Hi Jan, I caught the following warning at this commit. Note that the head commit actually boots OK, so it may either be not 100% reproduciable, or get fixed somewhere in your patchset. tree: git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/viro/vfs.git for-next head: 06fd516c1a504828780fcd81dfe21f94dec4c868 commit: eb04c28288bb0098d0e75d81ba2a575239de71d8 [39/52] fs: Add freezing handling to mnt_want_write() / mnt_drop_write() [ 77.094286] ====================================================== [ 77.095752] [ INFO: possible circular locking dependency detected ] [ 77.096373] 3.5.0-rc6+ #137 Not tainted [ 77.096373] ------------------------------------------------------- [ 77.096373] S02mountkernfs./2795 is trying to acquire lock: [ 77.096373] (sb_writers#5){.+.+.+}, at: [] mnt_want_write+0x24/0x4b [ 77.096373] [ 77.096373] but task is already holding lock: [ 77.096373] (&sb->s_type->i_mutex_key#9){+.+.+.}, at: [] vfs_readdir+0x57/0xb5 [ 77.096373] [ 77.096373] which lock already depends on the new lock. [ 77.096373] [ 77.096373] [ 77.096373] the existing dependency chain (in reverse order) is: [ 77.096373] -> #1 (&sb->s_type->i_mutex_key#9){+.+.+.}: [ 77.096373] [] lock_acquire+0xd5/0x119 [ 77.096373] [] __mutex_lock_common+0x58/0x387 [ 77.096373] [] mutex_lock_nested+0x40/0x45 [ 77.096373] [] do_last+0x1dc/0xa42 [ 77.096373] [] path_openat+0xbf/0x32f [ 77.096373] [] do_filp_open+0x38/0x86 [ 77.096373] [] do_sys_open+0x6e/0xfb [ 77.096373] [] sys_open+0x21/0x23 [ 77.096373] [] system_call_fastpath+0x16/0x1b [ 77.096373] -> #0 (sb_writers#5){.+.+.+}: [ 77.096373] [] __lock_acquire+0x9b3/0xd17 [ 77.096373] [] lock_acquire+0xd5/0x119 [ 77.096373] [] __sb_start_write+0x112/0x162 [ 77.096373] [] mnt_want_write+0x24/0x4b [ 77.096373] [] touch_atime+0xf8/0x105 [ 77.096373] [] vfs_readdir+0x8e/0xb5 [ 77.096373] [] sys_getdents+0x7d/0xe4 [ 77.096373] [] system_call_fastpath+0x16/0x1b [ 77.096373] [ 77.096373] other info that might help us debug this: [ 77.096373] [ 77.096373] Possible unsafe locking scenario: [ 77.096373] [ 77.096373] CPU0 CPU1 [ 77.096373] ---- ---- [ 77.096373] lock(&sb->s_type->i_mutex_key#9); [ 77.096373] lock(sb_writers#5); [ 77.096373] lock(&sb->s_type->i_mutex_key#9); [ 77.096373] lock(sb_writers#5); [ 77.096373] [ 77.096373] *** DEADLOCK *** [ 77.096373] [ 77.096373] 1 lock held by S02mountkernfs./2795: [ 77.096373] #0: (&sb->s_type->i_mutex_key#9){+.+.+.}, at: [] vfs_readdir+0x57/0xb5 [ 77.096373] [ 77.096373] stack backtrace: [ 77.096373] Pid: 2795, comm: S02mountkernfs. Not tainted 3.5.0-rc6+ #137 [ 77.096373] Call Trace: [ 77.096373] [] print_circular_bug+0x1f8/0x209 [ 77.096373] [] __lock_acquire+0x9b3/0xd17 [ 77.096373] [] ? local_clock+0x3b/0x52 [ 77.096373] [] lock_acquire+0xd5/0x119 [ 77.096373] [] ? mnt_want_write+0x24/0x4b [ 77.096373] [] ? trace_hardirqs_off+0xd/0xf [ 77.096373] [] __sb_start_write+0x112/0x162 [ 77.096373] [] ? mnt_want_write+0x24/0x4b [ 77.096373] [] ? sys_ioctl+0x7b/0x7b [ 77.096373] [] mnt_want_write+0x24/0x4b [ 77.096373] [] touch_atime+0xf8/0x105 [ 77.096373] [] vfs_readdir+0x8e/0xb5 [ 77.096373] [] ? retint_swapgs+0x13/0x1b [ 77.096373] [] sys_getdents+0x7d/0xe4 [ 77.096373] [] system_call_fastpath+0x16/0x1b Thanks, Fengguang