diff --git a/fs/ext4/xattr.c b/fs/ext4/xattr.c
index b6bdb253ad3400a9ad3806376eb6828d60ebbc08..6ef8820625b9f6b98f3e8e61e51f7a1f5c4362fb 100644
--- a/fs/ext4/xattr.c
+++ b/fs/ext4/xattr.c
@@ -1033,7 +1033,7 @@ static int ext4_xattr_inode_update_ref(handle_t *handle, struct inode *ea_inode,
 				       int ref_change)
 {
 	struct ext4_iloc iloc;
-	s64 ref_count;
+	u64 ref_count;
 	int ret;
 
 	inode_lock_nested(ea_inode, I_MUTEX_XATTR);
@@ -1043,13 +1043,17 @@ static int ext4_xattr_inode_update_ref(handle_t *handle, struct inode *ea_inode,
 		goto out;
 
 	ref_count = ext4_xattr_inode_get_ref(ea_inode);
+	if ((ref_count == 0 && ref_change < 0) || (ref_count == U64_MAX && ref_change > 0)) {
+		ext4_error_inode(ea_inode, __func__, __LINE__, 0,
+			"EA inode %lu ref wraparound: ref_count=%lld ref_change=%d",
+			ea_inode->i_ino, ref_count, ref_change);
+		ret = -EFSCORRUPTED;
+		goto out;
+	}
 	ref_count += ref_change;
 	ext4_xattr_inode_set_ref(ea_inode, ref_count);
 
 	if (ref_change > 0) {
-		WARN_ONCE(ref_count <= 0, "EA inode %lu ref_count=%lld",
-			  ea_inode->i_ino, ref_count);
-
 		if (ref_count == 1) {
 			WARN_ONCE(ea_inode->i_nlink, "EA inode %lu i_nlink=%u",
 				  ea_inode->i_ino, ea_inode->i_nlink);
@@ -1058,9 +1062,6 @@ static int ext4_xattr_inode_update_ref(handle_t *handle, struct inode *ea_inode,
 			ext4_orphan_del(handle, ea_inode);
 		}
 	} else {
-		WARN_ONCE(ref_count < 0, "EA inode %lu ref_count=%lld",
-			  ea_inode->i_ino, ref_count);
-
 		if (ref_count == 0) {
 			WARN_ONCE(ea_inode->i_nlink != 1,
 				  "EA inode %lu i_nlink=%u",