diff --git a/fs/netfs/objects.c b/fs/netfs/objects.c
index 7f6a3e912602..ad549daa9c79 100644
--- a/fs/netfs/objects.c
+++ b/fs/netfs/objects.c
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ struct netfs_io_request *netfs_alloc_request(struct address_space *mapping,
 
 		rreq = mempool_alloc(mempool, gfp);
 	} else {
-		rreq = mempool->alloc(gfp, mempool->pool_data);
+		rreq = mempool_alloc_noreserve(mempool, gfp);
 		if (!rreq)
 			return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
 	}
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ struct netfs_io_subrequest *netfs_alloc_subrequest(struct netfs_io_request *rreq
 	struct kmem_cache *cache = mempool->pool_data;
 
 	if (rreq->gfp == GFP_KERNEL)
-		subreq = mempool->alloc(rreq->gfp, mempool->pool_data);
+		subreq = mempool_alloc_noreserve(mempool, rreq->gfp);
 	else
 		subreq = mempool_alloc(mempool, rreq->gfp);
 	if (!subreq)
diff --git a/fs/netfs/rolling_buffer.c b/fs/netfs/rolling_buffer.c
index 424e77a9a109..d30d5ef6d86e 100644
--- a/fs/netfs/rolling_buffer.c
+++ b/fs/netfs/rolling_buffer.c
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ struct folio_queue *netfs_folioq_alloc(unsigned int rreq_id, gfp_t gfp,
 	struct folio_queue *fq;
 
 	if (gfp == GFP_KERNEL)
-		fq = netfs_folioq_pool.alloc(gfp, netfs_folioq_pool.pool_data);
+		fq = mempool_alloc_noreserve(&netfs_folioq_pool, gfp);
 	else
 		fq = mempool_alloc(&netfs_folioq_pool, gfp);
 	if (fq) {
diff --git a/include/linux/mempool.h b/include/linux/mempool.h
index a0fa6d43e0dc..6da502aef2f7 100644
--- a/include/linux/mempool.h
+++ b/include/linux/mempool.h
@@ -70,6 +70,13 @@ int mempool_alloc_bulk_noprof(struct mempool *pool, void **elem,
 #define mempool_alloc_bulk(...)						\
 	alloc_hooks(mempool_alloc_bulk_noprof(__VA_ARGS__))
 
+/*
+ * Allocate a new element without dipping into the pool's reserves or
+ * waiting.  Returns NULL on failure.
+ */
+#define mempool_alloc_noreserve(_pool, _gfp)				\
+	alloc_hooks((_pool)->alloc(_gfp, (_pool)->pool_data))
+
 void *mempool_alloc_preallocated(struct mempool *pool) __malloc;
 void mempool_free(void *element, struct mempool *pool);
 unsigned int mempool_free_bulk(struct mempool *pool, void **elem,