diff --git a/fs/reiserfs/journal.c b/fs/reiserfs/journal.c
index 2f8a7e7..a059879 100644
--- a/fs/reiserfs/journal.c
+++ b/fs/reiserfs/journal.c
@@ -2758,11 +2758,18 @@
 	struct reiserfs_journal *journal;
 	struct reiserfs_journal_list *jl;
 	char b[BDEVNAME_SIZE];
+	int ret;
 
+	/*
+	 * Unlock here to avoid various RECLAIM-FS-ON <-> IN-RECLAIM-FS
+	 * dependency inversion warnings.
+	 */
+	reiserfs_write_unlock(sb);
 	journal = SB_JOURNAL(sb) = vmalloc(sizeof(struct reiserfs_journal));
 	if (!journal) {
 		reiserfs_warning(sb, "journal-1256",
 				 "unable to get memory for journal structure");
+		reiserfs_write_lock(sb);
 		return 1;
 	}
 	memset(journal, 0, sizeof(struct reiserfs_journal));
@@ -2771,10 +2778,12 @@
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&journal->j_working_list);
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&journal->j_journal_list);
 	journal->j_persistent_trans = 0;
-	if (reiserfs_allocate_list_bitmaps(sb,
-					   journal->j_list_bitmap,
-					   reiserfs_bmap_count(sb)))
+	ret = reiserfs_allocate_list_bitmaps(sb, journal->j_list_bitmap,
+					   reiserfs_bmap_count(sb));
+	reiserfs_write_lock(sb);
+	if (ret)
 		goto free_and_return;
+
 	allocate_bitmap_nodes(sb);
 
 	/* reserved for journal area support */