diff --git a/e2fsck/pass2.c b/e2fsck/pass2.c
index 2f57af6..8fcb4ac 100644
--- a/e2fsck/pass2.c
+++ b/e2fsck/pass2.c
@@ -1412,7 +1412,7 @@
 			      struct problem_context *pctx)
 {
 	ext2_filsys fs = ctx->fs;
-	blk64_t			blk;
+	blk64_t			blk = 0;
 	char			*block;
 	struct ext2_inode	inode;
 
@@ -1428,11 +1428,17 @@
 	/*
 	 * First, find a free block
 	 */
-	pctx->errcode = ext2fs_new_block2(fs, 0, ctx->block_found_map, &blk);
-	if (pctx->errcode) {
-		pctx->str = "ext2fs_new_block";
-		fix_problem(ctx, PR_2_ALLOC_DIRBOCK, pctx);
-		return 1;
+	e2fsck_read_inode(ctx, db->ino, &inode, "allocate_dir_block");
+	pctx->errcode = ext2fs_map_cluster_block(fs, db->ino, &inode,
+						 db->blockcnt, &blk);
+	if (pctx->errcode || blk == 0) {
+		pctx->errcode = ext2fs_new_block2(fs, 0,
+						  ctx->block_found_map, &blk);
+		if (pctx->errcode) {
+			pctx->str = "ext2fs_new_block";
+			fix_problem(ctx, PR_2_ALLOC_DIRBOCK, pctx);
+			return 1;
+		}
 	}
 	ext2fs_mark_block_bitmap2(ctx->block_found_map, blk);
 	ext2fs_mark_block_bitmap2(fs->block_map, blk);
@@ -1464,7 +1470,6 @@
 	/*
 	 * Update the inode block count
 	 */
-	e2fsck_read_inode(ctx, db->ino, &inode, "allocate_dir_block");
 	ext2fs_iblk_add_blocks(fs, &inode, 1);
 	if (EXT2_I_SIZE(&inode) < (db->blockcnt+1) * fs->blocksize) {
 		pctx->errcode = ext2fs_inode_size_set(fs, &inode,