diff --git a/qa/tasks/cephfs/filesystem.py b/qa/tasks/cephfs/filesystem.py
index 0ff5a28475c..85eac792ca8 100644
--- a/qa/tasks/cephfs/filesystem.py
+++ b/qa/tasks/cephfs/filesystem.py
@@ -665,6 +665,9 @@ class FilesystemBase(MDSClusterBase):
     def set_allow_new_snaps(self, yes):
         self.set_var("allow_new_snaps", yes, '--yes-i-really-mean-it')
 
+    def set_allow_referent_inodes(self, yes):
+        self.set_var("allow_referent_inodes", yes)
+
     def set_bal_rank_mask(self, bal_rank_mask):
         self.set_var("bal_rank_mask", bal_rank_mask)
 
@@ -1319,9 +1322,13 @@ class FilesystemBase(MDSClusterBase):
 
             status = self.status()
 
-    def dencoder(self, obj_type, obj_blob):
-        args = [os.path.join(self._prefix, "ceph-dencoder"), 'type', obj_type, 'import', '-', 'decode', 'dump_json']
+    def dencoder(self, obj_type, obj_blob, skip=0):
+        args = [os.path.join(self._prefix, "ceph-dencoder"), 'type', obj_type]
+        if skip != 0 :
+            args.extend(["skip", str(skip)])
+        args.extend(['import', '-', 'decode', 'dump_json'])
         p = self.mon_manager.controller.run(args=args, stdin=BytesIO(obj_blob), stdout=BytesIO())
+
         return p.stdout.getvalue()
 
     def rados(self, *args, **kwargs):
@@ -1538,6 +1545,25 @@ class FilesystemBase(MDSClusterBase):
         args = ["setxattr", obj_name, xattr_name, data]
         self.rados(args, pool=pool)
 
+    def read_remote_inode(self, ino_no, pool=None):
+        """
+        Read the remote_inode xattr from the data pool, return a dict in the
+        format given by inodeno_t::dump, which is something like:
+
+        ::
+
+            rados -p cephfs_data getxattr 100000001f8.00000000 remote_inode > out.bin
+            ceph-dencoder type inodeno_t import out.bin decode dump_json
+
+            {
+                 "val": 1099511627778
+            }
+
+        :param pool: name of pool to read backtrace from.  If omitted, FS must have only
+                     one data pool and that will be used.
+        """
+        return self._read_data_xattr(ino_no, "remote_inode", "inodeno_t", pool)
+
     def read_symlink(self, ino_no, pool=None):
         return self._read_data_xattr(ino_no, "symlink", "string_wrapper", pool)
 
diff --git a/qa/tasks/cephfs/test_backtrace.py b/qa/tasks/cephfs/test_backtrace.py
index cd23c114bfb..658b8ff9f6e 100644
--- a/qa/tasks/cephfs/test_backtrace.py
+++ b/qa/tasks/cephfs/test_backtrace.py
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@ from tasks.cephfs.filesystem import ObjectNotFound
 class TestBacktrace(CephFSTestCase):
     def test_backtrace(self):
         """
-        That the 'parent' 'layout' and 'symlink' xattrs on the head objects of files
-        are updated correctly.
+        That the 'parent', 'layout', 'symlink' and 'remote_inode' xattrs on the
+        head objects of files are updated correctly.
         """
 
         old_data_pool_name = self.fs.get_data_pool_name()
@@ -36,6 +36,33 @@ class TestBacktrace(CephFSTestCase):
             "s" : "./file1",
             })
 
+        # Disabling referent_inodes fs option should not create referent inode  and
+        # and therefore no 'remote_inode' xattr on hardlink creation
+        self.fs.set_allow_referent_inodes(False);
+        self.mount_a.run_shell(["mkdir", "hardlink_dir0"])
+        self.mount_a.run_shell(["touch", "hardlink_dir0/file1"])
+        self.mount_a.run_shell(["ln", "hardlink_dir0/file1", "hardlink_dir0/hl_file1"])
+        self.fs.mds_asok(["flush", "journal"])
+
+        file1_ino = self.mount_a.path_to_ino("hardlink_dir0/file1", follow_symlinks=False)
+        file1_inode_dump = self.fs.mds_asok(['dump', 'inode', hex(file1_ino)])
+        self.assertListEqual(file1_inode_dump['referent_inodes'], [])
+
+        # Enabling referent_inodes fs option should store 'remote_inode' xattr
+        # on hardlink creation
+        self.fs.set_allow_referent_inodes(True);
+        self.mount_a.run_shell(["mkdir", "hardlink_dir"])
+        self.mount_a.run_shell(["touch", "hardlink_dir/file1"])
+        self.mount_a.run_shell(["ln", "hardlink_dir/file1", "hardlink_dir/hl_file1"])
+        self.fs.mds_asok(["flush", "journal"])
+
+        file1_ino = self.mount_a.path_to_ino("hardlink_dir/file1", follow_symlinks=False)
+        file1_inode_dump = self.fs.mds_asok(['dump', 'inode', hex(file1_ino)])
+        referent_ino = file1_inode_dump["referent_inodes"][0]
+
+        remote_inode_xattr = self.fs.read_remote_inode(referent_ino)
+        self.assertEqual(remote_inode_xattr['val'], file1_ino)
+
         # Create a file for subsequent checks
         self.mount_a.run_shell(["mkdir", "parent_a"])
         self.mount_a.run_shell(["touch", "parent_a/alpha"])