diff --git a/fs/btrfs/disk-io.c b/fs/btrfs/disk-io.c
index 54bc8c7c6bcd..c0bfc6ce5f06 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/disk-io.c
+++ b/fs/btrfs/disk-io.c
@@ -3129,6 +3129,18 @@ retry_root_backup:
 	if (sb->s_flags & MS_RDONLY)
 		return 0;
 
+	if (btrfs_test_opt(fs_info, CLEAR_CACHE) &&
+	    btrfs_fs_compat_ro(fs_info, FREE_SPACE_TREE)) {
+		btrfs_info(fs_info, "clearing free space tree");
+		ret = btrfs_clear_free_space_tree(fs_info);
+		if (ret) {
+			btrfs_warn(fs_info,
+				   "failed to clear free space tree: %d", ret);
+			close_ctree(tree_root);
+			return ret;
+		}
+	}
+
 	if (btrfs_test_opt(tree_root->fs_info, FREE_SPACE_TREE) &&
 	    !btrfs_fs_compat_ro(fs_info, FREE_SPACE_TREE)) {
 		btrfs_info(fs_info, "creating free space tree");
@@ -3166,18 +3178,6 @@ retry_root_backup:
 
 	btrfs_qgroup_rescan_resume(fs_info);
 
-	if (btrfs_test_opt(tree_root->fs_info, CLEAR_CACHE) &&
-	    btrfs_fs_compat_ro(fs_info, FREE_SPACE_TREE)) {
-		btrfs_info(fs_info, "clearing free space tree");
-		ret = btrfs_clear_free_space_tree(fs_info);
-		if (ret) {
-			btrfs_warn(fs_info,
-				"failed to clear free space tree: %d", ret);
-			close_ctree(tree_root);
-			return ret;
-		}
-	}
-
 	if (!fs_info->uuid_root) {
 		btrfs_info(fs_info, "creating UUID tree");
 		ret = btrfs_create_uuid_tree(fs_info);