diff --git a/fs/btrfs/disk-io.c b/fs/btrfs/disk-io.c
index 3a57f99d96aa..c4e673a94426 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/disk-io.c
+++ b/fs/btrfs/disk-io.c
@@ -572,13 +572,17 @@ static noinline int check_leaf(struct btrfs_root *root,
 		 * open_ctree() some roots has not yet been set up.
 		 */
 		if (!IS_ERR_OR_NULL(check_root)) {
+			struct extent_buffer *eb;
+
+			eb = btrfs_root_node(check_root);
 			/* if leaf is the root, then it's fine */
-			if (leaf->start !=
-			    btrfs_root_bytenr(&check_root->root_item)) {
+			if (leaf != eb) {
 				CORRUPT("non-root leaf's nritems is 0",
-					leaf, root, 0);
+					leaf, check_root, 0);
+				free_extent_buffer(eb);
 				return -EIO;
 			}
+			free_extent_buffer(eb);
 		}
 		return 0;
 	}