diff --git a/fs/ntfs/attrlist.c b/fs/ntfs/attrlist.c
index afb13038ba42..be3086d34338 100644
--- a/fs/ntfs/attrlist.c
+++ b/fs/ntfs/attrlist.c
@@ -57,6 +57,15 @@ int ntfs_attrlist_update(struct ntfs_inode *base_ni)
 	struct ntfs_inode *attr_ni;
 	int err;
 
+	/*
+	 * generic_shutdown_super() clears SB_ACTIVE before evicting cached
+	 * inodes. Do not look up the attribute-list inode after SB_ACTIVE has
+	 * been cleared; it may already be I_FREEING, and waiting on it can
+	 * self-deadlock.
+	 */
+	if (!(VFS_I(base_ni)->i_sb->s_flags & SB_ACTIVE))
+		return -EIO;
+
 	attr_vi = ntfs_attr_iget(VFS_I(base_ni), AT_ATTRIBUTE_LIST, AT_UNNAMED, 0);
 	if (IS_ERR(attr_vi)) {
 		err = PTR_ERR(attr_vi);