diff --git a/fs/btrfs/tree-log.c b/fs/btrfs/tree-log.c
index 77b6797fcac3..2488eb4b70fc 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/tree-log.c
+++ b/fs/btrfs/tree-log.c
@@ -2932,7 +2932,8 @@ out:
  * in the tree of log roots
  */
 static int update_log_root(struct btrfs_trans_handle *trans,
-			   struct btrfs_root *log)
+			   struct btrfs_root *log,
+			   struct btrfs_root_item *root_item)
 {
 	struct btrfs_fs_info *fs_info = log->fs_info;
 	int ret;
@@ -2940,10 +2941,10 @@ static int update_log_root(struct btrfs_trans_handle *trans,
 	if (log->log_transid == 1) {
 		/* insert root item on the first sync */
 		ret = btrfs_insert_root(trans, fs_info->log_root_tree,
-				&log->root_key, &log->root_item);
+				&log->root_key, root_item);
 	} else {
 		ret = btrfs_update_root(trans, fs_info->log_root_tree,
-				&log->root_key, &log->root_item);
+				&log->root_key, root_item);
 	}
 	return ret;
 }
@@ -3041,6 +3042,7 @@ int btrfs_sync_log(struct btrfs_trans_handle *trans,
 	struct btrfs_fs_info *fs_info = root->fs_info;
 	struct btrfs_root *log = root->log_root;
 	struct btrfs_root *log_root_tree = fs_info->log_root_tree;
+	struct btrfs_root_item new_root_item;
 	int log_transid = 0;
 	struct btrfs_log_ctx root_log_ctx;
 	struct blk_plug plug;
@@ -3104,17 +3106,25 @@ int btrfs_sync_log(struct btrfs_trans_handle *trans,
 		goto out;
 	}
 
+	/*
+	 * We _must_ update under the root->log_mutex in order to make sure we
+	 * have a consistent view of the log root we are trying to commit at
+	 * this moment.
+	 *
+	 * We _must_ copy this into a local copy, because we are not holding the
+	 * log_root_tree->log_mutex yet.  This is important because when we
+	 * commit the log_root_tree we must have a consistent view of the
+	 * log_root_tree when we update the super block to point at the
+	 * log_root_tree bytenr.  If we update the log_root_tree here we'll race
+	 * with the commit and possibly point at the new block which we may not
+	 * have written out.
+	 */
 	btrfs_set_root_node(&log->root_item, log->node);
+	memcpy(&new_root_item, &log->root_item, sizeof(new_root_item));
 
 	root->log_transid++;
 	log->log_transid = root->log_transid;
 	root->log_start_pid = 0;
-	/*
-	 * Update or create log root item under the root's log_mutex to prevent
-	 * races with concurrent log syncs that can lead to failure to update
-	 * log root item because it was not created yet.
-	 */
-	ret = update_log_root(trans, log);
 	/*
 	 * IO has been started, blocks of the log tree have WRITTEN flag set
 	 * in their headers. new modifications of the log will be written to
@@ -3135,6 +3145,14 @@ int btrfs_sync_log(struct btrfs_trans_handle *trans,
 	mutex_unlock(&log_root_tree->log_mutex);
 
 	mutex_lock(&log_root_tree->log_mutex);
+
+	/*
+	 * Now we are safe to update the log_root_tree because we're under the
+	 * log_mutex, and we're a current writer so we're holding the commit
+	 * open until we drop the log_mutex.
+	 */
+	ret = update_log_root(trans, log, &new_root_item);
+
 	if (atomic_dec_and_test(&log_root_tree->log_writers)) {
 		/* atomic_dec_and_test implies a barrier */
 		cond_wake_up_nomb(&log_root_tree->log_writer_wait);