diff --git a/fs/xfs/xfs_super.c b/fs/xfs/xfs_super.c
index c1b022f20d35..2366c54cc4fa 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/xfs_super.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/xfs_super.c
@@ -879,33 +879,17 @@ xfs_log_inode(
 	struct xfs_trans	*tp;
 	int			error;
 
-	xfs_iunlock(ip, XFS_ILOCK_SHARED);
 	tp = xfs_trans_alloc(mp, XFS_TRANS_FSYNC_TS);
 	error = xfs_trans_reserve(tp, 0, XFS_FSYNC_TS_LOG_RES(mp), 0, 0, 0);
-
 	if (error) {
 		xfs_trans_cancel(tp, 0);
-		/* we need to return with the lock hold shared */
-		xfs_ilock(ip, XFS_ILOCK_SHARED);
 		return error;
 	}
 
 	xfs_ilock(ip, XFS_ILOCK_EXCL);
-
-	/*
-	 * Note - it's possible that we might have pushed ourselves out of the
-	 * way during trans_reserve which would flush the inode.  But there's
-	 * no guarantee that the inode buffer has actually gone out yet (it's
-	 * delwri).  Plus the buffer could be pinned anyway if it's part of
-	 * an inode in another recent transaction.  So we play it safe and
-	 * fire off the transaction anyway.
-	 */
-	xfs_trans_ijoin(tp, ip);
+	xfs_trans_ijoin_ref(tp, ip, XFS_ILOCK_EXCL);
 	xfs_trans_log_inode(tp, ip, XFS_ILOG_CORE);
-	error = xfs_trans_commit(tp, 0);
-	xfs_ilock_demote(ip, XFS_ILOCK_EXCL);
-
-	return error;
+	return xfs_trans_commit(tp, 0);
 }
 
 STATIC int
@@ -920,7 +904,9 @@ xfs_fs_write_inode(
 	trace_xfs_write_inode(ip);
 
 	if (XFS_FORCED_SHUTDOWN(mp))
-		return XFS_ERROR(EIO);
+		return -XFS_ERROR(EIO);
+	if (!ip->i_update_core)
+		return 0;
 
 	if (wbc->sync_mode == WB_SYNC_ALL) {
 		/*
@@ -931,12 +917,10 @@ xfs_fs_write_inode(
 		 * of synchronous log foces dramatically.
 		 */
 		xfs_ioend_wait(ip);
-		xfs_ilock(ip, XFS_ILOCK_SHARED);
-		if (ip->i_update_core) {
-			error = xfs_log_inode(ip);
-			if (error)
-				goto out_unlock;
-		}
+		error = xfs_log_inode(ip);
+		if (error)
+			goto out;
+		return 0;
 	} else {
 		/*
 		 * We make this non-blocking if the inode is contended, return