diff --git a/fs/ext3/super.c b/fs/ext3/super.c
index 2fedaf8..23e7513 100644
--- a/fs/ext3/super.c
+++ b/fs/ext3/super.c
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@
 	struct block_device *bdev;
 	char b[BDEVNAME_SIZE];
 
-	bdev = open_by_devnum(dev, FMODE_READ|FMODE_WRITE);
+	bdev = open_by_devnum(dev, FMODE_READ|FMODE_WRITE|FMODE_EXCL, sb);
 	if (IS_ERR(bdev))
 		goto fail;
 	return bdev;
@@ -364,8 +364,7 @@
  */
 static int ext3_blkdev_put(struct block_device *bdev)
 {
-	bd_release(bdev);
-	return blkdev_put(bdev, FMODE_READ|FMODE_WRITE);
+	return blkdev_put(bdev, FMODE_READ|FMODE_WRITE|FMODE_EXCL);
 }
 
 static int ext3_blkdev_remove(struct ext3_sb_info *sbi)
@@ -2136,13 +2135,6 @@
 	if (bdev == NULL)
 		return NULL;
 
-	if (bd_claim(bdev, sb)) {
-		ext3_msg(sb, KERN_ERR,
-			"error: failed to claim external journal device");
-		blkdev_put(bdev, FMODE_READ|FMODE_WRITE);
-		return NULL;
-	}
-
 	blocksize = sb->s_blocksize;
 	hblock = bdev_logical_block_size(bdev);
 	if (blocksize < hblock) {