diff --git a/fs/ext4/mballoc.c b/fs/ext4/mballoc.c
index 6ba43082414c..0cf009940c50 100644
--- a/fs/ext4/mballoc.c
+++ b/fs/ext4/mballoc.c
@@ -892,6 +892,21 @@ mb_update_avg_fragment_size(struct super_block *sb, struct ext4_group_info *grp)
 	}
 }
 
+static ext4_group_t ext4_get_allocation_groups_count(
+				struct ext4_allocation_context *ac)
+{
+	ext4_group_t ngroups = ext4_get_groups_count(ac->ac_sb);
+
+	/* non-extent files are limited to low blocks/groups */
+	if (!(ext4_test_inode_flag(ac->ac_inode, EXT4_INODE_EXTENTS)))
+		ngroups = EXT4_SB(ac->ac_sb)->s_blockfile_groups;
+
+	/* Pairs with smp_wmb() in ext4_update_super() */
+	smp_rmb();
+
+	return ngroups;
+}
+
 static int ext4_mb_scan_groups_xa_range(struct ext4_allocation_context *ac,
 					struct xarray *xa,
 					ext4_group_t start, ext4_group_t end)
@@ -899,7 +914,7 @@ static int ext4_mb_scan_groups_xa_range(struct ext4_allocation_context *ac,
 	struct super_block *sb = ac->ac_sb;
 	struct ext4_sb_info *sbi = EXT4_SB(sb);
 	enum criteria cr = ac->ac_criteria;
-	ext4_group_t ngroups = ext4_get_groups_count(sb);
+	ext4_group_t ngroups = ext4_get_allocation_groups_count(ac);
 	unsigned long group = start;
 	struct ext4_group_info *grp;
 
@@ -951,7 +966,7 @@ static int ext4_mb_scan_groups_p2_aligned(struct ext4_allocation_context *ac,
 	ext4_group_t start, end;
 
 	start = group;
-	end = ext4_get_groups_count(ac->ac_sb);
+	end = ext4_get_allocation_groups_count(ac);
 wrap_around:
 	for (i = ac->ac_2order; i < MB_NUM_ORDERS(ac->ac_sb); i++) {
 		ret = ext4_mb_scan_groups_largest_free_order_range(ac, i,
@@ -1001,7 +1016,7 @@ static int ext4_mb_scan_groups_goal_fast(struct ext4_allocation_context *ac,
 	ext4_group_t start, end;
 
 	start = group;
-	end = ext4_get_groups_count(ac->ac_sb);
+	end = ext4_get_allocation_groups_count(ac);
 wrap_around:
 	i = mb_avg_fragment_size_order(ac->ac_sb, ac->ac_g_ex.fe_len);
 	for (; i < MB_NUM_ORDERS(ac->ac_sb); i++) {
@@ -1083,7 +1098,7 @@ static int ext4_mb_scan_groups_best_avail(struct ext4_allocation_context *ac,
 		min_order = fls(ac->ac_o_ex.fe_len);
 
 	start = group;
-	end = ext4_get_groups_count(ac->ac_sb);
+	end = ext4_get_allocation_groups_count(ac);
 wrap_around:
 	for (i = order; i >= min_order; i--) {
 		int frag_order;
@@ -1182,11 +1197,7 @@ static int ext4_mb_scan_groups(struct ext4_allocation_context *ac)
 	int ret = 0;
 	ext4_group_t start;
 	struct ext4_sb_info *sbi = EXT4_SB(ac->ac_sb);
-	ext4_group_t ngroups = ext4_get_groups_count(ac->ac_sb);
-
-	/* non-extent files are limited to low blocks/groups */
-	if (!(ext4_test_inode_flag(ac->ac_inode, EXT4_INODE_EXTENTS)))
-		ngroups = sbi->s_blockfile_groups;
+	ext4_group_t ngroups = ext4_get_allocation_groups_count(ac);
 
 	/* searching for the right group start from the goal value specified */
 	start = ac->ac_g_ex.fe_group;