diff --git a/kmod/src/item.c b/kmod/src/item.c
index 2ace7963..2b0665cc 100644
--- a/kmod/src/item.c
+++ b/kmod/src/item.c
@@ -1211,7 +1211,7 @@ out:
 int scoutfs_item_set_batch(struct super_block *sb, struct list_head *list,
 			   struct scoutfs_key_buf *first,
 			   struct scoutfs_key_buf *last, int sif,
-			   struct scoutfs_key_buf *end)
+			   struct scoutfs_lock *lock)
 {
 	struct scoutfs_sb_info *sbi = SCOUTFS_SB(sb);
 	struct item_cache *cac = sbi->item_cache;
@@ -1235,7 +1235,8 @@ int scoutfs_item_set_batch(struct super_block *sb, struct list_head *list,
 	trace_scoutfs_item_set_batch(sb, first, last);
 
 	if (WARN_ON_ONCE(scoutfs_key_compare(first, last) > 0) ||
-	    WARN_ON_ONCE(scoutfs_key_compare(end, last) < 0))
+	    WARN_ON_ONCE(!lock_coverage(lock, first, WRITE)) ||
+	    WARN_ON_ONCE(!lock_coverage(lock, last, WRITE)))
 		return -EINVAL;
 
 	range_end = scoutfs_key_alloc(sb, SCOUTFS_MAX_KEY_SIZE);
@@ -1256,7 +1257,7 @@ int scoutfs_item_set_batch(struct super_block *sb, struct list_head *list,
 		}
 
 		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&cac->lock, flags);
-		ret = scoutfs_manifest_read_items(sb, range_end, end);
+		ret = scoutfs_manifest_read_items(sb, range_end, lock->end);
 		spin_lock_irqsave(&cac->lock, flags);
 
 		if (ret)
diff --git a/kmod/src/item.h b/kmod/src/item.h
index 6affdb81..ac64e280 100644
--- a/kmod/src/item.h
+++ b/kmod/src/item.h
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ int scoutfs_item_insert_batch(struct super_block *sb, struct list_head *list,
 int scoutfs_item_set_batch(struct super_block *sb, struct list_head *list,
 			   struct scoutfs_key_buf *first,
 			   struct scoutfs_key_buf *last, int sif,
-			   struct scoutfs_key_buf *end);
+			   struct scoutfs_lock *lock);
 void scoutfs_item_free_batch(struct super_block *sb, struct list_head *list);
 
 bool scoutfs_item_has_dirty(struct super_block *sb);
diff --git a/kmod/src/xattr.c b/kmod/src/xattr.c
index e26da49d..20978835 100644
--- a/kmod/src/xattr.c
+++ b/kmod/src/xattr.c
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ retry:
 		goto unlock;
 
 	ret = scoutfs_dirty_inode_item(inode, lck) ?:
-	      scoutfs_item_set_batch(sb, &list, key, last, sif, lck->end);
+	      scoutfs_item_set_batch(sb, &list, key, last, sif, lck);
 	if (ret == 0) {
 		/* XXX do these want i_mutex or anything? */
 		inode_inc_iversion(inode);