struct buffer_head *group_bh)
 {
        int ret;
-       struct ocfs2_group_desc *gd;
+       struct ocfs2_group_desc *gd =
+               (struct ocfs2_group_desc *)group_bh->b_data;
        u16 cl_bpc = le16_to_cpu(di->id2.i_chain.cl_bpc);
-       unsigned int max_bits = le16_to_cpu(di->id2.i_chain.cl_cpg) *
-                               le16_to_cpu(di->id2.i_chain.cl_bpc);
 
+       ret = ocfs2_validate_group_descriptor(inode->i_sb, di, gd, 1);
+       if (ret)
+               goto out;
 
-       gd = (struct ocfs2_group_desc *)group_bh->b_data;
-
-       ret = -EIO;
-       if (!OCFS2_IS_VALID_GROUP_DESC(gd))
-               mlog(ML_ERROR, "Group descriptor # %llu isn't valid.\n",
-                    (unsigned long long)le64_to_cpu(gd->bg_blkno));
-       else if (di->i_blkno != gd->bg_parent_dinode)
-               mlog(ML_ERROR, "Group descriptor # %llu has bad parent "
-                    "pointer (%llu, expected %llu)\n",
-                    (unsigned long long)le64_to_cpu(gd->bg_blkno),
-                    (unsigned long long)le64_to_cpu(gd->bg_parent_dinode),
-                    (unsigned long long)le64_to_cpu(di->i_blkno));
-       else if (le16_to_cpu(gd->bg_bits) > max_bits)
-               mlog(ML_ERROR, "Group descriptor # %llu has bit count of %u\n",
-                    (unsigned long long)le64_to_cpu(gd->bg_blkno),
-                    le16_to_cpu(gd->bg_bits));
-       else if (le16_to_cpu(gd->bg_free_bits_count) > le16_to_cpu(gd->bg_bits))
-               mlog(ML_ERROR, "Group descriptor # %llu has bit count %u but "
-                    "claims that %u are free\n",
-                    (unsigned long long)le64_to_cpu(gd->bg_blkno),
-                    le16_to_cpu(gd->bg_bits),
-                    le16_to_cpu(gd->bg_free_bits_count));
-       else if (le16_to_cpu(gd->bg_bits) > (8 * le16_to_cpu(gd->bg_size)))
-               mlog(ML_ERROR, "Group descriptor # %llu has bit count %u but "
-                    "max bitmap bits of %u\n",
-                    (unsigned long long)le64_to_cpu(gd->bg_blkno),
-                    le16_to_cpu(gd->bg_bits),
-                    8 * le16_to_cpu(gd->bg_size));
-       else if (le16_to_cpu(gd->bg_chain) != input->chain)
+       ret = -EINVAL;
+       if (le16_to_cpu(gd->bg_chain) != input->chain)
                mlog(ML_ERROR, "Group descriptor # %llu has bad chain %u "
                     "while input has %u set.\n",
                     (unsigned long long)le64_to_cpu(gd->bg_blkno),
        else
                ret = 0;
 
+out:
        return ret;
 }
 
 
 }
 
 /* somewhat more expensive than our other checks, so use sparingly. */
-int ocfs2_check_group_descriptor(struct super_block *sb,
-                                struct ocfs2_dinode *di,
-                                struct ocfs2_group_desc *gd)
+int ocfs2_validate_group_descriptor(struct super_block *sb,
+                                   struct ocfs2_dinode *di,
+                                   struct ocfs2_group_desc *gd,
+                                   int clean_error)
 {
        unsigned int max_bits;
 
+#define do_error(fmt, ...)                                             \
+       do{                                                             \
+               if (clean_error)                                        \
+                       mlog(ML_ERROR, fmt "\n", ##__VA_ARGS__);        \
+               else                                                    \
+                       ocfs2_error(sb, fmt, ##__VA_ARGS__);            \
+       } while (0)
+
        if (!OCFS2_IS_VALID_GROUP_DESC(gd)) {
-               OCFS2_RO_ON_INVALID_GROUP_DESC(sb, gd);
-               return -EIO;
+               do_error("Group Descriptor #%llu has bad signature %.*s",
+                        (unsigned long long)le64_to_cpu(gd->bg_blkno), 7,
+                        gd->bg_signature);
+               return -EINVAL;
        }
 
        if (di->i_blkno != gd->bg_parent_dinode) {
-               ocfs2_error(sb, "Group descriptor # %llu has bad parent "
-                           "pointer (%llu, expected %llu)",
-                           (unsigned long long)le64_to_cpu(gd->bg_blkno),
-                           (unsigned long long)le64_to_cpu(gd->bg_parent_dinode),
-                           (unsigned long long)le64_to_cpu(di->i_blkno));
-               return -EIO;
+               do_error("Group descriptor # %llu has bad parent "
+                        "pointer (%llu, expected %llu)",
+                        (unsigned long long)le64_to_cpu(gd->bg_blkno),
+                        (unsigned long long)le64_to_cpu(gd->bg_parent_dinode),
+                        (unsigned long long)le64_to_cpu(di->i_blkno));
+               return -EINVAL;
        }
 
        max_bits = le16_to_cpu(di->id2.i_chain.cl_cpg) * le16_to_cpu(di->id2.i_chain.cl_bpc);
        if (le16_to_cpu(gd->bg_bits) > max_bits) {
-               ocfs2_error(sb, "Group descriptor # %llu has bit count of %u",
-                           (unsigned long long)le64_to_cpu(gd->bg_blkno),
-                           le16_to_cpu(gd->bg_bits));
-               return -EIO;
+               do_error("Group descriptor # %llu has bit count of %u",
+                        (unsigned long long)le64_to_cpu(gd->bg_blkno),
+                        le16_to_cpu(gd->bg_bits));
+               return -EINVAL;
        }
 
        if (le16_to_cpu(gd->bg_chain) >=
            le16_to_cpu(di->id2.i_chain.cl_next_free_rec)) {
-               ocfs2_error(sb, "Group descriptor # %llu has bad chain %u",
-                           (unsigned long long)le64_to_cpu(gd->bg_blkno),
-                           le16_to_cpu(gd->bg_chain));
-               return -EIO;
+               do_error("Group descriptor # %llu has bad chain %u",
+                        (unsigned long long)le64_to_cpu(gd->bg_blkno),
+                        le16_to_cpu(gd->bg_chain));
+               return -EINVAL;
        }
 
        if (le16_to_cpu(gd->bg_free_bits_count) > le16_to_cpu(gd->bg_bits)) {
-               ocfs2_error(sb, "Group descriptor # %llu has bit count %u but "
-                           "claims that %u are free",
-                           (unsigned long long)le64_to_cpu(gd->bg_blkno),
-                           le16_to_cpu(gd->bg_bits),
-                           le16_to_cpu(gd->bg_free_bits_count));
-               return -EIO;
+               do_error("Group descriptor # %llu has bit count %u but "
+                        "claims that %u are free",
+                        (unsigned long long)le64_to_cpu(gd->bg_blkno),
+                        le16_to_cpu(gd->bg_bits),
+                        le16_to_cpu(gd->bg_free_bits_count));
+               return -EINVAL;
        }
 
        if (le16_to_cpu(gd->bg_bits) > (8 * le16_to_cpu(gd->bg_size))) {
-               ocfs2_error(sb, "Group descriptor # %llu has bit count %u but "
-                           "max bitmap bits of %u",
-                           (unsigned long long)le64_to_cpu(gd->bg_blkno),
-                           le16_to_cpu(gd->bg_bits),
-                           8 * le16_to_cpu(gd->bg_size));
-               return -EIO;
+               do_error("Group descriptor # %llu has bit count %u but "
+                        "max bitmap bits of %u",
+                        (unsigned long long)le64_to_cpu(gd->bg_blkno),
+                        le16_to_cpu(gd->bg_bits),
+                        8 * le16_to_cpu(gd->bg_size));
+               return -EINVAL;
        }
+#undef do_error
 
        return 0;
 }
 
 u64 ocfs2_which_cluster_group(struct inode *inode, u32 cluster);
 
 /* somewhat more expensive than our other checks, so use sparingly. */
-int ocfs2_check_group_descriptor(struct super_block *sb,
-                                struct ocfs2_dinode *di,
-                                struct ocfs2_group_desc *gd);
+/*
+ * By default, ocfs2_validate_group_descriptor() calls ocfs2_error() when it
+ * finds a problem.  A caller that wants to check a group descriptor
+ * without going readonly passes a nonzero clean_error.  This is only
+ * resize, really.
+ */
+int ocfs2_validate_group_descriptor(struct super_block *sb,
+                                   struct ocfs2_dinode *di,
+                                   struct ocfs2_group_desc *gd,
+                                   int clean_error);
+static inline int ocfs2_check_group_descriptor(struct super_block *sb,
+                                              struct ocfs2_dinode *di,
+                                              struct ocfs2_group_desc *gd)
+{
+       return ocfs2_validate_group_descriptor(sb, di, gd, 0);
+}
+
 int ocfs2_lock_allocators(struct inode *inode, struct ocfs2_extent_tree *et,
                          u32 clusters_to_add, u32 extents_to_split,
                          struct ocfs2_alloc_context **data_ac,