1 << inode->i_blkbits,
                                                        offset + len,
                                                        &alloc_hint);
-
-                       if (ret < 0) {
-                               free_extent_map(em);
-                               break;
-                       }
                } else if (actual_end > inode->i_size &&
                           !(mode & FALLOC_FL_KEEP_SIZE)) {
+                       struct btrfs_trans_handle *trans;
+
                        /*
                         * We didn't need to allocate any more space, but we
                         * still extended the size of the file so we need to
-                        * update i_size.
+                        * update i_size and the inode item.
                         */
-                       inode->i_ctime = CURRENT_TIME;
-                       i_size_write(inode, actual_end);
-                       btrfs_ordered_update_i_size(inode, actual_end, NULL);
+                       trans = btrfs_start_transaction(root, 1);
+                       if (IS_ERR(trans)) {
+                               ret = PTR_ERR(trans);
+                       } else {
+                               inode->i_ctime = CURRENT_TIME;
+                               i_size_write(inode, actual_end);
+                               btrfs_ordered_update_i_size(inode, actual_end,
+                                                           NULL);
+                               ret = btrfs_update_inode(trans, root, inode);
+                               if (ret)
+                                       btrfs_end_transaction(trans, root);
+                               else
+                                       ret = btrfs_end_transaction(trans,
+                                                                   root);
+                       }
                }
                free_extent_map(em);
+               if (ret < 0)
+                       break;
 
                cur_offset = last_byte;
                if (cur_offset >= alloc_end) {