diff --git a/fs/ext4/mballoc.c b/fs/ext4/mballoc.c
index ff47347012f4..a8d99f676fb1 100644
--- a/fs/ext4/mballoc.c
+++ b/fs/ext4/mballoc.c
@@ -4160,7 +4160,7 @@ ext4_mb_discard_group_preallocations(struct super_block *sb,
 	struct ext4_buddy e4b;
 	int err;
 	int busy = 0;
-	int free = 0;
+	int free, free_total = 0;
 
 	mb_debug(sb, "discard preallocation for group %u\n", group);
 	if (list_empty(&grp->bb_prealloc_list))
@@ -4188,6 +4188,7 @@ ext4_mb_discard_group_preallocations(struct super_block *sb,
 
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&list);
 repeat:
+	free = 0;
 	ext4_lock_group(sb, group);
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(pa, tmp,
 				&grp->bb_prealloc_list, pa_group_list) {
@@ -4217,22 +4218,6 @@ repeat:
 		list_add(&pa->u.pa_tmp_list, &list);
 	}
 
-	/* if we still need more blocks and some PAs were used, try again */
-	if (free < needed && busy) {
-		busy = 0;
-		ext4_unlock_group(sb, group);
-		cond_resched();
-		goto repeat;
-	}
-
-	/* found anything to free? */
-	if (list_empty(&list)) {
-		BUG_ON(free != 0);
-		mb_debug(sb, "Someone else may have freed PA for this group %u\n",
-			 group);
-		goto out;
-	}
-
 	/* now free all selected PAs */
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(pa, tmp, &list, u.pa_tmp_list) {
 
@@ -4250,14 +4235,22 @@ repeat:
 		call_rcu(&(pa)->u.pa_rcu, ext4_mb_pa_callback);
 	}
 
-out:
+	free_total += free;
+
+	/* if we still need more blocks and some PAs were used, try again */
+	if (free_total < needed && busy) {
+		ext4_unlock_group(sb, group);
+		cond_resched();
+		busy = 0;
+		goto repeat;
+	}
 	ext4_unlock_group(sb, group);
 	ext4_mb_unload_buddy(&e4b);
 	put_bh(bitmap_bh);
 out_dbg:
 	mb_debug(sb, "discarded (%d) blocks preallocated for group %u bb_free (%d)\n",
-		 free, group, grp->bb_free);
-	return free;
+		 free_total, group, grp->bb_free);
+	return free_total;
 }
 
 /*