diff --git a/fs/btrfs/backref.c b/fs/btrfs/backref.c
index 9cadacf3ec2754def54db3505c4a5cc565329be2..ef71aba5bc157dc049cea124d4d25e8890b47b7a 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/backref.c
+++ b/fs/btrfs/backref.c
@@ -2541,13 +2541,6 @@ void btrfs_backref_cleanup_node(struct btrfs_backref_cache *cache,
 		list_del(&edge->list[UPPER]);
 		btrfs_backref_free_edge(cache, edge);
 
-		if (RB_EMPTY_NODE(&upper->rb_node)) {
-			BUG_ON(!list_empty(&node->upper));
-			btrfs_backref_drop_node(cache, node);
-			node = upper;
-			node->lowest = 1;
-			continue;
-		}
 		/*
 		 * Add the node to leaf node list if no other child block
 		 * cached.