diff --git a/fs/btrfs/root-tree.c b/fs/btrfs/root-tree.c
index ddc1c13..72be983 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/root-tree.c
+++ b/fs/btrfs/root-tree.c
@@ -83,6 +83,8 @@
 {
 	struct btrfs_path *path;
 	int ret;
+	u32 refs;
+	struct btrfs_root_item *ri;
 
 	path = btrfs_alloc_path();
 	BUG_ON(!path);
@@ -91,7 +93,19 @@
 	if (ret < 0)
 		goto out;
 	BUG_ON(ret != 0);
-	ret = btrfs_del_item(trans, root, path);
+	ri = btrfs_item_ptr(btrfs_buffer_leaf(path->nodes[0]),
+			    path->slots[0], struct btrfs_root_item);
+
+	refs = btrfs_root_refs(ri);
+	BUG_ON(refs == 0);
+	if (refs == 1) {
+		ret = btrfs_del_item(trans, root, path);
+printk("deleting root %Lu %Lu %u\n", key->objectid, key->offset, key->flags);
+	} else {
+		btrfs_set_root_refs(ri, refs - 1);
+printk("ref now %u root %Lu %Lu %u\n", refs -1, key->objectid, key->offset, key->flags);
+		mark_buffer_dirty(path->nodes[0]);
+	}
 out:
 	btrfs_release_path(root, path);
 	btrfs_free_path(path);