diff --git a/fs/ext4/mballoc.c b/fs/ext4/mballoc.c
index 215b7068f548..3dd9b9e2f967 100644
--- a/fs/ext4/mballoc.c
+++ b/fs/ext4/mballoc.c
@@ -4814,7 +4814,7 @@ ext4_mb_release_group_pa(struct ext4_buddy *e4b,
  */
 static noinline_for_stack int
 ext4_mb_discard_group_preallocations(struct super_block *sb,
-					ext4_group_t group, int needed)
+				     ext4_group_t group, int *busy)
 {
 	struct ext4_group_info *grp = ext4_get_group_info(sb, group);
 	struct buffer_head *bitmap_bh = NULL;
@@ -4822,8 +4822,7 @@ ext4_mb_discard_group_preallocations(struct super_block *sb,
 	struct list_head list;
 	struct ext4_buddy e4b;
 	int err;
-	int busy = 0;
-	int free, free_total = 0;
+	int free = 0;
 
 	mb_debug(sb, "discard preallocation for group %u\n", group);
 	if (list_empty(&grp->bb_prealloc_list))
@@ -4846,19 +4845,14 @@ ext4_mb_discard_group_preallocations(struct super_block *sb,
 		goto out_dbg;
 	}
 
-	if (needed == 0)
-		needed = EXT4_CLUSTERS_PER_GROUP(sb) + 1;
-
 	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) {
 		spin_lock(&pa->pa_lock);
 		if (atomic_read(&pa->pa_count)) {
 			spin_unlock(&pa->pa_lock);
-			busy = 1;
+			*busy = 1;
 			continue;
 		}
 		if (pa->pa_deleted) {
@@ -4898,22 +4892,13 @@ repeat:
 		call_rcu(&(pa)->u.pa_rcu, ext4_mb_pa_callback);
 	}
 
-	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_total, group, grp->bb_free);
-	return free_total;
+		 free, group, grp->bb_free);
+	return free;
 }
 
 /*
@@ -5455,13 +5440,24 @@ static int ext4_mb_discard_preallocations(struct super_block *sb, int needed)
 {
 	ext4_group_t i, ngroups = ext4_get_groups_count(sb);
 	int ret;
-	int freed = 0;
+	int freed = 0, busy = 0;
+	int retry = 0;
 
 	trace_ext4_mb_discard_preallocations(sb, needed);
+
+	if (needed == 0)
+		needed = EXT4_CLUSTERS_PER_GROUP(sb) + 1;
+ repeat:
 	for (i = 0; i < ngroups && needed > 0; i++) {
-		ret = ext4_mb_discard_group_preallocations(sb, i, needed);
+		ret = ext4_mb_discard_group_preallocations(sb, i, &busy);
 		freed += ret;
 		needed -= ret;
+		cond_resched();
+	}
+
+	if (needed > 0 && busy && ++retry < 3) {
+		busy = 0;
+		goto repeat;
 	}
 
 	return freed;