diff --git a/fs/ocfs2/ocfs2.h b/fs/ocfs2/ocfs2.h
index a780e20d4fba..8d64a97a9d5e 100644
--- a/fs/ocfs2/ocfs2.h
+++ b/fs/ocfs2/ocfs2.h
@@ -446,6 +446,8 @@ struct ocfs2_super
 	/* rb tree root for refcount lock. */
 	struct rb_root	osb_rf_lock_tree;
 	struct ocfs2_refcount_tree *osb_ref_tree_lru;
+
+	struct mutex system_file_mutex;
 };
 
 #define OCFS2_SB(sb)	    ((struct ocfs2_super *)(sb)->s_fs_info)
diff --git a/fs/ocfs2/super.c b/fs/ocfs2/super.c
index 888a1457af96..1aecd626e645 100644
--- a/fs/ocfs2/super.c
+++ b/fs/ocfs2/super.c
@@ -2100,6 +2100,8 @@ static int ocfs2_initialize_super(struct super_block *sb,
 	spin_lock_init(&osb->osb_xattr_lock);
 	ocfs2_init_steal_slots(osb);
 
+	mutex_init(&osb->system_file_mutex);
+
 	atomic_set(&osb->alloc_stats.moves, 0);
 	atomic_set(&osb->alloc_stats.local_data, 0);
 	atomic_set(&osb->alloc_stats.bitmap_data, 0);
diff --git a/fs/ocfs2/sysfile.c b/fs/ocfs2/sysfile.c
index f053688d22a3..af155c183123 100644
--- a/fs/ocfs2/sysfile.c
+++ b/fs/ocfs2/sysfile.c
@@ -113,9 +113,11 @@ struct inode *ocfs2_get_system_file_inode(struct ocfs2_super *osb,
 	} else
 		arr = get_local_system_inode(osb, type, slot);
 
+	mutex_lock(&osb->system_file_mutex);
 	if (arr && ((inode = *arr) != NULL)) {
 		/* get a ref in addition to the array ref */
 		inode = igrab(inode);
+		mutex_unlock(&osb->system_file_mutex);
 		BUG_ON(!inode);
 
 		return inode;
@@ -129,6 +131,7 @@ struct inode *ocfs2_get_system_file_inode(struct ocfs2_super *osb,
 		*arr = igrab(inode);
 		BUG_ON(!*arr);
 	}
+	mutex_unlock(&osb->system_file_mutex);
 	return inode;
 }