diff --git a/fs/gfs2/bmap.c b/fs/gfs2/bmap.c
index 84544a4f012d744dda1a22d74c2482e9ff000f61..8748539c04ede05696318bff610f4875037d9c31 100644
--- a/fs/gfs2/bmap.c
+++ b/fs/gfs2/bmap.c
@@ -1908,10 +1908,16 @@ static int punch_hole(struct gfs2_inode *ip, u64 offset, u64 length)
 			if (ret < 0)
 				goto out;
 
-			/* issue read-ahead on metadata */
-			if (mp.mp_aheight > 1) {
-				for (; ret > 1; ret--) {
-					metapointer_range(&mp, mp.mp_aheight - ret,
+			/* On the first pass, issue read-ahead on metadata. */
+			if (mp.mp_aheight > 1 && strip_h == ip->i_height - 1) {
+				unsigned int height = mp.mp_aheight - 1;
+
+				/* No read-ahead for data blocks. */
+				if (mp.mp_aheight - 1 == strip_h)
+					height--;
+
+				for (; height >= mp.mp_aheight - ret; height--) {
+					metapointer_range(&mp, height,
 							  start_list, start_aligned,
 							  end_list, end_aligned,
 							  &start, &end);