diff --git a/fs/ext2/ialloc.c b/fs/ext2/ialloc.c
index c4e81dfb74ba4f9a3604655d52a96f5832f75e6d..78502c166814f596c2fc5be589749d915c4e5076 100644
--- a/fs/ext2/ialloc.c
+++ b/fs/ext2/ialloc.c
@@ -573,8 +573,11 @@ struct inode *ext2_new_inode(struct inode *dir, int mode,
 	inode->i_generation = sbi->s_next_generation++;
 	spin_unlock(&sbi->s_next_gen_lock);
 	if (insert_inode_locked(inode) < 0) {
-		err = -EINVAL;
-		goto fail_drop;
+		ext2_error(sb, "ext2_new_inode",
+			   "inode number already in use - inode=%lu",
+			   (unsigned long) ino);
+		err = -EIO;
+		goto fail;
 	}
 
 	dquot_initialize(inode);