diff --git a/fs/ocfs2/namei.c b/fs/ocfs2/namei.c
index 714320e420eb..ab42c38031b1 100644
--- a/fs/ocfs2/namei.c
+++ b/fs/ocfs2/namei.c
@@ -2372,6 +2372,15 @@ int ocfs2_orphan_del(struct ocfs2_super *osb,
 	     (unsigned long long)OCFS2_I(orphan_dir_inode)->ip_blkno,
 	     name, strlen(name));
 
+	status = ocfs2_journal_access_di(handle,
+					 INODE_CACHE(orphan_dir_inode),
+					 orphan_dir_bh,
+					 OCFS2_JOURNAL_ACCESS_WRITE);
+	if (status < 0) {
+		mlog_errno(status);
+		goto leave;
+	}
+
 	/* find it's spot in the orphan directory */
 	status = ocfs2_find_entry(name, strlen(name), orphan_dir_inode,
 				  &lookup);
@@ -2387,15 +2396,6 @@ int ocfs2_orphan_del(struct ocfs2_super *osb,
 		goto leave;
 	}
 
-	status = ocfs2_journal_access_di(handle,
-					 INODE_CACHE(orphan_dir_inode),
-					 orphan_dir_bh,
-					 OCFS2_JOURNAL_ACCESS_WRITE);
-	if (status < 0) {
-		mlog_errno(status);
-		goto leave;
-	}
-
 	/* do the i_nlink dance! :) */
 	orphan_fe = (struct ocfs2_dinode *) orphan_dir_bh->b_data;
 	if (S_ISDIR(inode->i_mode))