diff --git a/fs/ext3/balloc.c b/fs/ext3/balloc.c
index a757130..da0cb2c 100644
--- a/fs/ext3/balloc.c
+++ b/fs/ext3/balloc.c
@@ -630,9 +630,7 @@
 	jbd_unlock_bh_state(bitmap_bh);
 
 	spin_lock(sb_bgl_lock(sbi, block_group));
-	desc->bg_free_blocks_count =
-		cpu_to_le16(le16_to_cpu(desc->bg_free_blocks_count) +
-			group_freed);
+	le16_add_cpu(&desc->bg_free_blocks_count, group_freed);
 	spin_unlock(sb_bgl_lock(sbi, block_group));
 	percpu_counter_add(&sbi->s_freeblocks_counter, count);
 
@@ -1696,8 +1694,7 @@
 			ret_block, goal_hits, goal_attempts);
 
 	spin_lock(sb_bgl_lock(sbi, group_no));
-	gdp->bg_free_blocks_count =
-			cpu_to_le16(le16_to_cpu(gdp->bg_free_blocks_count)-num);
+	le16_add_cpu(&gdp->bg_free_blocks_count, -num);
 	spin_unlock(sb_bgl_lock(sbi, group_no));
 	percpu_counter_sub(&sbi->s_freeblocks_counter, num);