diff --git a/fs/reiserfs/bitmap.c b/fs/reiserfs/bitmap.c
index abdd6d9..cca1dbf 100644
--- a/fs/reiserfs/bitmap.c
+++ b/fs/reiserfs/bitmap.c
@@ -60,7 +60,6 @@
 int is_reusable(struct super_block *s, b_blocknr_t block, int bit_value)
 {
 	int bmap, offset;
-	struct buffer_head *bh;
 
 	if (block == 0 || block >= SB_BLOCK_COUNT(s)) {
 		reiserfs_warning(s,
@@ -98,22 +97,6 @@
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	bh = SB_AP_BITMAP(s)[bmap].bh;
-	get_bh(bh);
-
-	if ((bit_value == 0 && reiserfs_test_le_bit(offset, bh->b_data)) ||
-	    (bit_value == 1 && reiserfs_test_le_bit(offset, bh->b_data) == 0)) {
-		reiserfs_warning(s,
-				 "vs-4040: is_reusable: corresponding bit of block %lu does not "
-				 "match required value (bmap==%d, offset==%d) test_bit==%d",
-				 block, bmap, offset,
-				 reiserfs_test_le_bit(offset, bh->b_data));
-
-		brelse(bh);
-		return 0;
-	}
-	brelse(bh);
-
 	if (bit_value == 0 && block == SB_ROOT_BLOCK(s)) {
 		reiserfs_warning(s,
 				 "vs-4050: is_reusable: this is root block (%u), "
@@ -173,13 +156,10 @@
 				 bmap_n);
 		return 0;
 	}
-	bh = bi->bh;
-	get_bh(bh);
 
-	if (buffer_locked(bh)) {
-		PROC_INFO_INC(s, scan_bitmap.wait);
-		__wait_on_buffer(bh);
-	}
+	bh = reiserfs_read_bitmap_block(s, bmap_n);
+	if (bh == NULL)
+		return 0;
 
 	while (1) {
 	      cont:
@@ -285,9 +265,20 @@
  */
 static inline int block_group_used(struct super_block *s, u32 id)
 {
-	int bm;
-	bm = bmap_hash_id(s, id);
-	if (SB_AP_BITMAP(s)[bm].free_count > ((s->s_blocksize << 3) * 60 / 100)) {
+	int bm = bmap_hash_id(s, id);
+	struct reiserfs_bitmap_info *info = &SB_AP_BITMAP(s)[bm];
+
+	/* If we don't have cached information on this bitmap block, we're
+	 * going to have to load it later anyway. Loading it here allows us
+	 * to make a better decision. This favors long-term performace gain
+	 * with a better on-disk layout vs. a short term gain of skipping the
+	 * read and potentially having a bad placement. */
+	if (info->first_zero_hint == 0) {
+		struct buffer_head *bh = reiserfs_read_bitmap_block(s, bm);
+		brelse(bh);
+	}
+
+	if (info->free_count > ((s->s_blocksize << 3) * 60 / 100)) {
 		return 0;
 	}
 	return 1;
@@ -413,8 +404,9 @@
 		return;
 	}
 
-	bmbh = apbi[nr].bh;
-	get_bh(bmbh);
+	bmbh = reiserfs_read_bitmap_block(s, nr);
+	if (!bmbh)
+		return;
 
 	reiserfs_prepare_for_journal(s, bmbh, 1);
 
@@ -1320,6 +1312,7 @@
                                                unsigned int bitmap)
 {
 	b_blocknr_t block = (sb->s_blocksize << 3) * bitmap;
+	struct reiserfs_bitmap_info *info = SB_AP_BITMAP(sb) + bitmap;
 	struct buffer_head *bh;
 
 	/* Way old format filesystems had the bitmaps packed up front.
@@ -1330,9 +1323,21 @@
 	else if (bitmap == 0)
 		block = (REISERFS_DISK_OFFSET_IN_BYTES >> sb->s_blocksize_bits) + 1;
 
