--- linux-source-2.6.28.orig/fs/ext3/ialloc.c	2008-12-24 17:26:37.000000000 -0600
+++ linux-source-2.6.28/fs/ext3/ialloc.c	2009-06-07 14:09:38.000000000 -0500
@@ -207,6 +207,7 @@ static int find_group_dir(struct super_b
	freei = percpu_counter_read_positive(&EXT3_SB(sb)->s_freeinodes_counter);
	avefreei = freei / ngroups;

+ fallback:
	for (group = 0; group < ngroups; group++) {
		desc = ext3_get_group_desc (sb, group, NULL);
		if (!desc || !desc->bg_free_inodes_count)
@@ -220,6 +221,14 @@ static int find_group_dir(struct super_b
			best_desc = desc;
		}
	}
+	if (avefreei && best_group == -1) {
+		/*
+		 * The free-inodes counter is approximate, and
+		 * the above test can fail to find any blockgroups
+		 */
+		avefreei = 0;
+		goto fallback;
+	}
	return best_group;
}