diff --git a/fs/jbd2/checkpoint.c b/fs/jbd2/checkpoint.c
index 25e3c20eb19f..c4e0da6db719 100644
--- a/fs/jbd2/checkpoint.c
+++ b/fs/jbd2/checkpoint.c
@@ -221,20 +221,6 @@ int jbd2_log_do_checkpoint(journal_t *journal)
 		jh = transaction->t_checkpoint_list;
 		bh = jh2bh(jh);
 
-		/*
-		 * The buffer may be writing back, or flushing out in the
-		 * last couple of cycles, or re-adding into a new transaction,
-		 * need to check it again until it's unlocked.
-		 */
-		if (buffer_locked(bh)) {
-			get_bh(bh);
-			spin_unlock(&journal->j_list_lock);
-			wait_on_buffer(bh);
-			/* the journal_head may have gone by now */
-			BUFFER_TRACE(bh, "brelse");
-			__brelse(bh);
-			goto retry;
-		}
 		if (jh->b_transaction != NULL) {
 			transaction_t *t = jh->b_transaction;
 			tid_t tid = t->t_tid;
@@ -269,7 +255,22 @@ int jbd2_log_do_checkpoint(journal_t *journal)
 			spin_lock(&journal->j_list_lock);
 			goto restart;
 		}
-		if (!buffer_dirty(bh)) {
+		if (!trylock_buffer(bh)) {
+			/*
+			 * The buffer is locked, it may be writing back, or
+			 * flushing out in the last couple of cycles, or
+			 * re-adding into a new transaction, need to check
+			 * it again until it's unlocked.
+			 */
+			get_bh(bh);
+			spin_unlock(&journal->j_list_lock);
+			wait_on_buffer(bh);
+			/* the journal_head may have gone by now */
+			BUFFER_TRACE(bh, "brelse");
+			__brelse(bh);
+			goto retry;
+		} else if (!buffer_dirty(bh)) {
+			unlock_buffer(bh);
 			BUFFER_TRACE(bh, "remove from checkpoint");
 			/*
 			 * If the transaction was released or the checkpoint
@@ -279,6 +280,7 @@ int jbd2_log_do_checkpoint(journal_t *journal)
 			    !transaction->t_checkpoint_list)
 				goto out;
 		} else {
+			unlock_buffer(bh);
 			/*
 			 * We are about to write the buffer, it could be
 			 * raced by some other transaction shrink or buffer