diff --git a/fs/ext4/xattr.c b/fs/ext4/xattr.c
index 5a6fe1513fd2..a056f98579c3 100644
--- a/fs/ext4/xattr.c
+++ b/fs/ext4/xattr.c
@@ -1030,6 +1030,13 @@ static int ext4_xattr_inode_update_ref(handle_t *handle, struct inode *ea_inode,
 
 	ref_count = ext4_xattr_inode_get_ref(ea_inode);
 	ref_count += ref_change;
+	if (ref_count < 0) {
+		ext4_error_inode(ea_inode, __func__, __LINE__, 0,
+				"EA inode %lu ref underflow: ref_count=%lld ref_change=%d",
+				ea_inode->i_ino, ref_count, ref_change);
+		ret = -EFSCORRUPTED;
+		goto out;
+	}
 	ext4_xattr_inode_set_ref(ea_inode, ref_count);
 
 	if (ref_change > 0) {
@@ -1044,9 +1051,6 @@ static int ext4_xattr_inode_update_ref(handle_t *handle, struct inode *ea_inode,
 			ext4_orphan_del(handle, ea_inode);
 		}
 	} else {
-		WARN_ONCE(ref_count < 0, "EA inode %lu ref_count=%lld",
-			  ea_inode->i_ino, ref_count);
-
 		if (ref_count == 0) {
 			WARN_ONCE(ea_inode->i_nlink != 1,
 				  "EA inode %lu i_nlink=%u",