diff --git a/fs/f2fs/checkpoint.c b/fs/f2fs/checkpoint.c
index 579b9c3603cc..174a0819ad96 100644
--- a/fs/f2fs/checkpoint.c
+++ b/fs/f2fs/checkpoint.c
@@ -1763,13 +1763,9 @@ repeat:
 	if (kthread_should_stop())
 		return 0;
 
-	sb_start_intwrite(sbi->sb);
-
 	if (!llist_empty(&cprc->issue_list))
 		__checkpoint_and_complete_reqs(sbi);
 
-	sb_end_intwrite(sbi->sb);
-
 	wait_event_interruptible(*q,
 		kthread_should_stop() || !llist_empty(&cprc->issue_list));
 	goto repeat;
diff --git a/fs/f2fs/segment.c b/fs/f2fs/segment.c
index 7d34f1cacdee..440634dfaa56 100644
--- a/fs/f2fs/segment.c
+++ b/fs/f2fs/segment.c
@@ -607,8 +607,6 @@ repeat:
 	if (kthread_should_stop())
 		return 0;
 
-	sb_start_intwrite(sbi->sb);
-
 	if (!llist_empty(&fcc->issue_list)) {
 		struct flush_cmd *cmd, *next;
 		int ret;
@@ -629,8 +627,6 @@ repeat:
 		fcc->dispatch_list = NULL;
 	}
 
-	sb_end_intwrite(sbi->sb);
-
 	wait_event_interruptible(*q,
 		kthread_should_stop() || !llist_empty(&fcc->issue_list));
 	goto repeat;
diff --git a/fs/f2fs/super.c b/fs/f2fs/super.c
index 1000d21120ca..4aa533cb4340 100644
--- a/fs/f2fs/super.c
+++ b/fs/f2fs/super.c
@@ -1472,6 +1472,10 @@ static int f2fs_freeze(struct super_block *sb)
 	/* must be clean, since sync_filesystem() was already called */
 	if (is_sbi_flag_set(F2FS_SB(sb), SBI_IS_DIRTY))
 		return -EINVAL;
+
+	/* ensure no checkpoint required */
+	if (!llist_empty(&F2FS_SB(sb)->cprc_info.issue_list))
+		return -EINVAL;
 	return 0;
 }