diff --git a/fs/nilfs2/the_nilfs.c b/fs/nilfs2/the_nilfs.c
index aea2b58ba03..890a8d3886c 100644
--- a/fs/nilfs2/the_nilfs.c
+++ b/fs/nilfs2/the_nilfs.c
@@ -261,16 +261,12 @@ int load_nilfs(struct the_nilfs *nilfs, struct nilfs_sb_info *sbi)
 	struct nilfs_recovery_info ri;
 	unsigned int s_flags = sbi->s_super->s_flags;
 	int really_read_only = bdev_read_only(nilfs->ns_bdev);
-	unsigned valid_fs;
+	int valid_fs = nilfs_valid_fs(nilfs);
 	int err;
 
 	if (nilfs_loaded(nilfs))
 		return 0;
 
-	down_write(&nilfs->ns_sem);
-	valid_fs = (nilfs->ns_mount_state & NILFS_VALID_FS);
-	up_write(&nilfs->ns_sem);
-
 	if (!valid_fs) {
 		printk(KERN_WARNING "NILFS warning: mounting unchecked fs\n");
 		if (s_flags & MS_RDONLY) {
diff --git a/fs/nilfs2/the_nilfs.h b/fs/nilfs2/the_nilfs.h
index 20abd55881e..589786e3346 100644
--- a/fs/nilfs2/the_nilfs.h
+++ b/fs/nilfs2/the_nilfs.h
@@ -258,6 +258,16 @@ static inline void nilfs_put_sbinfo(struct nilfs_sb_info *sbi)
 		kfree(sbi);
 }
 
+static inline int nilfs_valid_fs(struct the_nilfs *nilfs)
+{
+	unsigned valid_fs;
+
+	down_read(&nilfs->ns_sem);
+	valid_fs = (nilfs->ns_mount_state & NILFS_VALID_FS);
+	up_read(&nilfs->ns_sem);
+	return valid_fs;
+}
+
 static inline void
 nilfs_get_segment_range(struct the_nilfs *nilfs, __u64 segnum,
 			sector_t *seg_start, sector_t *seg_end)