diff --git a/kmod/src/inode.c b/kmod/src/inode.c
index 0149602a..414be4a5 100644
--- a/kmod/src/inode.c
+++ b/kmod/src/inode.c
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ static void load_inode(struct inode *inode, struct scoutfs_inode *cinode)
 	struct scoutfs_inode_info *si = SCOUTFS_I(inode);
 
 	i_size_write(inode, le64_to_cpu(cinode->size));
-	inode->i_version = le64_to_cpu(cinode->version);
+	inode_set_iversion_queried(inode, le64_to_cpu(cinode->version));
 	set_nlink(inode, le32_to_cpu(cinode->nlink));
 	i_uid_write(inode, le32_to_cpu(cinode->uid));
 	i_gid_write(inode, le32_to_cpu(cinode->gid));
@@ -750,7 +750,7 @@ struct inode *scoutfs_iget(struct super_block *sb, u64 ino, int lkf, int igf)
 		/* XXX ensure refresh, instead clear in drop_inode? */
 		si = SCOUTFS_I(inode);
 		atomic64_set(&si->last_refreshed, 0);
-		inode->i_version = 0;
+		inode_set_iversion_queried(inode, 0);
 	}
 
 	ret = scoutfs_inode_refresh(inode, lock);
@@ -798,7 +798,7 @@ static void store_inode(struct scoutfs_inode *cinode, struct inode *inode)
 	scoutfs_inode_get_onoff(inode, &online_blocks, &offline_blocks);
 
 	cinode->size = cpu_to_le64(i_size_read(inode));
-	cinode->version = cpu_to_le64(inode->i_version);
+	cinode->version = cpu_to_le64(inode_peek_iversion(inode));
 	cinode->nlink = cpu_to_le32(inode->i_nlink);
 	cinode->uid = cpu_to_le32(i_uid_read(inode));
 	cinode->gid = cpu_to_le32(i_gid_read(inode));
diff --git a/kmod/src/kernelcompat.h b/kmod/src/kernelcompat.h
index 0a1b8d56..8b9a1c3b 100644
--- a/kmod/src/kernelcompat.h
+++ b/kmod/src/kernelcompat.h
@@ -13,6 +13,20 @@
  */
 #ifdef KC_NEED_LINUX_IVERSION_H
 #include <linux/iversion.h>
+#else
+/*
+ * Kernels before above version will need to fall back to
+ * manipulating inode->i_version as previous with degraded
+ * methods.
+ */
+#define inode_set_iversion_queried(inode, val)	\
+do {						\
+	(inode)->i_version = val;		\
+} while (0)
+#define inode_peek_iversion(inode)		\
+({						\
+	(inode)->i_version;			\
+})
 #endif
 
 #ifndef KC_ITERATE_DIR_CONTEXT