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);
 }
 
 
        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);
        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
                }
                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)
                                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;
 
        __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;
 };