diff --git a/fs/ext4/ext4.h b/fs/ext4/ext4.h
index 4daaf2b753f4..076c5d212a3c 100644
--- a/fs/ext4/ext4.h
+++ b/fs/ext4/ext4.h
@@ -1351,6 +1351,21 @@ static inline void ext4_clear_state_flags(struct ext4_inode_info *ei)
 #define EXT4_FEATURE_INCOMPAT_EA_INODE		0x0400 /* EA in inode */
 #define EXT4_FEATURE_INCOMPAT_DIRDATA		0x1000 /* data in dirent */
 
+#define EXT2_FEATURE_COMPAT_SUPP	EXT4_FEATURE_COMPAT_EXT_ATTR
+#define EXT2_FEATURE_INCOMPAT_SUPP	(EXT4_FEATURE_INCOMPAT_FILETYPE| \
+					 EXT4_FEATURE_INCOMPAT_META_BG)
+#define EXT2_FEATURE_RO_COMPAT_SUPP	(EXT4_FEATURE_RO_COMPAT_SPARSE_SUPER| \
+					 EXT4_FEATURE_RO_COMPAT_LARGE_FILE| \
+					 EXT4_FEATURE_RO_COMPAT_BTREE_DIR)
+
+#define EXT3_FEATURE_COMPAT_SUPP	EXT4_FEATURE_COMPAT_EXT_ATTR
+#define EXT3_FEATURE_INCOMPAT_SUPP	(EXT4_FEATURE_INCOMPAT_FILETYPE| \
+					 EXT4_FEATURE_INCOMPAT_RECOVER| \
+					 EXT4_FEATURE_INCOMPAT_META_BG)
+#define EXT3_FEATURE_RO_COMPAT_SUPP	(EXT4_FEATURE_RO_COMPAT_SPARSE_SUPER| \
+					 EXT4_FEATURE_RO_COMPAT_LARGE_FILE| \
+					 EXT4_FEATURE_RO_COMPAT_BTREE_DIR)
+
 #define EXT4_FEATURE_COMPAT_SUPP	EXT2_FEATURE_COMPAT_EXT_ATTR
 #define EXT4_FEATURE_INCOMPAT_SUPP	(EXT4_FEATURE_INCOMPAT_FILETYPE| \
 					 EXT4_FEATURE_INCOMPAT_RECOVER| \
diff --git a/fs/ext4/super.c b/fs/ext4/super.c
index 8553dfb310af..cb22783a4377 100644
--- a/fs/ext4/super.c
+++ b/fs/ext4/super.c
@@ -75,11 +75,27 @@ static void ext4_write_super(struct super_block *sb);
 static int ext4_freeze(struct super_block *sb);
 static struct dentry *ext4_mount(struct file_system_type *fs_type, int flags,
 		       const char *dev_name, void *data);
+static inline int ext2_feature_set_ok(struct super_block *sb);
+static inline int ext3_feature_set_ok(struct super_block *sb);
 static int ext4_feature_set_ok(struct super_block *sb, int readonly);
 static void ext4_destroy_lazyinit_thread(void);
 static void ext4_unregister_li_request(struct super_block *sb);
 static void ext4_clear_request_list(void);
 
+#if !defined(CONFIG_EXT2_FS) && !defined(CONFIG_EXT2_FS_MODULE) && defined(CONFIG_EXT4_USE_FOR_EXT23)
+static struct file_system_type ext2_fs_type = {
+	.owner		= THIS_MODULE,
+	.name		= "ext2",
+	.mount		= ext4_mount,
+	.kill_sb	= kill_block_super,
+	.fs_flags	= FS_REQUIRES_DEV,
+};
+#define IS_EXT2_SB(sb) ((sb)->s_bdev->bd_holder == &ext2_fs_type)
+#else
+#define IS_EXT2_SB(sb) (0)
+#endif
+
+
 #if !defined(CONFIG_EXT3_FS) && !defined(CONFIG_EXT3_FS_MODULE) && defined(CONFIG_EXT4_USE_FOR_EXT23)
 static struct file_system_type ext3_fs_type = {
 	.owner		= THIS_MODULE,
@@ -3187,6 +3203,28 @@ static int ext4_fill_super(struct super_block *sb, void *data, int silent)
 		       "feature flags set on rev 0 fs, "
 		       "running e2fsck is recommended");
 
