diff --git a/fs/btrfs/ctree.c b/fs/btrfs/ctree.c
index 36e16bd50798..651a26a6c651 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/ctree.c
+++ b/fs/btrfs/ctree.c
@@ -944,7 +944,12 @@ static noinline int balance_level(struct btrfs_trans_handle *trans,
 
 		/* promote the child to a root */
 		child = read_node_slot(root, mid, 0);
-		BUG_ON(!child);
+		if (!child) {
+			ret = -EROFS;
+			btrfs_std_error(root->fs_info, ret);
+			goto enospc;
+		}
+
 		btrfs_tree_lock(child);
 		btrfs_set_lock_blocking(child);
 		ret = btrfs_cow_block(trans, root, child, mid, 0, &child);
@@ -1042,7 +1047,11 @@ static noinline int balance_level(struct btrfs_trans_handle *trans,
 		 * otherwise we would have pulled some pointers from the
 		 * right
 		 */
-		BUG_ON(!left);
+		if (!left) {
+			ret = -EROFS;
+			btrfs_std_error(root->fs_info, ret);
+			goto enospc;
+		}
 		wret = balance_node_right(trans, root, mid, left);
 		if (wret < 0) {
 			ret = wret;