diff --git a/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_inode_fork.c b/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_inode_fork.c
index 606a36526ce2..486fe7ab8b61 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_inode_fork.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_inode_fork.c
@@ -683,9 +683,7 @@ xfs_ifork_verify_local_data(
 		break;
 	}
 	case S_IFLNK: {
-		struct xfs_ifork	*ifp = xfs_ifork_ptr(ip, XFS_DATA_FORK);
-
-		fa = xfs_symlink_shortform_verify(ifp->if_data, ifp->if_bytes);
+		fa = xfs_symlink_shortform_verify(ip);
 		break;
 	}
 	default:
diff --git a/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_symlink_remote.c b/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_symlink_remote.c
index b0dc3888bf1b..0201a3d59b1a 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_symlink_remote.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_symlink_remote.c
@@ -208,11 +208,15 @@ xfs_symlink_local_to_remote(
  */
 xfs_failaddr_t
 xfs_symlink_shortform_verify(
-	void			*sfp,
-	int64_t			size)
+	struct xfs_inode	*ip)
 {
+	struct xfs_ifork	*ifp = xfs_ifork_ptr(ip, XFS_DATA_FORK);
+	char			*sfp = (char *)ifp->if_data;
+	int			size = ifp->if_bytes;
 	char			*endp = sfp + size;
 
+	ASSERT(ifp->if_format == XFS_DINODE_FMT_LOCAL);
+
 	/*
 	 * Zero length symlinks should never occur in memory as they are
 	 * never allowed to exist on disk.
diff --git a/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_symlink_remote.h b/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_symlink_remote.h
index c1672fe1f17b..3f6590602473 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_symlink_remote.h
+++ b/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_symlink_remote.h
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ bool xfs_symlink_hdr_ok(xfs_ino_t ino, uint32_t offset,
 void xfs_symlink_local_to_remote(struct xfs_trans *tp, struct xfs_buf *bp,
 				 struct xfs_inode *ip, struct xfs_ifork *ifp,
 				 void *priv);
-xfs_failaddr_t xfs_symlink_shortform_verify(void *sfp, int64_t size);
+xfs_failaddr_t xfs_symlink_shortform_verify(struct xfs_inode *ip);
 int xfs_symlink_remote_read(struct xfs_inode *ip, char *link);
 int xfs_symlink_write_target(struct xfs_trans *tp, struct xfs_inode *ip,
 		xfs_ino_t owner, const char *target_path, int pathlen,
diff --git a/fs/xfs/scrub/inode_repair.c b/fs/xfs/scrub/inode_repair.c
index b87c22146233..fab4015f6a95 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/scrub/inode_repair.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/scrub/inode_repair.c
@@ -1024,6 +1024,30 @@ xrep_dinode_bad_metabt_fork(
 	return false;
 }
 
+static xfs_failaddr_t
+xrep_symlink_shortform_verify(
+	void			*sfp,
+	int64_t			size)
+{
+	/*
+	 * Zero length symlinks should never occur in memory as they are
+	 * never allowed to exist on disk.
+	 */
+	if (!size)
+		return __this_address;
+
+	/* No negative sizes or overly long symlink targets. */
+	if (size < 0 || size > XFS_SYMLINK_MAXLEN)
+		return __this_address;
+
+	/* No NULLs in the target either. */
+	if (memchr(sfp, 0, size))
+		return __this_address;
+
+	/* ondisk symlink target isn't null terminated, unlike incore */
+	return NULL;
+}
+
 /*
  * Check the data fork for things that will fail the ifork verifiers or the
  * ifork formatters.
@@ -1099,7 +1123,7 @@ xrep_dinode_check_dfork(
 			return true;
 		/* symlink structure must pass verification. */
 		if (S_ISLNK(mode) &&
-		    xfs_symlink_shortform_verify(dfork_ptr, data_size) != NULL)
+		    xrep_symlink_shortform_verify(dfork_ptr, data_size) != NULL)
 			return true;
 		break;
 	case XFS_DINODE_FMT_EXTENTS: