BUG_ON(osb->journal->j_state == OCFS2_JOURNAL_FREE);
        BUG_ON(max_buffs <= 0);
 
-       /* JBD might support this, but our journalling code doesn't yet. */
-       if (journal_current_handle()) {
-               mlog(ML_ERROR, "Recursive transaction attempted!\n");
-               BUG();
-       }
+       /* Nested transaction? Just return the handle... */
+       if (journal_current_handle())
+               return jbd2_journal_start(journal, max_buffs);
 
        down_read(&osb->journal->j_trans_barrier);
 
 int ocfs2_commit_trans(struct ocfs2_super *osb,
                       handle_t *handle)
 {
-       int ret;
+       int ret, nested;
        struct ocfs2_journal *journal = osb->journal;
 
        BUG_ON(!handle);
 
+       nested = handle->h_ref > 1;
        ret = jbd2_journal_stop(handle);
        if (ret < 0)
                mlog_errno(ret);
 
-       up_read(&journal->j_trans_barrier);
+       if (!nested)
+               up_read(&journal->j_trans_barrier);
 
        return ret;
 }