diff --git a/kmod/src/dir.c b/kmod/src/dir.c
index d0bf52ee..b9a0dc9a 100644
--- a/kmod/src/dir.c
+++ b/kmod/src/dir.c
@@ -277,8 +277,7 @@ static struct dentry *scoutfs_lookup(struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentry,
 
 	scoutfs_kvec_init(val, &dent, sizeof(dent));
 
-	ret = scoutfs_item_lookup_exact(sb, key, val, sizeof(dent),
-					dir_lock->end);
+	ret = scoutfs_item_lookup_exact(sb, key, val, sizeof(dent), dir_lock);
 	scoutfs_unlock(sb, dir_lock, DLM_LOCK_PR);
 	if (ret == -ENOENT) {
 		ino = 0;
@@ -860,7 +859,7 @@ static int symlink_item_ops(struct super_block *sb, int op, u64 ino,
 			ret = scoutfs_item_create(sb, &key, val);
 		else if (op == SYM_LOOKUP)
 			ret = scoutfs_item_lookup_exact(sb, &key, val, bytes,
-							lock->end);
+							lock);
 		else if (op == SYM_DELETE)
 			ret = scoutfs_item_delete(sb, &key, lock->end);
 		if (ret)
@@ -1273,7 +1272,7 @@ static int verify_entry(struct super_block *sb, u64 dir_ino, const char *name,
 
 	scoutfs_kvec_init(val, &dent, sizeof(dent));
 
-	ret = scoutfs_item_lookup_exact(sb, key, val, sizeof(dent), lock->end);
+	ret = scoutfs_item_lookup_exact(sb, key, val, sizeof(dent), lock);
 	if (ret == 0 && le64_to_cpu(dent.ino) != ino)
 		ret = -ENOENT;
 	else if (ret == -ENOENT && ino == 0)
diff --git a/kmod/src/inode.c b/kmod/src/inode.c
index 11dc929a..5eba0cb0 100644
--- a/kmod/src/inode.c
+++ b/kmod/src/inode.c
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ int scoutfs_inode_refresh(struct inode *inode, struct scoutfs_lock *lock,
 	mutex_lock(&si->item_mutex);
 	if (atomic64_read(&si->last_refreshed) < refresh_gen) {
 		ret = scoutfs_item_lookup_exact(sb, &key, val, sizeof(sinode),
-						lock->end);
+						lock);
 		if (ret == 0) {
 			load_inode(inode, &sinode);
 			atomic64_set(&si->last_refreshed, refresh_gen);
diff --git a/kmod/src/item.c b/kmod/src/item.c
index 8c28f06f..dc2263fe 100644
--- a/kmod/src/item.c
+++ b/kmod/src/item.c
@@ -730,6 +730,35 @@ restart:
 	}
 }
 
+/*
+ * Return true if the lock protects the use of the key.  Some locks not
+ * intended for item use don't have a key range and we wan't to safely
+ * detect that.  We use the block 'rw' constants just because they're
+ * convenient.  The level test is racey but it's a char.. how racy can
+ * it be? :).
+ */
+static bool lock_coverage(struct scoutfs_lock *lock,
+			  struct scoutfs_key_buf *key, int rw)
+{
+	bool writing = rw & WRITE;
+	signed char level;
+
+	if (rw & ~WRITE)
+		return false;
+
+	if (!lock || !lock->start || !lock->end)
+		return false;
+
+	level = ACCESS_ONCE(lock->lockres.l_level);
+
+	if ((writing && level != DLM_LOCK_EX) ||
+	    (!writing && level != DLM_LOCK_EX && level != DLM_LOCK_PR))
+		return false;
+
+	return scoutfs_key_compare_ranges(key, key,
+					  lock->start, lock->end) == 0;
+}
+
 /*
  * Find an item with the given key and copy its value into the caller's
  * value vector.  The amount of bytes copied is returned which can be 0
@@ -739,7 +768,7 @@ restart:
  * and inserted into the cache.
  */
 int scoutfs_item_lookup(struct super_block *sb, struct scoutfs_key_buf *key,
-			struct kvec *val, struct scoutfs_key_buf *end)
+			struct kvec *val, struct scoutfs_lock *lock)
 {
 	struct scoutfs_sb_info *sbi = SCOUTFS_SB(sb);
 	struct item_cache *cac = sbi->item_cache;
@@ -747,6 +776,9 @@ int scoutfs_item_lookup(struct super_block *sb, struct scoutfs_key_buf *key,
 	unsigned long flags;
 	int ret;
 
+	if (WARN_ON_ONCE(!lock_coverage(lock, key, READ)))
+		return -EINVAL;
+
 	trace_scoutfs_item_lookup(sb, key);
 
 	do {
@@ -765,7 +797,7 @@ int scoutfs_item_lookup(struct super_block *sb, struct scoutfs_key_buf *key,
 		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&cac->lock, flags);
 
 	} while (ret == -ENODATA &&
-		 (ret = scoutfs_manifest_read_items(sb, key, end)) == 0);
+		 (ret = scoutfs_manifest_read_items(sb, key, lock->end)) == 0);
 
 	trace_scoutfs_item_lookup_ret(sb, ret);
 	return ret;
@@ -786,11 +818,11 @@ int scoutfs_item_lookup(struct super_block *sb, struct scoutfs_key_buf *key,
  */
 int scoutfs_item_lookup_exact(struct super_block *sb,
 			      struct scoutfs_key_buf *key, struct kvec *val,
-			      int size, struct scoutfs_key_buf *end)
+			      int size, struct scoutfs_lock *lock)
 {
 	int ret;
 
-	ret = scoutfs_item_lookup(sb, key, val, end);
+	ret = scoutfs_item_lookup(sb, key, val, lock);
 	if (ret == size)
 		ret = 0;
 	else if (ret >= 0)
diff --git a/kmod/src/item.h b/kmod/src/item.h
index 5825eb0f..0fd1eff9 100644
--- a/kmod/src/item.h
+++ b/kmod/src/item.h
@@ -13,10 +13,10 @@ struct scoutfs_segment;
 struct scoutfs_key_buf;
 
 int scoutfs_item_lookup(struct super_block *sb, struct scoutfs_key_buf *key,
-			struct kvec *val, struct scoutfs_key_buf *end);
+			struct kvec *val, struct scoutfs_lock *lock);
 int scoutfs_item_lookup_exact(struct super_block *sb,
 			      struct scoutfs_key_buf *key, struct kvec *val,
-			      int size, struct scoutfs_key_buf *end);
+			      int size, struct scoutfs_lock *lock);
 int scoutfs_item_next(struct super_block *sb, struct scoutfs_key_buf *key,
 		      struct scoutfs_key_buf *last, struct kvec *val,
 		      struct scoutfs_key_buf *end);
diff --git a/kmod/src/xattr.c b/kmod/src/xattr.c
index 5c775b80..f72b6746 100644
--- a/kmod/src/xattr.c
+++ b/kmod/src/xattr.c
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ ssize_t scoutfs_getxattr(struct dentry *dentry, const char *name, void *buffer,
 
 	for_each_xattr_item(key, val, &vh, buffer, size, part, off, bytes) {
 
-		ret = scoutfs_item_lookup(sb, key, val, lck->end);
+		ret = scoutfs_item_lookup(sb, key, val, lck);
 		if (ret < 0) {
 			if (ret == -ENOENT)
 				ret = -ENODATA;