diff --git a/fs/ext4/ialloc.c b/fs/ext4/ialloc.c
index f18a919be70b..627f8c3337a3 100644
--- a/fs/ext4/ialloc.c
+++ b/fs/ext4/ialloc.c
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ void ext4_free_inode(handle_t *handle, struct inode *inode)
 	struct ext4_group_desc *gdp;
 	struct ext4_super_block *es;
 	struct ext4_sb_info *sbi;
-	int fatal = 0, err, count;
+	int fatal = 0, err, count, cleared;
 	ext4_group_t flex_group;
 
 	if (atomic_read(&inode->i_count) > 1) {
@@ -248,8 +248,10 @@ void ext4_free_inode(handle_t *handle, struct inode *inode)
 		goto error_return;
 
 	/* Ok, now we can actually update the inode bitmaps.. */
-	if (!ext4_clear_bit_atomic(sb_bgl_lock(sbi, block_group),
-					bit, bitmap_bh->b_data))
+	spin_lock(sb_bgl_lock(sbi, block_group));
+	cleared = ext4_clear_bit(bit, bitmap_bh->b_data);
+	spin_unlock(sb_bgl_lock(sbi, block_group));
+	if (!cleared)
 		ext4_error(sb, "ext4_free_inode",
 			   "bit already cleared for inode %lu", ino);
 	else {