--- x/fs/reiserfs/inode.c
+++ y/fs/reiserfs/inode.c
@@ -2263,8 +2263,6 @@ int reiserfs_truncate_file(struct inode
 	struct buffer_head *bh = NULL;
 	int err2;
 
-	reiserfs_write_lock(inode->i_sb);
-
 	if (inode->i_size > 0) {
 		error = grab_tail_page(inode, &page, &bh);
 		if (error) {
@@ -2282,6 +2280,8 @@ int reiserfs_truncate_file(struct inode
 		}
 	}
 
+	reiserfs_write_lock(inode->i_sb);
+
 	/*
 	 * so, if page != NULL, we have a buffer head for the offset at
 	 * the end of the file. if the bh is mapped, and bh->b_blocknr != 0,