup_result.cblock,
-				    old_ocell, new_ocell);
+				    ool.cell, new_ocell);
 		release_cell = false;
 		break;
 
@@ -2589,6 +2604,9 @@ static int __cache_map(struct cache *cache, struct bio *bio, struct dm_bio_priso
 	bool discarded_block;
 	struct policy_result lookup_result;
 	struct per_bio_data *pb = init_per_bio_data(bio, pb_data_size);
+	struct old_oblock_lock ool;
+
+	ool.locker.fn = null_locker;
 
 	if (unlikely(from_oblock(block) >= from_oblock(cache->origin_blocks))) {
 		/*
@@ -2627,7 +2645,7 @@ static int __cache_map(struct cache *cache, struct bio *bio, struct dm_bio_priso
 	discarded_block = is_discarded_oblock(cache, block);
 
 	r = policy_map(cache->policy, block, false, can_migrate, discarded_block,
-		       bio, &lookup_result);
+		       bio, &ool.locker, &lookup_result);
 	if (r == -EWOULDBLOCK) {
 		cell_defer(cache, *cell, true);
 		return DM_MAPIO_SUBMITTED;