diff --git a/fs/ceph/xattr.c b/fs/ceph/xattr.c
index 37b458a9af3a..c083557b3657 100644
--- a/fs/ceph/xattr.c
+++ b/fs/ceph/xattr.c
@@ -1036,6 +1036,7 @@ int __ceph_setxattr(struct inode *inode, const char *name,
 	struct ceph_inode_info *ci = ceph_inode(inode);
 	struct ceph_mds_client *mdsc = ceph_sb_to_client(inode->i_sb)->mdsc;
 	struct ceph_cap_flush *prealloc_cf = NULL;
+	struct ceph_buffer *old_blob = NULL;
 	int issued;
 	int err;
 	int dirty = 0;
@@ -1109,13 +1110,15 @@ retry:
 		struct ceph_buffer *blob;
 
 		spin_unlock(&ci->i_ceph_lock);
-		dout(" preaallocating new blob size=%d\n", required_blob_size);
+		ceph_buffer_put(old_blob); /* Shouldn't be required */
+		dout(" pre-allocating new blob size=%d\n", required_blob_size);
 		blob = ceph_buffer_new(required_blob_size, GFP_NOFS);
 		if (!blob)
 			goto do_sync_unlocked;
 		spin_lock(&ci->i_ceph_lock);
+		/* prealloc_blob can't be released while holding i_ceph_lock */
 		if (ci->i_xattrs.prealloc_blob)
-			ceph_buffer_put(ci->i_xattrs.prealloc_blob);
+			old_blob = ci->i_xattrs.prealloc_blob;
 		ci->i_xattrs.prealloc_blob = blob;
 		goto retry;
 	}
@@ -1131,6 +1134,7 @@ retry:
 	}
 
 	spin_unlock(&ci->i_ceph_lock);
+	ceph_buffer_put(old_blob);
 	if (lock_snap_rwsem)
 		up_read(&mdsc->snap_rwsem);
 	if (dirty)