diff --git a/fs/btrfs/volumes.c b/fs/btrfs/volumes.c
index a89596c3de56..2ebc827bed88 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/volumes.c
+++ b/fs/btrfs/volumes.c
@@ -3938,6 +3938,7 @@ int btrfs_balance(struct btrfs_fs_info *fs_info,
 	int ret;
 	u64 num_devices;
 	unsigned seq;
+	bool reducing_integrity;
 
 	if (btrfs_fs_closing(fs_info) ||
 	    atomic_read(&fs_info->balance_pause_req) ||
@@ -4017,24 +4018,30 @@ int btrfs_balance(struct btrfs_fs_info *fs_info,
 		     !(bctl->sys.target & allowed)) ||
 		    ((bctl->meta.flags & BTRFS_BALANCE_ARGS_CONVERT) &&
 		     (fs_info->avail_metadata_alloc_bits & allowed) &&
-		     !(bctl->meta.target & allowed))) {
-			if (bctl->flags & BTRFS_BALANCE_FORCE) {
-				btrfs_info(fs_info,
-				"balance: force reducing metadata integrity");
-			} else {
-				btrfs_err(fs_info,
-	"balance: reduces metadata integrity, use --force if you want this");
-				ret = -EINVAL;
-				goto out;
-			}
-		}
+		     !(bctl->meta.target & allowed)))
+			reducing_integrity = true;
+		else
+			reducing_integrity = false;
+
+		/* if we're not converting, the target field is uninitialized */
+		meta_target = (bctl->meta.flags & BTRFS_BALANCE_ARGS_CONVERT) ?
+			bctl->meta.target : fs_info->avail_metadata_alloc_bits;
+		data_target = (bctl->data.flags & BTRFS_BALANCE_ARGS_CONVERT) ?
+			bctl->data.target : fs_info->avail_data_alloc_bits;
 	} while (read_seqretry(&fs_info->profiles_lock, seq));
 
-	/* if we're not converting, the target field is uninitialized */
-	meta_target = (bctl->meta.flags & BTRFS_BALANCE_ARGS_CONVERT) ?
-		bctl->meta.target : fs_info->avail_metadata_alloc_bits;
-	data_target = (bctl->data.flags & BTRFS_BALANCE_ARGS_CONVERT) ?
-		bctl->data.target : fs_info->avail_data_alloc_bits;
+	if (reducing_integrity) {
+		if (bctl->flags & BTRFS_BALANCE_FORCE) {
+			btrfs_info(fs_info,
+				   "balance: force reducing metadata integrity");
+		} else {
+			btrfs_err(fs_info,
+	  "balance: reduces metadata integrity, use --force if you want this");
+			ret = -EINVAL;
+			goto out;
+		}
+	}
+
 	if (btrfs_get_num_tolerated_disk_barrier_failures(meta_target) <
 		btrfs_get_num_tolerated_disk_barrier_failures(data_target)) {
 		int meta_index = btrfs_bg_flags_to_raid_index(meta_target);