diff --git a/fs/ocfs2/suballoc.c b/fs/ocfs2/suballoc.c
index 4b9d0ecd0981..8e6e5235b30c 100644
--- a/fs/ocfs2/suballoc.c
+++ b/fs/ocfs2/suballoc.c
@@ -1993,6 +1993,16 @@ static int ocfs2_claim_suballoc_bits(struct ocfs2_alloc_context *ac,
 	}
 
 	cl = (struct ocfs2_chain_list *) &fe->id2.i_chain;
+	if (!le16_to_cpu(cl->cl_next_free_rec) ||
+	    le16_to_cpu(cl->cl_next_free_rec) > le16_to_cpu(cl->cl_count)) {
+		status = ocfs2_error(ac->ac_inode->i_sb,
+				     "Chain allocator dinode %llu has invalid next "
+				     "free chain record %u, but only %u total\n",
+				     (unsigned long long)le64_to_cpu(fe->i_blkno),
+				     le16_to_cpu(cl->cl_next_free_rec),
+				     le16_to_cpu(cl->cl_count));
+		goto bail;
+	}
 
 	victim = ocfs2_find_victim_chain(cl);
 	ac->ac_chain = victim;