diff --git a/fs/ext4/readpage.c b/fs/ext4/readpage.c
index a30b203fa461..a5f55fece9b0 100644
--- a/fs/ext4/readpage.c
+++ b/fs/ext4/readpage.c
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ enum bio_post_read_step {
 	STEP_INITIAL = 0,
 	STEP_DECRYPT,
 	STEP_VERITY,
+	STEP_MAX,
 };
 
 struct bio_post_read_ctx {
@@ -106,10 +107,22 @@ static void verity_work(struct work_struct *work)
 {
 	struct bio_post_read_ctx *ctx =
 		container_of(work, struct bio_post_read_ctx, work);
+	struct bio *bio = ctx->bio;
 
-	fsverity_verify_bio(ctx->bio);
+	/*
+	 * fsverity_verify_bio() may call readpages() again, and although verity
+	 * will be disabled for that, decryption may still be needed, causing
+	 * another bio_post_read_ctx to be allocated.  So to guarantee that
+	 * mempool_alloc() never deadlocks we must free the current ctx first.
+	 * This is safe because verity is the last post-read step.
+	 */
+	BUILD_BUG_ON(STEP_VERITY + 1 != STEP_MAX);
+	mempool_free(ctx, bio_post_read_ctx_pool);
+	bio->bi_private = NULL;
 
-	bio_post_read_processing(ctx);
+	fsverity_verify_bio(bio);
+
+	__read_end_io(bio);
 }
 
 static void bio_post_read_processing(struct bio_post_read_ctx *ctx)