While a mounted file system with a file system transaction logging capability is in a metadata frozen state, a file system transaction on the file system is performed, the transaction comprising a logged set of metadata updates required to implement the transaction in the file system, the performing comprising diverting the set of metadata updates from the file system to a temporary storage location outside the file system. During the metadata frozen state, a consistency check on metadata of the file system is performed, the consistency check attempting to identify an inconsistency in the metadata. The file system is recovered from the metadata frozen state, the recovering comprising implementing the diverted set of metadata updates on the file system.