diff --git a/e2fsck/e2fsck.h b/e2fsck/e2fsck.h
index cee74a35..f904026f 100644
--- a/e2fsck/e2fsck.h
+++ b/e2fsck/e2fsck.h
@@ -369,6 +369,9 @@ struct e2fsck_struct {
 	profile_t	profile;
 	int blocks_per_page;
 
+	/* Reserve blocks for root and l+f re-creation */
+	blk64_t root_repair_block, lnf_repair_block;
+
 	/*
 	 * For the use of callers of the e2fsck functions; not used by
 	 * e2fsck functions themselves.
diff --git a/e2fsck/pass1.c b/e2fsck/pass1.c
index 0f2b9be9..647d91b4 100644
--- a/e2fsck/pass1.c
+++ b/e2fsck/pass1.c
@@ -540,6 +540,42 @@ void e2fsck_setup_tdb_icount(e2fsck_t ctx, int flags,
 		*ret = 0;
 }
 
+static void reserve_block_for_root_repair(e2fsck_t ctx)
+{
+	blk64_t		blk = 0;
+	errcode_t	err;
+	ext2_filsys	fs = ctx->fs;
+
+	ctx->root_repair_block = 0;
+	if (ext2fs_test_inode_bitmap2(ctx->inode_used_map, EXT2_ROOT_INO))
+		return;
+
+	err = ext2fs_new_block2(fs, 0, ctx->block_found_map, &blk);
+	if (err)
+		return;
+	ext2fs_mark_block_bitmap2(ctx->block_found_map, blk);
+	ctx->root_repair_block = blk;
+}
+
+static void reserve_block_for_lnf_repair(e2fsck_t ctx)
+{
+	blk64_t		blk = 0;
+	errcode_t	err;
+	ext2_filsys	fs = ctx->fs;
+	static const char name[] = "lost+found";
+	ext2_ino_t	ino;
+
+	ctx->lnf_repair_block = 0;
+	if (!ext2fs_lookup(fs, EXT2_ROOT_INO, name, sizeof(name)-1, 0, &ino))
+		return;
+
+	err = ext2fs_new_block2(fs, 0, ctx->block_found_map, &blk);
+	if (err)
+		return;
+	ext2fs_mark_block_bitmap2(ctx->block_found_map, blk);
+	ctx->lnf_repair_block = blk;
+}
+
 void e2fsck_pass1(e2fsck_t ctx)
 {
 	int	i;
@@ -1158,6 +1194,9 @@ void e2fsck_pass1(e2fsck_t ctx)
 	ext2fs_close_inode_scan(scan);
 	scan = NULL;
 
+	reserve_block_for_root_repair(ctx);
+	reserve_block_for_lnf_repair(ctx);
+
 	/*
 	 * If any extended attribute blocks' reference counts need to
 	 * be adjusted, either up (ctx->refcount_extra), or down
diff --git a/e2fsck/pass3.c b/e2fsck/pass3.c
index fb217273..0274213d 100644
--- a/e2fsck/pass3.c
+++ b/e2fsck/pass3.c
@@ -134,6 +134,17 @@ abort_exit:
 		inode_done_map = 0;
 	}
 
+	if (ctx->lnf_repair_block) {
+		ext2fs_unmark_block_bitmap2(ctx->block_found_map,
+					    ctx->lnf_repair_block);
+		ctx->lnf_repair_block = 0;
+	}
+	if (ctx->root_repair_block) {
+		ext2fs_unmark_block_bitmap2(ctx->block_found_map,
+					    ctx->root_repair_block);
+		ctx->root_repair_block = 0;
+	}
+
 	print_resource_track(ctx, _("Pass 3"), &rtrack, ctx->fs->io);
 }
 
@@ -176,6 +187,11 @@ static void check_root(e2fsck_t ctx)
 	/*
 	 * First, find a free block
 	 */
+	if (ctx->root_repair_block) {
+		blk = ctx->root_repair_block;
+		ctx->root_repair_block = 0;
+		goto skip_new_block;
+	}
 	pctx.errcode = ext2fs_new_block2(fs, 0, ctx->block_found_map, &blk);
 	if (pctx.errcode) {
 		pctx.str = "ext2fs_new_block";
@@ -184,6 +200,7 @@ static void check_root(e2fsck_t ctx)
 		return;
 	}
 	ext2fs_mark_block_bitmap2(ctx->block_found_map, blk);
+skip_new_block:
 	ext2fs_mark_block_bitmap2(fs->block_map, blk);
 	ext2fs_mark_bb_dirty(fs);
 
@@ -412,6 +429,11 @@ ext2_ino_t e2fsck_get_lost_and_found(e2fsck_t ctx, int fix)
 	/*
 	 * First, find a free block
 	 */
+	if (ctx->lnf_repair_block) {
+		blk = ctx->lnf_repair_block;
+		ctx->lnf_repair_block = 0;
+		goto skip_new_block;
+	}
 	retval = ext2fs_new_block2(fs, 0, ctx->block_found_map, &blk);
 	if (retval) {
 		pctx.errcode = retval;
@@ -419,6 +441,7 @@ ext2_ino_t e2fsck_get_lost_and_found(e2fsck_t ctx, int fix)
 		return 0;
 	}
 	ext2fs_mark_block_bitmap2(ctx->block_found_map, blk);
+skip_new_block:
 	ext2fs_block_alloc_stats2(fs, blk, +1);
 
 	/*
diff --git a/tests/f_illitable/expect.1 b/tests/f_illitable/expect.1
index 552a2e79..0aa56872 100644
--- a/tests/f_illitable/expect.1
+++ b/tests/f_illitable/expect.1
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ Relocate? yes
 ../e2fsck/e2fsck: A block group is missing an inode table while reading bad blocks inode
 This doesn't bode well, but we'll try to go on...
 Pass 1: Checking inodes, blocks, and sizes
-Relocating group 0's inode table to 5...
+Relocating group 0's inode table to 7...
 Restarting e2fsck from the beginning...
 Pass 1: Checking inodes, blocks, and sizes
 Root inode is not a directory.  Clear? yes