-	bh = sb_getblk(sb, block);
-	if (!buffer_uptodate(bh))
-		ll_rw_block(READ, 1, &bh);
+	bh = sb_bread(sb, block);
+	if (bh == NULL)
+		reiserfs_warning(sb, "sh-2029: %s: bitmap block (#%lu) "
+		                 "reading failed", __FUNCTION__, bh->b_blocknr);
+	else {
+		if (buffer_locked(bh)) {
+			PROC_INFO_INC(sb, scan_bitmap.wait);
+			__wait_on_buffer(bh);
+		}
+		BUG_ON(!buffer_uptodate(bh));
+		BUG_ON(atomic_read(&bh->b_count) == 0);
+
+		if (info->first_zero_hint == 0)
+			reiserfs_cache_bitmap_metadata(sb, bh, info);
+	}
 
 	return bh;
 }
@@ -1340,7 +1345,6 @@
 int reiserfs_init_bitmap_cache(struct super_block *sb)
 {
 	struct reiserfs_bitmap_info *bitmap;
-	int i;
 
 	bitmap = vmalloc(sizeof (*bitmap) * SB_BMAP_NR(sb));
 	if (bitmap == NULL)
@@ -1348,28 +1352,15 @@
 
 	memset(bitmap, 0, sizeof (*bitmap) * SB_BMAP_NR(sb));
 
-	for (i = 0; i < SB_BMAP_NR(sb); i++)
-		bitmap[i].bh = reiserfs_read_bitmap_block(sb, i);
-
-	/* make sure we have them all */
-	for (i = 0; i < SB_BMAP_NR(sb); i++) {
-		wait_on_buffer(bitmap[i].bh);
-		if (!buffer_uptodate(bitmap[i].bh)) {
-			reiserfs_warning(sb, "sh-2029: %s: "
-					 "bitmap block (#%lu) reading failed",
-			                 __FUNCTION__, bitmap[i].bh->b_blocknr);
-			for (i = 0; i < SB_BMAP_NR(sb); i++)
-				brelse(bitmap[i].bh);
-			vfree(bitmap);
-			return -EIO;
-		}
-	}
-
-	/* Cache the info on the bitmaps before we get rolling */
-	for (i = 0; i < SB_BMAP_NR(sb); i++)
-		reiserfs_cache_bitmap_metadata(sb, bitmap[i].bh, &bitmap[i]);
-
 	SB_AP_BITMAP(sb) = bitmap;
 
 	return 0;
 }
+
+void reiserfs_free_bitmap_cache(struct super_block *sb)
+{
+	if (SB_AP_BITMAP(sb)) {
+		vfree(SB_AP_BITMAP(sb));
+		SB_AP_BITMAP(sb) = NULL;
+	}
+}
diff --git a/fs/reiserfs/resize.c b/fs/reiserfs/resize.c
index 90d39fd..3156847 100644
--- a/fs/reiserfs/resize.c
+++ b/fs/reiserfs/resize.c
@@ -128,8 +128,9 @@
 		 * transaction begins, and the new bitmaps don't matter if the
 		 * transaction fails. */
 		for (i = bmap_nr; i < bmap_nr_new; i++) {
-			bh = sb_getblk(s, i * s->s_blocksize * 8);
-			get_bh(bh);
+			/* don't use read_bitmap_block since it will cache
+			 * the uninitialized bitmap */
+			bh = sb_bread(s, i * s->s_blocksize * 8);
 			memset(bh->b_data, 0, sb_blocksize(sb));
 			reiserfs_test_and_set_le_bit(0, bh->b_data);
 			reiserfs_cache_bitmap_metadata(s, bh, bitmap + i);
@@ -140,7 +141,6 @@
 			// update bitmap_info stuff
 			bitmap[i].first_zero_hint = 1;
 			bitmap[i].free_count = sb_blocksize(sb) * 8 - 1;
-			bitmap[i].bh = bh;
 			brelse(bh);
 		}
 		/* free old bitmap blocks array */
@@ -157,8 +157,13 @@
 
 	/* Extend old last bitmap block - new blocks have been made available */
 	info = SB_AP_BITMAP(s) + bmap_nr - 1;
-	bh = info->bh;
-	get_bh(bh);
+	bh = reiserfs_read_bitmap_block(s, bmap_nr - 1);
+	if (!bh) {
+		int jerr = journal_end(&th, s, 10);
+		if (jerr)
+			return jerr;
+		return -EIO;
+	}
 
 	reiserfs_prepare_for_journal(s, bh, 1);
 	for (i = block_r; i < s->s_blocksize * 8; i++)
@@ -172,8 +177,13 @@
 
