diff --git a/fs/btrfs/relocation.c b/fs/btrfs/relocation.c
index fc5c14b5adad..4f83415ee8f8 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/relocation.c
+++ b/fs/btrfs/relocation.c
@@ -339,14 +339,15 @@ static struct btrfs_backref_node *walk_down_backref(
 
 static bool reloc_root_is_dead(const struct btrfs_root *root)
 {
-	/*
-	 * Pair with set_bit/clear_bit in clean_dirty_subvols and
-	 * btrfs_update_reloc_root. We need to see the updated bit before
-	 * trying to access reloc_root
-	 */
-	smp_rmb();
 	if (test_bit(BTRFS_ROOT_DEAD_RELOC_TREE, &root->state))
 		return true;
+	/*
+	 * Pairs with set_bit/clear_bit in clear_reloc_root() and
+	 * btrfs_update_reloc_root(). We need to see the updated bit before
+	 * trying to access root->reloc_root in our callers.
+	 */
+	smp_rmb();
+
 	return false;
 }