diff --git a/kmod/src/item.c b/kmod/src/item.c
index 45755724..c4dff761 100644
--- a/kmod/src/item.c
+++ b/kmod/src/item.c
@@ -713,6 +713,27 @@ int scoutfs_item_next_same_min(struct super_block *sb,
 	return ret;
 }
 
+/*
+ * Like _next but requires that the found keys be the same length as the
+ * search key.  It treats size mismatches as a sign of corruption.
+ */
+int scoutfs_item_next_same(struct super_block *sb, struct scoutfs_key_buf *key,
+			   struct scoutfs_key_buf *last, struct kvec *val)
+{
+	int key_len = key->key_len;
+	int ret;
+
+	trace_printk("key len %u\n", key_len);
+
+	ret = scoutfs_item_next(sb, key, last, val);
+	if (ret >= 0 && (key->key_len != key_len))
+		ret = -EIO;
+
+	trace_printk("ret %d\n", ret);
+
+	return ret;
+}
+
 /*
  * Create a new dirty item in the cache.  Returns -EEXIST if an item
  * already exists with the given key.
diff --git a/kmod/src/item.h b/kmod/src/item.h
index 3c7c6057..02afc91c 100644
--- a/kmod/src/item.h
+++ b/kmod/src/item.h
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ int scoutfs_item_next_same_min(struct super_block *sb,
 			       struct scoutfs_key_buf *key,
 			       struct scoutfs_key_buf *last,
 			       struct kvec *val, int len);
+int scoutfs_item_next_same(struct super_block *sb, struct scoutfs_key_buf *key,
+			   struct scoutfs_key_buf *last, struct kvec *val);
 int scoutfs_item_insert(struct super_block *sb, struct scoutfs_key_buf *key,
 		        struct kvec *val);
 int scoutfs_item_create(struct super_block *sb, struct scoutfs_key_buf *key,