diff --git a/fs/nilfs2/the_nilfs.c b/fs/nilfs2/the_nilfs.c
index 8b7b01a380ce..c8bfc01da5d7 100644
--- a/fs/nilfs2/the_nilfs.c
+++ b/fs/nilfs2/the_nilfs.c
@@ -792,14 +792,13 @@ nilfs_find_or_create_root(struct the_nilfs *nilfs, __u64 cno)
 
 void nilfs_put_root(struct nilfs_root *root)
 {
-	if (refcount_dec_and_test(&root->count)) {
-		struct the_nilfs *nilfs = root->nilfs;
+	struct the_nilfs *nilfs = root->nilfs;
 
-		nilfs_sysfs_delete_snapshot_group(root);
-
-		spin_lock(&nilfs->ns_cptree_lock);
+	if (refcount_dec_and_lock(&root->count, &nilfs->ns_cptree_lock)) {
 		rb_erase(&root->rb_node, &nilfs->ns_cptree);
 		spin_unlock(&nilfs->ns_cptree_lock);
+
+		nilfs_sysfs_delete_snapshot_group(root);
 		iput(root->ifile);
 
 		kfree(root);