if (likely(conf->expand_progress == MaxSector))
                        disks = conf->raid_disks;
                else {
+                       /* spinlock is needed as expand_progress may be
+                        * 64bit on a 32bit platform, and so it might be
+                        * possible to see a half-updated value
+                        * Ofcourse expand_progress could change after
+                        * the lock is dropped, so once we get a reference
+                        * to the stripe that we think it is, we will have
+                        * to check again.
+                        */
                        spin_lock_irq(&conf->device_lock);
                        disks = conf->raid_disks;
                        if (logical_sector >= conf->expand_progress)
                if (sh) {
                        if (unlikely(conf->expand_progress != MaxSector)) {
                                /* expansion might have moved on while waiting for a
-                                * stripe, so we much do the range check again.
+                                * stripe, so we must do the range check again.
+                                * Expansion could still move past after this
+                                * test, but as we are holding a reference to
+                                * 'sh', we know that if that happens,
+                                *  STRIPE_EXPANDING will get set and the expansion
+                                * won't proceed until we finish with the stripe.
                                 */
                                int must_retry = 0;
                                spin_lock_irq(&conf->device_lock);