diff --git a/fs/ext4/inode.c b/fs/ext4/inode.c
index 26f0f9714f03..8dd3dc9e0217 100644
--- a/fs/ext4/inode.c
+++ b/fs/ext4/inode.c
@@ -6603,8 +6603,14 @@ static int ext4_try_to_expand_extra_isize(struct inode *inode,
 	 * When !SB_ACTIVE, iput triggers write_inode_now() which acquires
 	 * s_writepages_rwsem, causing a deadlock with the caller's active
 	 * jbd2 handle (lock order: s_writepages_rwsem -> jbd2_handle).
+	 *
+	 * Skip it while unmounting as well.  shrink_dcache_for_umount()
+	 * clears s_root before generic_shutdown_super() clears SB_ACTIVE, and
+	 * the last iput() of a lazytime inode in that window redirties it and
+	 * lands here.  Moving xattrs out to a block then needs a new EA inode,
+	 * which ext4_xattr_inode_create() refuses without s_root.
 	 */
-	if (unlikely(!(inode->i_sb->s_flags & SB_ACTIVE)))
+	if (unlikely(!(inode->i_sb->s_flags & SB_ACTIVE) || !inode->i_sb->s_root))
 		return -EBUSY;
 
 	/*