diff --git a/fs/reiserfs/lock.c b/fs/reiserfs/lock.c
index cdd8d9e..cb1bba3 100644
--- a/fs/reiserfs/lock.c
+++ b/fs/reiserfs/lock.c
@@ -50,6 +50,32 @@
 }
 
 /*
+ * If we already own the lock, just exit and don't increase the depth.
+ * Useful when we don't want to lock more than once.
+ *
+ * We always return the lock_depth we had before calling
+ * this function.
+ */
+int reiserfs_write_lock_once(struct super_block *s)
+{
+	struct reiserfs_sb_info *sb_i = REISERFS_SB(s);
+
+	if (sb_i->lock_owner != current) {
+		mutex_lock(&sb_i->lock);
+		sb_i->lock_owner = current;
+		return sb_i->lock_depth++;
+	}
+
+	return sb_i->lock_depth;
+}
+
+void reiserfs_write_unlock_once(struct super_block *s, int lock_depth)
+{
+	if (lock_depth == -1)
+		reiserfs_write_unlock(s);
+}
+
+/*
  * Utility function to force a BUG if it is called without the superblock
  * write lock held.  caller is the string printed just before calling BUG()
  */