diff --git a/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/bfs/BlockAllocator.cpp b/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/bfs/BlockAllocator.cpp
index 10149149e7..78758c5edd 100644
--- a/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/bfs/BlockAllocator.cpp
+++ b/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/bfs/BlockAllocator.cpp
@@ -1116,14 +1116,20 @@ BlockAllocator::StartChecking(check_control* control)
 	if (!_IsValidCheckControl(control))
 		return B_BAD_VALUE;
 
+	fVolume->GetJournal(0)->Lock(NULL, true);
+		// Lock the volume's journal
+
 	status_t status = mutex_lock(&fLock);
-	if (status < B_OK)
+	if (status < B_OK) {
+		fVolume->GetJournal(0)->Unlock(NULL, true);
 		return status;
+	}
 
 	size_t size = BitmapSize();
 	fCheckBitmap = (uint32*)malloc(size);
 	if (fCheckBitmap == NULL) {
 		mutex_unlock(&fLock);
+		fVolume->GetJournal(0)->Unlock(NULL, true);
 		return B_NO_MEMORY;
 	}
 
@@ -1132,6 +1138,7 @@ BlockAllocator::StartChecking(check_control* control)
 		free(fCheckBitmap);
 		fCheckBitmap = NULL;
 		mutex_unlock(&fLock);
+		fVolume->GetJournal(0)->Unlock(NULL, true);
 
 		return B_NO_MEMORY;
 	}
@@ -1209,7 +1216,7 @@ BlockAllocator::StopChecking(check_control* control)
 				= HOST_ENDIAN_TO_BFS_INT64(usedBlocks);
 
 			int32 blocksInBitmap = fNumGroups * fBlocksPerGroup;
-			int32 blockSize = fVolume->BlockSize();
+			size_t blockSize = fVolume->BlockSize();
 
 			for (int32 i = 0; i < blocksInBitmap; i += 512) {
 				Transaction transaction(fVolume, 1 + i);
@@ -1235,6 +1242,7 @@ BlockAllocator::StopChecking(check_control* control)
 	fCheckCookie = NULL;
 	delete cookie;
 	mutex_unlock(&fLock);
+	fVolume->GetJournal(0)->Unlock(NULL, true);
 
 	return B_OK;
 }
diff --git a/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/bfs/Journal.cpp b/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/bfs/Journal.cpp
index 9b6f9c5a50..157b30fab1 100644
--- a/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/bfs/Journal.cpp
+++ b/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/bfs/Journal.cpp
@@ -403,7 +403,8 @@ Journal::Journal(Volume* volume)
 	fMaxTransactionSize(fLogSize / 2 - 5),
 	fUsed(0),
 	fUnwrittenTransactions(0),
-	fHasSubtransaction(false)
+	fHasSubtransaction(false),
+	fSeparateSubTransactions(false)
 {
 	recursive_lock_init(&fLock, "bfs journal");
 	mutex_init(&fEntriesLock, "bfs journal entries");
@@ -909,17 +910,20 @@ Journal::FlushLogAndBlocks()
 
 
 status_t
-Journal::Lock(Transaction* owner)
+Journal::Lock(Transaction* owner, bool separateSubTransactions)
 {
 	status_t status = recursive_lock_lock(&fLock);
 	if (status != B_OK)
 		return status;
 
-	if (recursive_lock_get_recursion(&fLock) > 1) {
+	if (!fSeparateSubTransactions && recursive_lock_get_recursion(&fLock) > 1) {
 		// we'll just use the current transaction again
 		return B_OK;
 	}
 
+	if (separateSubTransactions)
+		fSeparateSubTransactions = true;
+
 	fOwner = owner;
 
 	// TODO: we need a way to find out how big the current transaction is;
@@ -951,13 +955,18 @@ Journal::Lock(Transaction* owner)
 void
 Journal::Unlock(Transaction* owner, bool success)
 {
-	if (recursive_lock_get_recursion(&fLock) == 1) {
+	if (fSeparateSubTransactions || recursive_lock_get_recursion(&fLock) == 1) {
 		// we only end the transaction if we would really unlock it
 		// TODO: what about failing transactions that do not unlock?
+		// (they must make the parent fail, too)
 		_TransactionDone(success);
 
 		fTimestamp = system_time();
 		fOwner = NULL;
+
+		if (fSeparateSubTransactions
+			&& recursive_lock_get_recursion(&fLock) == 1)
+			fSeparateSubTransactions = false;
 	}
 
 	recursive_lock_unlock(&fLock);
@@ -1061,7 +1070,7 @@ Transaction::Start(Volume* volume, off_t refBlock)
 		return B_OK;
 
 	fJournal = volume->GetJournal(refBlock);
-	if (fJournal != NULL && fJournal->Lock(this) == B_OK)
+	if (fJournal != NULL && fJournal->Lock(this, false) == B_OK)
 		return B_OK;
 
 	fJournal = NULL;
diff --git a/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/bfs/Journal.h b/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/bfs/Journal.h
index 5ebf1ccb2a..d6bc01cede 100644
--- a/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/bfs/Journal.h
+++ b/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/bfs/Journal.h
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@ public:
 
 			status_t		InitCheck();
 
-			status_t		Lock(Transaction* owner);
+			status_t		Lock(Transaction* owner,
+								bool separateSubTransactions);
 			void			Unlock(Transaction* owner, bool success);
 
 			status_t		ReplayLog();
@@ -69,6 +70,7 @@ private:
 			bigtime_t		fTimestamp;
 			int32			fTransactionID;
 			bool			fHasSubtransaction;
+			bool			fSeparateSubTransactions;
 };