+	if (IS_EXT2_SB(sb)) {
+		if (ext2_feature_set_ok(sb))
+			ext4_msg(sb, KERN_INFO, "mounting ext2 file system "
+				 "using the ext4 subsystem");
+		else {
+			ext4_msg(sb, KERN_ERR, "couldn't mount as ext2 due "
+				 "to feature incompatibilities");
+			goto failed_mount;
+		}
+	}
+
+	if (IS_EXT3_SB(sb)) {
+		if (ext3_feature_set_ok(sb))
+			ext4_msg(sb, KERN_INFO, "mounting ext3 file system "
+				 "using the ext4 subsystem");
+		else {
+			ext4_msg(sb, KERN_ERR, "couldn't mount as ext3 due "
+				 "to feature incompatibilities");
+			goto failed_mount;
+		}
+	}
+
 	/*
 	 * Check feature flags regardless of the revision level, since we
 	 * previously didn't change the revision level when setting the flags,
@@ -4772,14 +4810,6 @@ static struct dentry *ext4_mount(struct file_system_type *fs_type, int flags,
 }
 
 #if !defined(CONFIG_EXT2_FS) && !defined(CONFIG_EXT2_FS_MODULE) && defined(CONFIG_EXT4_USE_FOR_EXT23)
-static struct file_system_type ext2_fs_type = {
-	.owner		= THIS_MODULE,
-	.name		= "ext2",
-	.mount		= ext4_mount,
-	.kill_sb	= kill_block_super,
-	.fs_flags	= FS_REQUIRES_DEV,
-};
-
 static inline void register_as_ext2(void)
 {
 	int err = register_filesystem(&ext2_fs_type);
@@ -4792,10 +4822,22 @@ static inline void unregister_as_ext2(void)
 {
 	unregister_filesystem(&ext2_fs_type);
 }
+
+static inline int ext2_feature_set_ok(struct super_block *sb)
+{
+	if (EXT4_HAS_INCOMPAT_FEATURE(sb, ~EXT2_FEATURE_INCOMPAT_SUPP))
+		return 0;
+	if (sb->s_flags & MS_RDONLY)
+		return 1;
+	if (EXT4_HAS_RO_COMPAT_FEATURE(sb, ~EXT2_FEATURE_RO_COMPAT_SUPP))
+		return 0;
+	return 1;
+}
 MODULE_ALIAS("ext2");
 #else
 static inline void register_as_ext2(void) { }
 static inline void unregister_as_ext2(void) { }
+static inline int ext2_feature_set_ok(struct super_block *sb) { return 0; }
 #endif
 
 #if !defined(CONFIG_EXT3_FS) && !defined(CONFIG_EXT3_FS_MODULE) && defined(CONFIG_EXT4_USE_FOR_EXT23)
@@ -4811,10 +4853,24 @@ static inline void unregister_as_ext3(void)
 {
 	unregister_filesystem(&ext3_fs_type);
 }
+
+static inline int ext3_feature_set_ok(struct super_block *sb)
+{
+	if (EXT4_HAS_INCOMPAT_FEATURE(sb, ~EXT3_FEATURE_INCOMPAT_SUPP))
+		return 0;
+	if (!EXT4_HAS_COMPAT_FEATURE(sb, EXT4_FEATURE_COMPAT_HAS_JOURNAL))
+		return 0;
+	if (sb->s_flags & MS_RDONLY)
+		return 1;
+	if (EXT4_HAS_RO_COMPAT_FEATURE(sb, ~EXT3_FEATURE_RO_COMPAT_SUPP))
+		return 0;
+	return 1;
+}
 MODULE_ALIAS("ext3");
 #else
 static inline void register_as_ext3(void) { }
 static inline void unregister_as_ext3(void) { }
+static inline int ext3_feature_set_ok(struct super_block *sb) { return 0; }
 #endif
 
 static struct file_system_type ext4_fs_type = {
@@ -4898,8 +4954,8 @@ static int __init ext4_init_fs(void)
 	err = init_inodecache();
 	if (err)
 		goto out1;
-	register_as_ext2();
 	register_as_ext3();
+	register_as_ext2();
 	err = register_filesystem(&ext4_fs_type);
 	if (err)
 		goto out;