Ailing Dolly Parton has stepped in to settle down her prickly pal Jane Fonda amid her feud with Barbra Streisand, Breaking Celebrity News can reveal.

As readers know, 88-year-old Fonda poked Streisand, 83, over her Academy Awards tribute to the late Robert Redford – saying she made four movies with him while Streisand filmed only the weepie The Way We Were.

Now sources said the 80-year-old country queen – who starred in the 1980 laugh-fest 9 to 5 with Fonda and Lily Tomlin – hopes to keep Fonda from a full-blown breakdown.

"Even on a good day, Jane can be cranky and combative. She likes to serve up her opinions to anybody in her orbit. That's just who she is and who she's always been," said a source. "I don't think Jane's longtime friendship with Lily Tomlin is any help because they just egg each other on with their over-the-top attitudes.

Parton is one of the few people who can actually mitigate some of the vitriol and calm both of them down, especially Fonda, who doesn't really have anything good to say about anybody, ever."

While Fonda grew up in Hollywood and has been a political activist since the Vietnam War, Parton – who's paused performing while dealing with health issues – comes from a "different universe," said the source.

"Dolly is still connected to her very humble beginnings in Tennessee. Besides that, she always preaches peace over conflict," noted the source.

"It's amazing that she and Jane have stayed friends for nearly half a century, but they have. Even amid Dolly's health challenges, she can talk Jane down from her ego trips and fight-picking."

Fonda's rep insisted there's no feud with Streisand.