diff --git a/fs/btrfs/ctree.h b/fs/btrfs/ctree.h
index cdfc2a46448b..285566cc2f7d 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/ctree.h
+++ b/fs/btrfs/ctree.h
@@ -1222,7 +1222,7 @@ struct btrfs_root {
 	dev_t anon_dev;
 
 	spinlock_t root_item_lock;
-	atomic_t refs;
+	refcount_t refs;
 
 	struct mutex delalloc_mutex;
 	spinlock_t delalloc_lock;
diff --git a/fs/btrfs/disk-io.c b/fs/btrfs/disk-io.c
index 3748bc54a6ab..bd415e1dd114 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/disk-io.c
+++ b/fs/btrfs/disk-io.c
@@ -1340,7 +1340,7 @@ static void __setup_root(struct btrfs_root *root, struct btrfs_fs_info *fs_info,
 	atomic_set(&root->log_writers, 0);
 	atomic_set(&root->log_batch, 0);
 	atomic_set(&root->orphan_inodes, 0);
-	atomic_set(&root->refs, 1);
+	refcount_set(&root->refs, 1);
 	atomic_set(&root->will_be_snapshoted, 0);
 	atomic64_set(&root->qgroup_meta_rsv, 0);
 	root->log_transid = 0;
diff --git a/fs/btrfs/disk-io.h b/fs/btrfs/disk-io.h
index 2e0ec29bfd69..21f1ceb85b76 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/disk-io.h
+++ b/fs/btrfs/disk-io.h
@@ -101,14 +101,14 @@ struct btrfs_root *btrfs_alloc_dummy_root(struct btrfs_fs_info *fs_info);
  */
 static inline struct btrfs_root *btrfs_grab_fs_root(struct btrfs_root *root)
 {
-	if (atomic_inc_not_zero(&root->refs))
+	if (refcount_inc_not_zero(&root->refs))
 		return root;
 	return NULL;
 }
 
 static inline void btrfs_put_fs_root(struct btrfs_root *root)
 {
-	if (atomic_dec_and_test(&root->refs))
+	if (refcount_dec_and_test(&root->refs))
 		kfree(root);
 }