diff --git a/fs/btrfs/ctree.c b/fs/btrfs/ctree.c
index e7bea1d5f75fd7aab850b789ab0052717185e82a..c7b67cf24bba54f85a6eb488ea899190961bac09 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/ctree.c
+++ b/fs/btrfs/ctree.c
@@ -2564,7 +2564,10 @@ int btrfs_search_slot(struct btrfs_trans_handle *trans, struct btrfs_root
 			 * must have write locks on this node and the
 			 * parent
 			 */
-			if (level + 1 > write_lock_level) {
+			if (level > write_lock_level ||
+			    (level + 1 > write_lock_level &&
+			    level + 1 < BTRFS_MAX_LEVEL &&
+			    p->nodes[level + 1])) {
 				write_lock_level = level + 1;
 				btrfs_release_path(p);
 				goto again;