diff --git a/fs/btrfs/backref.c b/fs/btrfs/backref.c
index 2602072ed906..849b8c767efb 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/backref.c
+++ b/fs/btrfs/backref.c
@@ -1912,14 +1912,20 @@ int iterate_extent_inodes(struct btrfs_fs_info *fs_info,
 			extent_item_objectid);
 
 	if (!search_commit_root) {
-		trans = btrfs_join_transaction(fs_info->extent_root);
-		if (IS_ERR(trans))
-			return PTR_ERR(trans);
-		btrfs_get_tree_mod_seq(fs_info, &tree_mod_seq_elem);
-	} else {
-		down_read(&fs_info->commit_root_sem);
+		trans = btrfs_attach_transaction(fs_info->extent_root);
+		if (IS_ERR(trans)) {
+			if (PTR_ERR(trans) != -ENOENT &&
+			    PTR_ERR(trans) != -EROFS)
+				return PTR_ERR(trans);
+			trans = NULL;
+		}
 	}
 
+	if (trans)
+		btrfs_get_tree_mod_seq(fs_info, &tree_mod_seq_elem);
+	else
+		down_read(&fs_info->commit_root_sem);
+
 	ret = btrfs_find_all_leafs(trans, fs_info, extent_item_objectid,
 				   tree_mod_seq_elem.seq, &refs,
 				   &extent_item_pos, ignore_offset);
@@ -1951,7 +1957,7 @@ int iterate_extent_inodes(struct btrfs_fs_info *fs_info,
 
 	free_leaf_list(refs);
 out:
-	if (!search_commit_root) {
+	if (trans) {
 		btrfs_put_tree_mod_seq(fs_info, &tree_mod_seq_elem);
 		btrfs_end_transaction(trans);
 	} else {