diff --git a/drivers/i2c/i2c-core.c b/drivers/i2c/i2c-core.c
index 7ca81f42d14bfd7c1ab5834b2a6cb853587259a9..79eaa12474ddc06737709584c96ebaea4eb84e12 100644
--- a/drivers/i2c/i2c-core.c
+++ b/drivers/i2c/i2c-core.c
@@ -603,7 +603,7 @@ int i2c_transfer(struct i2c_adapter * adap, struct i2c_msg *msgs, int num)
 		}
 #endif
 
-		mutex_lock(&adap->bus_lock);
+		mutex_lock_nested(&adap->bus_lock, adap->level);
 		ret = adap->algo->master_xfer(adap,msgs,num);
 		mutex_unlock(&adap->bus_lock);
 
diff --git a/include/linux/i2c.h b/include/linux/i2c.h
index 9b5d04768c2c103b1b745ab329ce3e19ded36e1d..08df4169b41161facb80ed9279a7650430a269fc 100644
--- a/include/linux/i2c.h
+++ b/include/linux/i2c.h
@@ -216,6 +216,7 @@ struct i2c_adapter {
 	int (*client_unregister)(struct i2c_client *);
 
 	/* data fields that are valid for all devices	*/
+	u8 level; 			/* nesting level for lockdep */
 	struct mutex bus_lock;
 	struct mutex clist_lock;