diff --git a/fs/ext3/balloc.c b/fs/ext3/balloc.c
index a8ba7e8..a26e683 100644
--- a/fs/ext3/balloc.c
+++ b/fs/ext3/balloc.c
@@ -80,13 +80,57 @@
 	return desc + offset;
 }
 
+static int ext3_valid_block_bitmap(struct super_block *sb,
+					struct ext3_group_desc *desc,
+					unsigned int block_group,
+					struct buffer_head *bh)
+{
+	ext3_grpblk_t offset;
+	ext3_grpblk_t next_zero_bit;
+	ext3_fsblk_t bitmap_blk;
+	ext3_fsblk_t group_first_block;
+
+	group_first_block = ext3_group_first_block_no(sb, block_group);
+
+	/* check whether block bitmap block number is set */
+	bitmap_blk = le32_to_cpu(desc->bg_block_bitmap);
+	offset = bitmap_blk - group_first_block;
+	if (!ext3_test_bit(offset, bh->b_data))
+		/* bad block bitmap */
+		goto err_out;
+
+	/* check whether the inode bitmap block number is set */
+	bitmap_blk = le32_to_cpu(desc->bg_inode_bitmap);
+	offset = bitmap_blk - group_first_block;
+	if (!ext3_test_bit(offset, bh->b_data))
+		/* bad block bitmap */
+		goto err_out;
+
+	/* check whether the inode table block number is set */
+	bitmap_blk = le32_to_cpu(desc->bg_inode_table);
+	offset = bitmap_blk - group_first_block;
+	next_zero_bit = ext3_find_next_zero_bit(bh->b_data,
+				offset + EXT3_SB(sb)->s_itb_per_group,
+				offset);
+	if (next_zero_bit >= offset + EXT3_SB(sb)->s_itb_per_group)
+		/* good bitmap for inode tables */
+		return 1;
+
+err_out:
+	ext3_error(sb, __FUNCTION__,
+			"Invalid block bitmap - "
+			"block_group = %d, block = %lu",
+			block_group, bitmap_blk);
+	return 0;
+}
+
 /**
  * read_block_bitmap()
  * @sb:			super block
  * @block_group:	given block group
  *
- * Read the bitmap for a given block_group, reading into the specified
- * slot in the superblock's bitmap cache.
+ * Read the bitmap for a given block_group,and validate the
+ * bits for block/inode/inode tables are set in the bitmaps
  *
  * Return buffer_head on success or NULL in case of failure.
  */
@@ -95,17 +139,35 @@
 {
 	struct ext3_group_desc * desc;
 	struct buffer_head * bh = NULL;
+	ext3_fsblk_t bitmap_blk;
 
-	desc = ext3_get_group_desc (sb, block_group, NULL);
+	desc = ext3_get_group_desc(sb, block_group, NULL);
 	if (!desc)
-		goto error_out;
-	bh = sb_bread(sb, le32_to_cpu(desc->bg_block_bitmap));
-	if (!bh)
-		ext3_error (sb, "read_block_bitmap",
+		return NULL;
+	bitmap_blk = le32_to_cpu(desc->bg_block_bitmap);
+	bh = sb_getblk(sb, bitmap_blk);
+	if (unlikely(!bh)) {
+		ext3_error(sb, __FUNCTION__,
 			    "Cannot read block bitmap - "
 			    "block_group = %d, block_bitmap = %u",
 			    block_group, le32_to_cpu(desc->bg_block_bitmap));
-error_out:
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	if (likely(bh_uptodate_or_lock(bh)))
+		return bh;
+
+	if (bh_submit_read(bh) < 0) {
+		brelse(bh);
+		ext3_error(sb, __FUNCTION__,
+			    "Cannot read block bitmap - "
+			    "block_group = %d, block_bitmap = %u",
+			    block_group, le32_to_cpu(desc->bg_block_bitmap));
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	if (!ext3_valid_block_bitmap(sb, desc, block_group, bh)) {
+		brelse(bh);
+		return NULL;
+	}
 	return bh;
 }
 /*