diff --git a/fs/ext4/block_validity.c b/fs/ext4/block_validity.c
index 2d008c1b58f2..c54ba52f2dd4 100644
--- a/fs/ext4/block_validity.c
+++ b/fs/ext4/block_validity.c
@@ -220,14 +220,6 @@ int ext4_setup_system_zone(struct super_block *sb)
 	int flex_size = ext4_flex_bg_size(sbi);
 	int ret;
 
-	if (!test_opt(sb, BLOCK_VALIDITY)) {
-		if (sbi->system_blks)
-			ext4_release_system_zone(sb);
-		return 0;
-	}
-	if (sbi->system_blks)
-		return 0;
-
 	system_blks = kzalloc(sizeof(*system_blks), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!system_blks)
 		return -ENOMEM;
diff --git a/fs/ext4/super.c b/fs/ext4/super.c
index 6507e30e58b5..0892d71a52bd 100644
--- a/fs/ext4/super.c
+++ b/fs/ext4/super.c
@@ -4727,11 +4727,13 @@ no_journal:
 
 	ext4_set_resv_clusters(sb);
 
-	err = ext4_setup_system_zone(sb);
-	if (err) {
-		ext4_msg(sb, KERN_ERR, "failed to initialize system "
-			 "zone (%d)", err);
-		goto failed_mount4a;
+	if (test_opt(sb, BLOCK_VALIDITY)) {
+		err = ext4_setup_system_zone(sb);
+		if (err) {
+			ext4_msg(sb, KERN_ERR, "failed to initialize system "
+				 "zone (%d)", err);
+			goto failed_mount4a;
+		}
 	}
 
 	ext4_ext_init(sb);
@@ -5747,9 +5749,16 @@ static int ext4_remount(struct super_block *sb, int *flags, char *data)
 		ext4_register_li_request(sb, first_not_zeroed);
 	}
 
-	err = ext4_setup_system_zone(sb);
-	if (err)
-		goto restore_opts;
+	/*
+	 * Handle creation of system zone data early because it can fail.
+	 * Releasing of existing data is done when we are sure remount will
+	 * succeed.
+	 */
+	if (test_opt(sb, BLOCK_VALIDITY) && !sbi->system_blks) {
+		err = ext4_setup_system_zone(sb);
+		if (err)
+			goto restore_opts;
+	}
 
 	if (sbi->s_journal == NULL && !(old_sb_flags & SB_RDONLY)) {
 		err = ext4_commit_super(sb, 1);
@@ -5771,6 +5780,8 @@ static int ext4_remount(struct super_block *sb, int *flags, char *data)
 		}
 	}
 #endif
+	if (!test_opt(sb, BLOCK_VALIDITY) && sbi->system_blks)
+		ext4_release_system_zone(sb);
 
 	/*
 	 * Some options can be enabled by ext4 and/or by VFS mount flag
@@ -5792,6 +5803,8 @@ restore_opts:
 	sbi->s_commit_interval = old_opts.s_commit_interval;
 	sbi->s_min_batch_time = old_opts.s_min_batch_time;
 	sbi->s_max_batch_time = old_opts.s_max_batch_time;
+	if (!test_opt(sb, BLOCK_VALIDITY) && sbi->system_blks)
+		ext4_release_system_zone(sb);
 #ifdef CONFIG_QUOTA
 	sbi->s_jquota_fmt = old_opts.s_jquota_fmt;
 	for (i = 0; i < EXT4_MAXQUOTAS; i++) {