diff --git a/fs/ocfs2/buffer_head_io.c b/fs/ocfs2/buffer_head_io.c
index f136639f5b4..ca4ab7ce85b 100644
--- a/fs/ocfs2/buffer_head_io.c
+++ b/fs/ocfs2/buffer_head_io.c
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ int ocfs2_write_block(struct ocfs2_super *osb, struct buffer_head *bh,
 	/* remove from dirty list before I/O. */
 	clear_buffer_dirty(bh);
 
-	get_bh(bh); /* for end_buffer_write_sync() */                   
+	get_bh(bh); /* for end_buffer_write_sync() */
 	bh->b_end_io = end_buffer_write_sync;
 	submit_bh(WRITE, bh);
 
@@ -88,6 +88,88 @@ out:
 	return ret;
 }
 
+int ocfs2_read_blocks_sync(struct ocfs2_super *osb, u64 block,
+			   unsigned int nr, struct buffer_head *bhs[])
+{
+	int status = 0;
+	unsigned int i;
+	struct buffer_head *bh;
+
+	if (!nr) {
+		mlog(ML_BH_IO, "No buffers will be read!\n");
+		goto bail;
+	}
+
+	for (i = 0 ; i < nr ; i++) {
+		if (bhs[i] == NULL) {
+			bhs[i] = sb_getblk(osb->sb, block++);
+			if (bhs[i] == NULL) {
+				status = -EIO;
+				mlog_errno(status);
+				goto bail;
+			}
+		}
+		bh = bhs[i];
+
+		if (buffer_jbd(bh)) {
+			mlog(ML_ERROR,
+			     "trying to sync read a jbd "
+			     "managed bh (blocknr = %llu), skipping\n",
+			     (unsigned long long)bh->b_blocknr);
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		if (buffer_dirty(bh)) {
+			/* This should probably be a BUG, or
+			 * at least return an error. */
+			mlog(ML_ERROR,
+			     "trying to sync read a dirty "
+			     "buffer! (blocknr = %llu), skipping\n",
+			     (unsigned long long)bh->b_blocknr);
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		lock_buffer(bh);
+		if (buffer_jbd(bh)) {
+			mlog(ML_ERROR,
+			     "block %llu had the JBD bit set "
+			     "while I was in lock_buffer!",
+			     (unsigned long long)bh->b_blocknr);
+			BUG();
+		}
+
+		clear_buffer_uptodate(bh);
+		get_bh(bh); /* for end_buffer_read_sync() */
+		bh->b_end_io = end_buffer_read_sync;
+		submit_bh(READ, bh);
+	}
+
+	for (i = nr; i > 0; i--) {
+		bh = bhs[i - 1];
+
+		if (buffer_jbd(bh)) {
+			mlog(ML_ERROR,
+			     "the journal got the buffer while it was "
+			     "locked for io! (blocknr = %llu)\n",
+			     (unsigned long long)bh->b_blocknr);
+			BUG();
+		}
+
+		wait_on_buffer(bh);
+		if (!buffer_uptodate(bh)) {
+			/* Status won't be cleared from here on out,
+			 * so we can safely record this and loop back
+			 * to cleanup the other buffers. */
+			status = -EIO;
+			put_bh(bh);
+			bhs[i - 1] = NULL;
+		}
+	}
+
+bail:
+	return status;
+}
+
 int ocfs2_read_blocks(struct ocfs2_super *osb, u64 block, int nr,
 		      struct buffer_head *bhs[], int flags,
 		      struct inode *inode)
diff --git a/fs/ocfs2/buffer_head_io.h b/fs/ocfs2/buffer_head_io.h
index c2e78614c3e..71646b470ac 100644
--- a/fs/ocfs2/buffer_head_io.h
+++ b/fs/ocfs2/buffer_head_io.h
@@ -46,6 +46,8 @@ int ocfs2_read_blocks(struct ocfs2_super          *osb,
 		      struct buffer_head  *bhs[],
 		      int                  flags,
 		      struct inode        *inode);
+int ocfs2_read_blocks_sync(struct ocfs2_super *osb, u64 block,
+			   unsigned int nr, struct buffer_head *bhs[]);
 
 int ocfs2_write_super_or_backup(struct ocfs2_super *osb,
 				struct buffer_head *bh);
diff --git a/fs/ocfs2/inode.c b/fs/ocfs2/inode.c
index 05ad1186a16..52229703394 100644
--- a/fs/ocfs2/inode.c
+++ b/fs/ocfs2/inode.c
@@ -460,8 +460,11 @@ static int ocfs2_read_locked_inode(struct inode *inode,
 		}
 	}
 
-	status = ocfs2_read_block(osb, args->fi_blkno, &bh, 0,
-				  can_lock ? inode : NULL);
+	if (can_lock)
+		status = ocfs2_read_block(osb, args->fi_blkno, &bh, 0,
+					  inode);
+	else
+		status = ocfs2_read_blocks_sync(osb, args->fi_blkno, 1, &bh);
 	if (status < 0) {
 		mlog_errno(status);
 		goto bail;
diff --git a/fs/ocfs2/journal.c b/fs/ocfs2/journal.c
index 562ba652593..10c51b562be 100644
--- a/fs/ocfs2/journal.c
+++ b/fs/ocfs2/journal.c
@@ -850,9 +850,8 @@ static int ocfs2_force_read_journal(struct inode *inode)
 
 		/* We are reading journal data which should not
 		 * be put in the uptodate cache */
-		status = ocfs2_read_blocks(OCFS2_SB(inode->i_sb),
-					   p_blkno, p_blocks, bhs, 0,
-					   NULL);
+		status = ocfs2_read_blocks_sync(OCFS2_SB(inode->i_sb),
+						p_blkno, p_blocks, bhs);
 		if (status < 0) {
 			mlog_errno(status);
 			goto bail;
diff --git a/fs/ocfs2/resize.c b/fs/ocfs2/resize.c
index 8166968e901..472d854796c 100644
--- a/fs/ocfs2/resize.c
+++ b/fs/ocfs2/resize.c
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ static int update_backups(struct inode * inode, u32 clusters, char *data)
 		if (cluster > clusters)
 			break;
 
-		ret = ocfs2_read_block(osb, blkno, &backup, 0, NULL);
+		ret = ocfs2_read_blocks_sync(osb, blkno, 1, &backup);
 		if (ret < 0) {
 			mlog_errno(ret);
 			break;
@@ -236,8 +236,8 @@ static void ocfs2_update_super_and_backups(struct inode *inode,
 	 * update the superblock last.
 	 * It doesn't matter if the write failed.
 	 */
-	ret = ocfs2_read_block(osb, OCFS2_SUPER_BLOCK_BLKNO,
-			       &super_bh, 0, NULL);
+	ret = ocfs2_read_blocks_sync(osb, OCFS2_SUPER_BLOCK_BLKNO, 1,
+				     &super_bh);
 	if (ret < 0) {
 		mlog_errno(ret);
 		goto out;
@@ -540,7 +540,7 @@ int ocfs2_group_add(struct inode *inode, struct ocfs2_new_group_input *input)
 		goto out_unlock;
 	}
 
-	ret = ocfs2_read_block(osb, input->group, &group_bh, 0, NULL);
+	ret = ocfs2_read_blocks_sync(osb, input->group, 1, &group_bh);
 	if (ret < 0) {
 		mlog(ML_ERROR, "Can't read the group descriptor # %llu "
 		     "from the device.", (unsigned long long)input->group);