diff --git a/fs/ocfs2/resize.c b/fs/ocfs2/resize.c
index 739d452f6174..a2de32a317ad 100644
--- a/fs/ocfs2/resize.c
+++ b/fs/ocfs2/resize.c
@@ -396,41 +396,16 @@ static int ocfs2_check_new_group(struct inode *inode,
 				 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),
@@ -449,6 +424,7 @@ static int ocfs2_check_new_group(struct inode *inode,
 	else
 		ret = 0;
 
+out:
 	return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/fs/ocfs2/suballoc.c b/fs/ocfs2/suballoc.c
index 95d432b694e4..ddba97dc06a0 100644
--- a/fs/ocfs2/suballoc.c
+++ b/fs/ocfs2/suballoc.c
@@ -146,59 +146,71 @@ static u32 ocfs2_bits_per_group(struct ocfs2_chain_list *cl)
 }
 
 /* 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;
 }
diff --git a/fs/ocfs2/suballoc.h b/fs/ocfs2/suballoc.h
index 4df159d8f450..7adfcc478bdb 100644
--- a/fs/ocfs2/suballoc.h
+++ b/fs/ocfs2/suballoc.h
@@ -165,9 +165,23 @@ void ocfs2_free_ac_resource(struct ocfs2_alloc_context *ac);
 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,