write_lock+0x28/0x40 which lock already depends on the new lock. the existing dependency chain (in reverse order) is: -> #1 (&REISERFS_SB(s)->lock){+.+.+.}: [] validate_chain+0xa23/0xf70 [] __lock_acquire+0x4e5/0xa70 [] lock_acquire+0x7a/0xa0 [] mutex_lock_nested+0x5f/0x2b0 [] reiserfs_write_lock+0x28/0x40 [] do_journal_begin_r+0x6b/0x2f0 [] journal_begin+0x7f/0x120 [] reiserfs_remount+0x212/0x4d0 [] do_remount_sb+0x67/0x140 [] do_mount+0x436/0x6b0 [] sys_mount+0x66/0xa0 [] sysenter_do_call+0x12/0x36 -> #0 (&journal->j_mutex){+.+...}: [] validate_chain+0xf68/0xf70 [] __lock_acquire+0x4e5/0xa70 [] lock_acquire+0x7a/0xa0 [] mutex_lock_nested+0x5f/0x2b0 [] do_journal_begin_r+0x64/0x2f0 [] journal_begin+0x7f/0x120 [] reiserfs_delete_inode+0x9f/0x140 [] generic_delete_inode+0x9c/0x150 [] generic_drop_inode+0x3d/0x60 [] iput+0x47/0x50 [] reiserfs_create+0x16c/0x1c0 [] vfs_create+0xc1/0x130 [] do_filp_open+0x81c/0x920 [] do_sys_open+0x4f/0x110 [] sys_open+0x29/0x40 [] sysenter_do_call+0x12/0x36 other info that might help us debug this: 2 locks held by vi/23454: #0: (&sb->s_type->i_mutex_key#5){+.+.+.}, at: [] do_filp_open+0x27e/0x920 #1: (&REISERFS_SB(s)->lock){+.+.+.}, at: [] reiserfs_write_lock+0x28/0x40 stack backtrace: Pid: 23454, comm: vi Not tainted 2.6.32-06486-g053fe57 #2 Call Trace: [] ? printk+0x18/0x1e [] print_circular_bug+0xc0/0xd0 [] validate_chain+0xf68/0xf70 [] ? trace_hardirqs_off+0xb/0x10 [] __lock_acquire+0x4e5/0xa70 [] lock_acquire+0x7a/0xa0 [] ? do_journal_begin_r+0x64/0x2f0 [] mutex_lock_nested+0x5f/0x2b0 [] ? do_journal_begin_r+0x64/0x2f0 [] ? do_journal_begin_r+0x64/0x2f0 [] ? delete_one_xattr+0x0/0x1c0 [] do_journal_begin_r+0x64/0x2f0 [] journal_begin+0x7f/0x120 [] ? reiserfs_delete_xattrs+0x15/0x50 [] reiserfs_delete_inode+0x9f/0x140 [] ? generic_delete_inode+0x5f/0x150 [] ? reiserfs_delete_inode+0x0/0x140 [] generic_delete_inode+0x9c/0x150 [] generic_drop_inode+0x3d/0x60 [] iput+0x47/0x50 [] reiserfs_create+0x16c/0x1c0 [] ? inode_permission+0x7d/0xa0 [] vfs_create+0xc1/0x130 [] ? reiserfs_create+0x0/0x1c0 [] do_filp_open+0x81c/0x920 [] ? trace_hardirqs_off+0xb/0x10 [] ? _spin_unlock+0x1d/0x20 [] ? alloc_fd+0xba/0xf0 [] do_sys_open+0x4f/0x110 [] sys_open+0x29/0x40 [] sysenter_do_call+0x12/0x36 To fix this, use reiserfs_lock_once() from reiserfs_delete_inode() which prevents from adding reiserfs lock recursion. Reported-by: Alexander Beregalov Signed-off-by: Frederic Weisbecker Cc: Chris Mason Cc: Ingo Molnar Cc: Thomas Gleixner ņE