diff --git a/fs/ext4/ialloc.c b/fs/ext4/ialloc.c
index ea32d7e1d6e3..03583ab52e0e 100644
--- a/fs/ext4/ialloc.c
+++ b/fs/ext4/ialloc.c
@@ -797,7 +797,10 @@ struct inode *ext4_new_inode(handle_t *handle, struct inode *dir, umode_t mode,
 			ext4_itable_unused_set(sb, gdp,
 					(EXT4_INODES_PER_GROUP(sb) - ino));
 		up_read(&grp->alloc_sem);
+	} else {
+		ext4_lock_group(sb, group);
 	}
+
 	ext4_free_inodes_set(sb, gdp, ext4_free_inodes_count(sb, gdp) - 1);
 	if (S_ISDIR(mode)) {
 		ext4_used_dirs_set(sb, gdp, ext4_used_dirs_count(sb, gdp) + 1);
@@ -811,8 +814,8 @@ struct inode *ext4_new_inode(handle_t *handle, struct inode *dir, umode_t mode,
 		ext4_inode_bitmap_csum_set(sb, group, gdp, inode_bitmap_bh,
 					   EXT4_INODES_PER_GROUP(sb) / 8);
 		ext4_group_desc_csum_set(sb, group, gdp);
-		ext4_unlock_group(sb, group);
 	}
+	ext4_unlock_group(sb, group);
 
 	BUFFER_TRACE(inode_bitmap_bh, "call ext4_handle_dirty_metadata");
 	err = ext4_handle_dirty_metadata(handle, NULL, inode_bitmap_bh);