diff --git a/fs/xfs/scrub/dir_repair.c b/fs/xfs/scrub/dir_repair.c
index 0c1224d05d57..31a23c5f386a 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/scrub/dir_repair.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/scrub/dir_repair.c
@@ -1381,9 +1381,24 @@ xrep_dir_live_update(
 		if (p->delta > 0)
 			error = xrep_dir_stash_createname(rd, p->name,
 					I_INO(p->ip));
-		else
-			error = xrep_dir_stash_removename(rd, p->name,
+		else {
+			/*
+			 * xfs_dentry_to_name in unlink or rename-exchange can
+			 * pass us names with ftype FT_UNKNOWN, but we really
+			 * must know the ftype of the child that is being
+			 * removed so that we can do nlink updates correctly
+			 * without holding inode references.
+			 */
+			struct xfs_name	name = {
+				.name	= p->name->name,
+				.len	= p->name->len,
+				.type	= xfs_mode_to_ftype(
+						VFS_IC(p->ip)->i_mode),
+			};
+
+			error = xrep_dir_stash_removename(rd, &name,
 					I_INO(p->ip));
+		}
 		mutex_unlock(&rd->pscan.lock);
 		if (error)
 			goto out_abort;