diff --git a/fs/reiserfs/journal.c b/fs/reiserfs/journal.c
index 04e3c42a085f..2f8a7e7b8dab 100644
--- a/fs/reiserfs/journal.c
+++ b/fs/reiserfs/journal.c
@@ -2933,8 +2933,11 @@ int journal_init(struct super_block *sb, const char *j_dev_name,
 	}
 
 	reiserfs_mounted_fs_count++;
-	if (reiserfs_mounted_fs_count <= 1)
+	if (reiserfs_mounted_fs_count <= 1) {
+		reiserfs_write_unlock(sb);
 		commit_wq = create_workqueue("reiserfs");
+		reiserfs_write_lock(sb);
+	}
 
 	INIT_DELAYED_WORK(&journal->j_work, flush_async_commits);
 	journal->j_work_sb = sb;