diff --git a/fs/f2fs/file.c b/fs/f2fs/file.c
index 88593c5e743c..7354c2df1087 100644
--- a/fs/f2fs/file.c
+++ b/fs/f2fs/file.c
@@ -137,6 +137,9 @@ int f2fs_sync_file(struct file *file, loff_t start, loff_t end, int datasync)
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
 
+	/* guarantee free sections for fsync */
+	f2fs_balance_fs(sbi);
+
 	mutex_lock(&inode->i_mutex);
 
 	if (datasync && !(inode->i_state & I_DIRTY_DATASYNC))
diff --git a/fs/f2fs/inode.c b/fs/f2fs/inode.c
index bf20b4d03214..794241777322 100644
--- a/fs/f2fs/inode.c
+++ b/fs/f2fs/inode.c
@@ -217,6 +217,9 @@ int f2fs_write_inode(struct inode *inode, struct writeback_control *wbc)
 			inode->i_ino == F2FS_META_INO(sbi))
 		return 0;
 
+	if (wbc)
+		f2fs_balance_fs(sbi);
+
 	node_page = get_node_page(sbi, inode->i_ino);
 	if (IS_ERR(node_page))
 		return PTR_ERR(node_page);
diff --git a/fs/f2fs/super.c b/fs/f2fs/super.c
index afa7ef0c4ba7..0f2b2eb86a05 100644
--- a/fs/f2fs/super.c
+++ b/fs/f2fs/super.c
@@ -137,6 +137,8 @@ int f2fs_sync_fs(struct super_block *sb, int sync)
 
 	if (sync)
 		write_checkpoint(sbi, false, false);
+	else
+		f2fs_balance_fs(sbi);
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/fs/f2fs/xattr.c b/fs/f2fs/xattr.c
index 940136a3d3a6..8038c0496504 100644
--- a/fs/f2fs/xattr.c
+++ b/fs/f2fs/xattr.c
@@ -318,6 +318,8 @@ int f2fs_setxattr(struct inode *inode, int name_index, const char *name,
 	if (name_len > 255 || value_len > MAX_VALUE_LEN)
 		return -ERANGE;
 
+	f2fs_balance_fs(sbi);
+
 	mutex_lock_op(sbi, NODE_NEW);
 	if (!fi->i_xattr_nid) {
 		/* Allocate new attribute block */