diff --git a/fs/ext2/xattr.c b/fs/ext2/xattr.c
index e55d16abf422..5f49ec4afc36 100644
--- a/fs/ext2/xattr.c
+++ b/fs/ext2/xattr.c
@@ -779,16 +779,12 @@ ext2_xattr_set2(struct inode *inode, struct buffer_head *old_bh,
 	inode_set_ctime_current(inode);
 	if (IS_SYNC(inode)) {
 		error = sync_inode_metadata(inode, 1);
-		/* In case sync failed due to ENOSPC the inode was actually
-		 * written (only some dirty data were not) so we just proceed
-		 * as if nothing happened and cleanup the unused block */
-		if (error && error != -ENOSPC) {
-			if (new_bh && new_bh != old_bh) {
-				dquot_free_block_nodirty(inode, 1);
-				mark_inode_dirty(inode);
-			}
+		/*
+		 * Inode writeout failed. Backing everything out is complex so
+		 * let's just leave it for e2fsck to cleanup the mess.
+		 */
+		if (error)
 			goto cleanup;
-		}
 	} else
 		mark_inode_dirty(inode);