 	/* Correct new last bitmap block - It may not be full */
 	info = SB_AP_BITMAP(s) + bmap_nr_new - 1;
-	bh = info->bh;
-	get_bh(bh);
+	bh = reiserfs_read_bitmap_block(s, bmap_nr_new - 1);
+	if (!bh) {
+		int jerr = journal_end(&th, s, 10);
+		if (jerr)
+			return jerr;
+		return -EIO;
+	}
 
 	reiserfs_prepare_for_journal(s, bh, 1);
 	for (i = block_r_new; i < s->s_blocksize * 8; i++)
diff --git a/fs/reiserfs/super.c b/fs/reiserfs/super.c
index c78e99e..c89aa23 100644
--- a/fs/reiserfs/super.c
+++ b/fs/reiserfs/super.c
@@ -432,7 +432,6 @@
 
 static void reiserfs_put_super(struct super_block *s)
 {
-	int i;
 	struct reiserfs_transaction_handle th;
 	th.t_trans_id = 0;
 
@@ -462,10 +461,7 @@
 	 */
 	journal_release(&th, s);
 
-	for (i = 0; i < SB_BMAP_NR(s); i++)
-		brelse(SB_AP_BITMAP(s)[i].bh);
-
-	vfree(SB_AP_BITMAP(s));
+	reiserfs_free_bitmap_cache(s);
 
 	brelse(SB_BUFFER_WITH_SB(s));
 
@@ -1344,7 +1340,6 @@
 /* after journal replay, reread all bitmap and super blocks */
 static int reread_meta_blocks(struct super_block *s)
 {
-	int i;
 	ll_rw_block(READ, 1, &(SB_BUFFER_WITH_SB(s)));
 	wait_on_buffer(SB_BUFFER_WITH_SB(s));
 	if (!buffer_uptodate(SB_BUFFER_WITH_SB(s))) {
@@ -1353,20 +1348,7 @@
 		return 1;
 	}
 
-	for (i = 0; i < SB_BMAP_NR(s); i++) {
-		ll_rw_block(READ, 1, &(SB_AP_BITMAP(s)[i].bh));
-		wait_on_buffer(SB_AP_BITMAP(s)[i].bh);
-		if (!buffer_uptodate(SB_AP_BITMAP(s)[i].bh)) {
-			reiserfs_warning(s,
-					 "reread_meta_blocks, error reading bitmap block number %d at %llu",
-					 i,
-					 (unsigned long long)SB_AP_BITMAP(s)[i].
-					 bh->b_blocknr);
-			return 1;
-		}
-	}
 	return 0;
-
 }
 
 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -1547,7 +1529,6 @@
 static int reiserfs_fill_super(struct super_block *s, void *data, int silent)
 {
 	struct inode *root_inode;
-	int j;
 	struct reiserfs_transaction_handle th;
 	int old_format = 0;
 	unsigned long blocks;
@@ -1793,19 +1774,17 @@
 	if (jinit_done) {	/* kill the commit thread, free journal ram */
 		journal_release_error(NULL, s);
 	}
-	if (SB_DISK_SUPER_BLOCK(s)) {
-		for (j = 0; j < SB_BMAP_NR(s); j++) {
-			if (SB_AP_BITMAP(s))
-				brelse(SB_AP_BITMAP(s)[j].bh);
-		}
-		vfree(SB_AP_BITMAP(s));
-	}
+
+	reiserfs_free_bitmap_cache(s);
 	if (SB_BUFFER_WITH_SB(s))
 		brelse(SB_BUFFER_WITH_SB(s));
 #ifdef CONFIG_QUOTA
-	for (j = 0; j < MAXQUOTAS; j++) {
-		kfree(sbi->s_qf_names[j]);
-		sbi->s_qf_names[j] = NULL;
+	{
+		int j;
+		for (j = 0; j < MAXQUOTAS; j++) {
+			kfree(sbi->s_qf_names[j]);
+			sbi->s_qf_names[j] = NULL;
+		}
 	}
 #endif
 	kfree(sbi);
diff --git a/include/linux/reiserfs_fs_sb.h b/include/linux/reiserfs_fs_sb.h
index 4f21ad3..73e0bec 100644
--- a/include/linux/reiserfs_fs_sb.h
+++ b/include/linux/reiserfs_fs_sb.h
@@ -267,7 +267,6 @@
 	// FIXME: Won't work with block sizes > 8K
 	__u16 first_zero_hint;
 	__u16 free_count;
-	struct buffer_head *bh;	/* the actual bitmap */
 };
 
 struct proc_dir_entry;