diff --git a/fs/ext4/inode.c b/fs/ext4/inode.c
index cbd028a31daf..3bac525f0439 100644
--- a/fs/ext4/inode.c
+++ b/fs/ext4/inode.c
@@ -203,6 +203,7 @@ void ext4_evict_inode(struct inode *inode)
 	 */
 	int extra_credits = 6;
 	struct ext4_xattr_inode_array *ea_inode_array = NULL;
+	bool freeze_protected = false;
 
 	trace_ext4_evict_inode(inode);
 
@@ -250,9 +251,14 @@ void ext4_evict_inode(struct inode *inode)
 
 	/*
 	 * Protect us against freezing - iput() caller didn't have to have any
-	 * protection against it
+	 * protection against it. When we are in a running transaction though,
+	 * we are already protected against freezing and we cannot grab further
+	 * protection due to lock ordering constraints.
 	 */
-	sb_start_intwrite(inode->i_sb);
+	if (!ext4_journal_current_handle()) {
+		sb_start_intwrite(inode->i_sb);
+		freeze_protected = true;
+	}
 
 	if (!IS_NOQUOTA(inode))
 		extra_credits += EXT4_MAXQUOTAS_DEL_BLOCKS(inode->i_sb);
@@ -271,7 +277,8 @@ void ext4_evict_inode(struct inode *inode)
 		 * cleaned up.
 		 */
 		ext4_orphan_del(NULL, inode);
-		sb_end_intwrite(inode->i_sb);
+		if (freeze_protected)
+			sb_end_intwrite(inode->i_sb);
 		goto no_delete;
 	}
 
@@ -312,7 +319,8 @@ void ext4_evict_inode(struct inode *inode)
 stop_handle:
 		ext4_journal_stop(handle);
 		ext4_orphan_del(NULL, inode);
-		sb_end_intwrite(inode->i_sb);
+		if (freeze_protected)
+			sb_end_intwrite(inode->i_sb);
 		ext4_xattr_inode_array_free(ea_inode_array);
 		goto no_delete;
 	}
@@ -341,7 +349,8 @@ stop_handle:
 	else
 		ext4_free_inode(handle, inode);
 	ext4_journal_stop(handle);
-	sb_end_intwrite(inode->i_sb);
+	if (freeze_protected)
+		sb_end_intwrite(inode->i_sb);
 	ext4_xattr_inode_array_free(ea_inode_array);
 	return;
 no_delete: