diff --git a/fs/btrfs/backref.c b/fs/btrfs/backref.c
index 89116afda7a2..e5d85311d5d5 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/backref.c
+++ b/fs/btrfs/backref.c
@@ -1483,7 +1483,7 @@ int btrfs_check_shared(struct btrfs_root *root, u64 inum, u64 bytenr,
 	ulist_init(roots);
 	ulist_init(tmp);
 
-	trans = btrfs_attach_transaction(root);
+	trans = btrfs_join_transaction_nostart(root);
 	if (IS_ERR(trans)) {
 		if (PTR_ERR(trans) != -ENOENT && PTR_ERR(trans) != -EROFS) {
 			ret = PTR_ERR(trans);
diff --git a/fs/btrfs/transaction.c b/fs/btrfs/transaction.c
index 39b7bcde3c6f..e3adb714c04b 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/transaction.c
+++ b/fs/btrfs/transaction.c
@@ -28,15 +28,18 @@ static const unsigned int btrfs_blocked_trans_types[TRANS_STATE_MAX] = {
 	[TRANS_STATE_COMMIT_START]	= (__TRANS_START | __TRANS_ATTACH),
 	[TRANS_STATE_COMMIT_DOING]	= (__TRANS_START |
 					   __TRANS_ATTACH |
-					   __TRANS_JOIN),
+					   __TRANS_JOIN |
+					   __TRANS_JOIN_NOSTART),
 	[TRANS_STATE_UNBLOCKED]		= (__TRANS_START |
 					   __TRANS_ATTACH |
 					   __TRANS_JOIN |
-					   __TRANS_JOIN_NOLOCK),
+					   __TRANS_JOIN_NOLOCK |
+					   __TRANS_JOIN_NOSTART),
 	[TRANS_STATE_COMPLETED]		= (__TRANS_START |
 					   __TRANS_ATTACH |
 					   __TRANS_JOIN |
-					   __TRANS_JOIN_NOLOCK),
+					   __TRANS_JOIN_NOLOCK |
+					   __TRANS_JOIN_NOSTART),
 };
 
 void btrfs_put_transaction(struct btrfs_transaction *transaction)
@@ -543,7 +546,8 @@ start_transaction(struct btrfs_root *root, unsigned int num_items,
 		ret = join_transaction(fs_info, type);
 		if (ret == -EBUSY) {
 			wait_current_trans(fs_info);
-			if (unlikely(type == TRANS_ATTACH))
+			if (unlikely(type == TRANS_ATTACH ||
+				     type == TRANS_JOIN_NOSTART))
 				ret = -ENOENT;
 		}
 	} while (ret == -EBUSY);
@@ -659,6 +663,16 @@ struct btrfs_trans_handle *btrfs_join_transaction_nolock(struct btrfs_root *root
 				 BTRFS_RESERVE_NO_FLUSH, true);
 }
 
+/*
+ * Similar to regular join but it never starts a transaction when none is
+ * running or after waiting for the current one to finish.
+ */
+struct btrfs_trans_handle *btrfs_join_transaction_nostart(struct btrfs_root *root)
+{
+	return start_transaction(root, 0, TRANS_JOIN_NOSTART,
+				 BTRFS_RESERVE_NO_FLUSH, true);
+}
+
 /*
  * btrfs_attach_transaction() - catch the running transaction
  *
diff --git a/fs/btrfs/transaction.h b/fs/btrfs/transaction.h
index 527ea94b57d9..2c5a6f6e5bb0 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/transaction.h
+++ b/fs/btrfs/transaction.h
@@ -94,11 +94,13 @@ struct btrfs_transaction {
 #define __TRANS_JOIN		(1U << 11)
 #define __TRANS_JOIN_NOLOCK	(1U << 12)
 #define __TRANS_DUMMY		(1U << 13)
+#define __TRANS_JOIN_NOSTART	(1U << 14)
 
 #define TRANS_START		(__TRANS_START | __TRANS_FREEZABLE)
 #define TRANS_ATTACH		(__TRANS_ATTACH)
 #define TRANS_JOIN		(__TRANS_JOIN | __TRANS_FREEZABLE)
 #define TRANS_JOIN_NOLOCK	(__TRANS_JOIN_NOLOCK)
+#define TRANS_JOIN_NOSTART	(__TRANS_JOIN_NOSTART)
 
 #define TRANS_EXTWRITERS	(__TRANS_START | __TRANS_ATTACH)
 
@@ -183,6 +185,7 @@ struct btrfs_trans_handle *btrfs_start_transaction_fallback_global_rsv(
 					int min_factor);
 struct btrfs_trans_handle *btrfs_join_transaction(struct btrfs_root *root);
 struct btrfs_trans_handle *btrfs_join_transaction_nolock(struct btrfs_root *root);
+struct btrfs_trans_handle *btrfs_join_transaction_nostart(struct btrfs_root *root);
 struct btrfs_trans_handle *btrfs_attach_transaction(struct btrfs_root *root);
 struct btrfs_trans_handle *btrfs_attach_transaction_barrier(
 					struct btrfs_root *root);