diff --git a/fs/jfs/namei.c b/fs/jfs/namei.c
index 60c4a0e0fca5..25b303276b82 100644
--- a/fs/jfs/namei.c
+++ b/fs/jfs/namei.c
@@ -97,6 +97,10 @@ static int jfs_create(struct mnt_idmap *idmap, struct inode *dip,
 	}
 
 	tid = txBegin(dip->i_sb, 0);
+	if (tid == 0) {
+		jfs_err("jfs_create: unable to create tblk due to read only filesystem");
+		return -EROFS;
+	}
 
 	mutex_lock_nested(&JFS_IP(dip)->commit_mutex, COMMIT_MUTEX_PARENT);
 	mutex_lock_nested(&JFS_IP(ip)->commit_mutex, COMMIT_MUTEX_CHILD);