diff --git a/fs/ext4/mballoc.c b/fs/ext4/mballoc.c
index 7d7f6f91d555..0c7e247f714c 100644
--- a/fs/ext4/mballoc.c
+++ b/fs/ext4/mballoc.c
@@ -1052,7 +1052,8 @@ static void ext4_mb_release_desc(struct ext4_buddy *e4b)
 	if (e4b->bd_buddy_page)
 		page_cache_release(e4b->bd_buddy_page);
 	/* Done with the buddy cache */
-	up_read(e4b->alloc_semp);
+	if (e4b->alloc_semp)
+		up_read(e4b->alloc_semp);
 }
 
 
@@ -1371,7 +1372,9 @@ static void ext4_mb_use_best_found(struct ext4_allocation_context *ac,
 	get_page(ac->ac_bitmap_page);
 	ac->ac_buddy_page = e4b->bd_buddy_page;
 	get_page(ac->ac_buddy_page);
-
+	/* on allocation we use ac to track the held semaphore */
+	ac->alloc_semp =  e4b->alloc_semp;
+	e4b->alloc_semp = NULL;
 	/* store last allocated for subsequent stream allocation */
 	if ((ac->ac_flags & EXT4_MB_HINT_DATA)) {
 		spin_lock(&sbi->s_md_lock);
@@ -4289,6 +4292,7 @@ ext4_mb_initialize_context(struct ext4_allocation_context *ac,
 	ac->ac_pa = NULL;
 	ac->ac_bitmap_page = NULL;
 	ac->ac_buddy_page = NULL;
+	ac->alloc_semp = NULL;
 	ac->ac_lg = NULL;
 
 	/* we have to define context: we'll we work with a file or
@@ -4469,6 +4473,8 @@ static int ext4_mb_release_context(struct ext4_allocation_context *ac)
 		}
 		ext4_mb_put_pa(ac, ac->ac_sb, pa);
 	}
+	if (ac->alloc_semp)
+		up_read(ac->alloc_semp);
 	if (ac->ac_bitmap_page)
 		page_cache_release(ac->ac_bitmap_page);
 	if (ac->ac_buddy_page)
@@ -4569,10 +4575,14 @@ ext4_fsblk_t ext4_mb_new_blocks(handle_t *handle,
 				ac->ac_o_ex.fe_len < ac->ac_b_ex.fe_len)
 			ext4_mb_new_preallocation(ac);
 	}
-
 	if (likely(ac->ac_status == AC_STATUS_FOUND)) {
 		*errp = ext4_mb_mark_diskspace_used(ac, handle, reserv_blks);
 		if (*errp ==  -EAGAIN) {
+			/*
+			 * drop the reference that we took
+			 * in ext4_mb_use_best_found
+			 */
+			ext4_mb_release_context(ac);
 			ac->ac_b_ex.fe_group = 0;
 			ac->ac_b_ex.fe_start = 0;
 			ac->ac_b_ex.fe_len = 0;
diff --git a/fs/ext4/mballoc.h b/fs/ext4/mballoc.h
index 95d4c7f29a8a..10a2921baf14 100644
--- a/fs/ext4/mballoc.h
+++ b/fs/ext4/mballoc.h
@@ -195,6 +195,11 @@ struct ext4_allocation_context {
 	__u8 ac_op;		/* operation, for history only */
 	struct page *ac_bitmap_page;
 	struct page *ac_buddy_page;
+	/*
+	 * pointer to the held semaphore upon successful
+	 * block allocation
+	 */
+	struct rw_semaphore *alloc_semp;
 	struct ext4_prealloc_space *ac_pa;
 	struct ext4_locality_group *ac_lg;
 };