diff --git a/kmod/src/format.h b/kmod/src/format.h
index 6f80059e..e7bbcb59 100644
--- a/kmod/src/format.h
+++ b/kmod/src/format.h
@@ -149,6 +149,7 @@ struct scoutfs_super_block {
 	struct scoutfs_block_header hdr;
 	__le64 id;
 	__u8 uuid[SCOUTFS_UUID_BYTES];
+	__le64 next_ino;
 	__le64 total_blocks;
 	__le32 buddy_blocks;
 	__le32 buddy_sweep_bit;
diff --git a/kmod/src/inode.c b/kmod/src/inode.c
index 8ce039b3..1b37381f 100644
--- a/kmod/src/inode.c
+++ b/kmod/src/inode.c
@@ -249,6 +249,27 @@ void scoutfs_update_inode_item(struct inode *inode)
 	trace_scoutfs_update_inode(inode);
 }
 
+static int alloc_ino(struct super_block *sb, u64 *ino)
+{
+	struct scoutfs_sb_info *sbi = SCOUTFS_SB(sb);
+	struct scoutfs_super_block *super = &sbi->super;
+	int ret;
+
+	spin_lock(&sbi->next_ino_lock);
+
+	if (super->next_ino == 0) {
+		ret = -ENOSPC;
+	} else {
+		*ino = le64_to_cpu(super->next_ino);
+		le64_add_cpu(&super->next_ino, 1);
+		ret = 0;
+	}
+
+	spin_unlock(&sbi->next_ino_lock);
+
+	return ret;
+}
+
 /*
  * Allocate and initialize a new inode.  The caller is responsible for
  * creating links to it and updating it.  @dir can be null.
@@ -256,22 +277,26 @@ void scoutfs_update_inode_item(struct inode *inode)
 struct inode *scoutfs_new_inode(struct super_block *sb, struct inode *dir,
 				umode_t mode, dev_t rdev)
 {
-	struct scoutfs_sb_info *sbi = SCOUTFS_SB(sb);
 	DECLARE_SCOUTFS_BTREE_CURSOR(curs);
 	struct scoutfs_inode_info *ci;
 	struct scoutfs_key key;
 	struct inode *inode;
+	u64 ino;
 	int ret;
 
+	ret = alloc_ino(sb, &ino);
+	if (ret)
+		return ERR_PTR(ret);
+
 	inode = new_inode(sb);
 	if (!inode)
 		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
 
 	ci = SCOUTFS_I(inode);
-	ci->ino = atomic64_inc_return(&sbi->next_ino);
+	ci->ino = ino;
 	get_random_bytes(&ci->salt, sizeof(ci->salt));
 
-	inode->i_ino = ci->ino;
+	inode->i_ino = ino; /* XXX overflow */
 	inode_init_owner(inode, dir, mode);
 	inode_set_bytes(inode, 0);
 	inode->i_mtime = inode->i_atime = inode->i_ctime = CURRENT_TIME;
diff --git a/kmod/src/super.c b/kmod/src/super.c
index e8354d5e..1867d1f8 100644
--- a/kmod/src/super.c
+++ b/kmod/src/super.c
@@ -122,11 +122,6 @@ static int read_supers(struct super_block *sb)
 	scoutfs_info(sb, "using super %u with seq %llu",
 		     found, le64_to_cpu(sbi->super.hdr.seq));
 
-	/*
-	 * XXX These don't exist in the super yet.  They should soon.
-	 */
-	atomic64_set(&sbi->next_ino, SCOUTFS_ROOT_INO + 1);
-
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -146,6 +141,7 @@ static int scoutfs_fill_super(struct super_block *sb, void *data, int silent)
 	if (!sbi)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
+	spin_lock_init(&sbi->next_ino_lock);
 	spin_lock_init(&sbi->block_lock);
 	INIT_RADIX_TREE(&sbi->block_radix, GFP_NOFS);
 	init_waitqueue_head(&sbi->block_wq);
diff --git a/kmod/src/super.h b/kmod/src/super.h
index 18c9be86..03226baf 100644
--- a/kmod/src/super.h
+++ b/kmod/src/super.h
@@ -15,14 +15,14 @@ struct scoutfs_sb_info {
 
 	struct scoutfs_super_block super;
 
+	spinlock_t next_ino_lock;
+
 	spinlock_t block_lock;
 	struct radix_tree_root block_radix;
 	wait_queue_head_t block_wq;
 	atomic_t block_writes;
 	int block_write_err;
 
-	atomic64_t next_ino;
-
 	struct mutex buddy_mutex;
 	struct buddy_alloc *bud;