diff --git a/fs/btrfs/inode.c b/fs/btrfs/inode.c
index a00052bb194d..5a58042a404b 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/inode.c
+++ b/fs/btrfs/inode.c
@@ -1128,6 +1128,28 @@ static u64 get_extent_allocation_hint(struct btrfs_inode *inode, u64 start,
  * *page_started is set to one if we unlock locked_page and do everything
  * required to start IO on it.  It may be clean and already done with
  * IO when we return.
+ *
+ * When unlock == 1, we unlock the pages in successfully allocated regions.
+ * When unlock == 0, we leave them locked for writing them out.
+ *
+ * However, we unlock all the pages except @locked_page in case of failure.
+ *
+ * In summary, page locking state will be as follow:
+ *
+ * - page_started == 1 (return value)
+ *     - All the pages are unlocked. IO is started.
+ *     - Note that this can happen only on success
+ * - unlock == 1
+ *     - All the pages except @locked_page are unlocked in any case
+ * - unlock == 0
+ *     - On success, all the pages are locked for writing out them
+ *     - On failure, all the pages except @locked_page are unlocked
+ *
+ * When a failure happens in the second or later iteration of the
+ * while-loop, the ordered extents created in previous iterations are kept
+ * intact. So, the caller must clean them up by calling
+ * btrfs_cleanup_ordered_extents(). See btrfs_run_delalloc_range() for
+ * example.
  */
 static noinline int cow_file_range(struct btrfs_inode *inode,
 				   struct page *locked_page,
@@ -1137,6 +1159,7 @@ static noinline int cow_file_range(struct btrfs_inode *inode,
 	struct btrfs_root *root = inode->root;
 	struct btrfs_fs_info *fs_info = root->fs_info;
 	u64 alloc_hint = 0;
+	u64 orig_start = start;
 	u64 num_bytes;
 	unsigned long ram_size;
 	u64 cur_alloc_size = 0;
@@ -1324,18 +1347,44 @@ out_reserve:
 	btrfs_dec_block_group_reservations(fs_info, ins.objectid);
 	btrfs_free_reserved_extent(fs_info, ins.objectid, ins.offset, 1);
 out_unlock:
+	/*
+	 * Now, we have three regions to clean up:
+	 *
+	 * |-------(1)----|---(2)---|-------------(3)----------|
+	 * `- orig_start  `- start  `- start + cur_alloc_size  `- end
+	 *
+	 * We process each region below.
+	 */
+
 	clear_bits = EXTENT_LOCKED | EXTENT_DELALLOC | EXTENT_DELALLOC_NEW |
 		EXTENT_DEFRAG | EXTENT_CLEAR_META_RESV;
 	page_ops = PAGE_UNLOCK | PAGE_START_WRITEBACK | PAGE_END_WRITEBACK;
+
 	/*
-	 * If we reserved an extent for our delalloc range (or a subrange) and
-	 * failed to create the respective ordered extent, then it means that
-	 * when we reserved the extent we decremented the extent's size from
-	 * the data space_info's bytes_may_use counter and incremented the
-	 * space_info's bytes_reserved counter by the same amount. We must make
-	 * sure extent_clear_unlock_delalloc() does not try to decrement again
-	 * the data space_info's bytes_may_use counter, therefore we do not pass
-	 * it the flag EXTENT_CLEAR_DATA_RESV.
+	 * For the range (1). We have already instantiated the ordered extents
+	 * for this region. They are cleaned up by
+	 * btrfs_cleanup_ordered_extents() in e.g,
+	 * btrfs_run_delalloc_range(). EXTENT_LOCKED | EXTENT_DELALLOC are
+	 * already cleared in the above loop. And, EXTENT_DELALLOC_NEW |
+	 * EXTENT_DEFRAG | EXTENT_CLEAR_META_RESV are handled by the cleanup
+	 * function.
+	 *
+	 * However, in case of unlock == 0, we still need to unlock the pages
+	 * (except @locked_page) to ensure all the pages are unlocked.
+	 */
+	if (!unlock && orig_start < start)
+		extent_clear_unlock_delalloc(inode, orig_start, start - 1,
+					     locked_page, 0, page_ops);
+
+	/*
+	 * For the range (2). If we reserved an extent for our delalloc range
+	 * (or a subrange) and failed to create the respective ordered extent,
+	 * then it means that when we reserved the extent we decremented the
+	 * extent's size from the data space_info's bytes_may_use counter and
+	 * incremented the space_info's bytes_reserved counter by the same
+	 * amount. We must make sure extent_clear_unlock_delalloc() does not try
+	 * to decrement again the data space_info's bytes_may_use counter,
+	 * therefore we do not pass it the flag EXTENT_CLEAR_DATA_RESV.
 	 */
 	if (extent_reserved) {
 		extent_clear_unlock_delalloc(inode, start,
@@ -1347,6 +1396,13 @@ out_unlock:
 		if (start >= end)
 			goto out;
 	}
+
+	/*
+	 * For the range (3). We never touched the region. In addition to the
+	 * clear_bits above, we add EXTENT_CLEAR_DATA_RESV to release the data
+	 * space_info's bytes_may_use counter, reserved in
+	 * btrfs_check_data_free_space().
+	 */
 	extent_clear_unlock_delalloc(inode, start, end, locked_page,
 				     clear_bits | EXTENT_CLEAR_DATA_RESV,
 				     page_ops);