diff --git a/fs/btrfs/delayed-inode.c b/fs/btrfs/delayed-inode.c
index fc515b787e8cf..f1cbd028f7b33 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/delayed-inode.c
+++ b/fs/btrfs/delayed-inode.c
@@ -1237,6 +1237,13 @@ static int btrfs_wq_run_delayed_node(struct btrfs_delayed_root *delayed_root,
 	return 0;
 }
 
+void btrfs_assert_delayed_root_empty(struct btrfs_root *root)
+{
+	struct btrfs_delayed_root *delayed_root;
+	delayed_root = btrfs_get_delayed_root(root);
+	WARN_ON(btrfs_first_delayed_node(delayed_root));
+}
+
 void btrfs_balance_delayed_items(struct btrfs_root *root)
 {
 	struct btrfs_delayed_root *delayed_root;
diff --git a/fs/btrfs/delayed-inode.h b/fs/btrfs/delayed-inode.h
index cb79b6771e825..d1a6a2915c668 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/delayed-inode.h
+++ b/fs/btrfs/delayed-inode.h
@@ -137,4 +137,8 @@ int btrfs_readdir_delayed_dir_index(struct file *filp, void *dirent,
 /* for init */
 int __init btrfs_delayed_inode_init(void);
 void btrfs_delayed_inode_exit(void);
+
+/* for debugging */
+void btrfs_assert_delayed_root_empty(struct btrfs_root *root);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/fs/btrfs/transaction.c b/fs/btrfs/transaction.c
index c073d85e14f31..51dcec86757f0 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/transaction.c
+++ b/fs/btrfs/transaction.c
@@ -957,6 +957,15 @@ static noinline int create_pending_snapshot(struct btrfs_trans_handle *trans,
 	ret = btrfs_update_inode(trans, parent_root, parent_inode);
 	BUG_ON(ret);
 
+	/*
+	 * pull in the delayed directory update
+	 * and the delayed inode item
+	 * otherwise we corrupt the FS during
+	 * snapshot
+	 */
+	ret = btrfs_run_delayed_items(trans, root);
+	BUG_ON(ret);
+
 	record_root_in_trans(trans, root);
 	btrfs_set_root_last_snapshot(&root->root_item, trans->transid);
 	memcpy(new_root_item, &root->root_item, sizeof(*new_root_item));
@@ -1018,14 +1027,6 @@ static noinline int create_pending_snapshots(struct btrfs_trans_handle *trans,
 	int ret;
 
 	list_for_each_entry(pending, head, list) {
-		/*
-		 * We must deal with the delayed items before creating
-		 * snapshots, or we will create a snapthot with inconsistent
-		 * information.
-		*/
-		ret = btrfs_run_delayed_items(trans, fs_info->fs_root);
-		BUG_ON(ret);
-
 		ret = create_pending_snapshot(trans, fs_info, pending);
 		BUG_ON(ret);
 	}
@@ -1319,15 +1320,21 @@ int btrfs_commit_transaction(struct btrfs_trans_handle *trans,
 	 */
 	mutex_lock(&root->fs_info->reloc_mutex);
 
-	ret = create_pending_snapshots(trans, root->fs_info);
+	ret = btrfs_run_delayed_items(trans, root);
 	BUG_ON(ret);
 
-	ret = btrfs_run_delayed_items(trans, root);
+	ret = create_pending_snapshots(trans, root->fs_info);
 	BUG_ON(ret);
 
 	ret = btrfs_run_delayed_refs(trans, root, (unsigned long)-1);
 	BUG_ON(ret);
 
+	/*
+	 * make sure none of the code above managed to slip in a
+	 * delayed item
+	 */
+	btrfs_assert_delayed_root_empty(root);
+
 	WARN_ON(cur_trans != trans->transaction);
 
 	btrfs_scrub_pause(root);