diff --git a/fs/ceph/caps.c b/fs/ceph/caps.c
index d0618e8412fd..8ed1192606d9 100644
--- a/fs/ceph/caps.c
+++ b/fs/ceph/caps.c
@@ -577,7 +577,6 @@ void ceph_add_cap(struct inode *inode,
 		struct ceph_snap_realm *realm = ceph_lookup_snap_realm(mdsc,
 							       realmino);
 		if (realm) {
-			ceph_get_snap_realm(mdsc, realm);
 			spin_lock(&realm->inodes_with_caps_lock);
 			ci->i_snap_realm = realm;
 			list_add(&ci->i_snap_realm_item,
@@ -2447,13 +2446,13 @@ static void invalidate_aliases(struct inode *inode)
  */
 static void handle_cap_grant(struct ceph_mds_client *mdsc,
 			     struct inode *inode, struct ceph_mds_caps *grant,
-			     void *snaptrace, int snaptrace_len,
 			     u64 inline_version,
 			     void *inline_data, int inline_len,
 			     struct ceph_buffer *xattr_buf,
 			     struct ceph_mds_session *session,
 			     struct ceph_cap *cap, int issued)
 	__releases(ci->i_ceph_lock)
+	__releases(mdsc->snap_rwsem)
 {
 	struct ceph_inode_info *ci = ceph_inode(inode);
 	int mds = session->s_mds;
@@ -2654,10 +2653,6 @@ static void handle_cap_grant(struct ceph_mds_client *mdsc,
 	spin_unlock(&ci->i_ceph_lock);
 
 	if (le32_to_cpu(grant->op) == CEPH_CAP_OP_IMPORT) {
-		down_write(&mdsc->snap_rwsem);
-		ceph_update_snap_trace(mdsc, snaptrace,
-				       snaptrace + snaptrace_len, false);
-		downgrade_write(&mdsc->snap_rwsem);
 		kick_flushing_inode_caps(mdsc, session, inode);
 		up_read(&mdsc->snap_rwsem);
 		if (newcaps & ~issued)
@@ -3067,6 +3062,7 @@ void ceph_handle_caps(struct ceph_mds_session *session,
 	struct ceph_cap *cap;
 	struct ceph_mds_caps *h;
 	struct ceph_mds_cap_peer *peer = NULL;
+	struct ceph_snap_realm *realm;
 	int mds = session->s_mds;
 	int op, issued;
 	u32 seq, mseq;
@@ -3168,11 +3164,23 @@ void ceph_handle_caps(struct ceph_mds_session *session,
 		goto done_unlocked;
 
 	case CEPH_CAP_OP_IMPORT:
+		realm = NULL;
+		if (snaptrace_len) {
+			down_write(&mdsc->snap_rwsem);
+			ceph_update_snap_trace(mdsc, snaptrace,
+					       snaptrace + snaptrace_len,
+					       false, &realm);
+			downgrade_write(&mdsc->snap_rwsem);
+		} else {
+			down_read(&mdsc->snap_rwsem);
+		}
 		handle_cap_import(mdsc, inode, h, peer, session,
 				  &cap, &issued);
-		handle_cap_grant(mdsc, inode, h,  snaptrace, snaptrace_len,
+		handle_cap_grant(mdsc, inode, h,
 				 inline_version, inline_data, inline_len,
 				 msg->middle, session, cap, issued);
+		if (realm)
+			ceph_put_snap_realm(mdsc, realm);
 		goto done_unlocked;
 	}
 
@@ -3192,7 +3200,7 @@ void ceph_handle_caps(struct ceph_mds_session *session,
 	case CEPH_CAP_OP_GRANT:
 		__ceph_caps_issued(ci, &issued);
 		issued |= __ceph_caps_dirty(ci);
-		handle_cap_grant(mdsc, inode, h, NULL, 0,
+		handle_cap_grant(mdsc, inode, h,
 				 inline_version, inline_data, inline_len,
 				 msg->middle, session, cap, issued);
 		goto done_unlocked;
diff --git a/fs/ceph/mds_client.c b/fs/ceph/mds_client.c
index c6c33b411a2f..85c67ae03e46 100644
--- a/fs/ceph/mds_client.c
+++ b/fs/ceph/mds_client.c
@@ -2286,6 +2286,7 @@ static void handle_reply(struct ceph_mds_session *session, struct ceph_msg *msg)
 	struct ceph_mds_request *req;
 	struct ceph_mds_reply_head *head = msg->front.iov_base;
 	struct ceph_mds_reply_info_parsed *rinfo;  /* parsed reply info */
+	struct ceph_snap_realm *realm;
 	u64 tid;
 	int err, result;
 	int mds = session->s_mds;
@@ -2401,11 +2402,13 @@ static void handle_reply(struct ceph_mds_session *session, struct ceph_msg *msg)
 	}
 
 	/* snap trace */
+	realm = NULL;
 	if (rinfo->snapblob_len) {
 		down_write(&mdsc->snap_rwsem);
 		ceph_update_snap_trace(mdsc, rinfo->snapblob,
-			       rinfo->snapblob + rinfo->snapblob_len,
-			       le32_to_cpu(head->op) == CEPH_MDS_OP_RMSNAP);
+				rinfo->snapblob + rinfo->snapblob_len,
+				le32_to_cpu(head->op) == CEPH_MDS_OP_RMSNAP,
+				&realm);
 		downgrade_write(&mdsc->snap_rwsem);
 	} else {
 		down_read(&mdsc->snap_rwsem);
@@ -2423,6 +2426,8 @@ static void handle_reply(struct ceph_mds_session *session, struct ceph_msg *msg)
 	mutex_unlock(&req->r_fill_mutex);
 
 	up_read(&mdsc->snap_rwsem);
+	if (realm)
+		ceph_put_snap_realm(mdsc, realm);
 out_err:
 	mutex_lock(&mdsc->mutex);
 	if (!req->r_aborted) {
diff --git a/fs/ceph/snap.c b/fs/ceph/snap.c
index ce35fbd4ba5d..a97e39f09ba6 100644
--- a/fs/ceph/snap.c
+++ b/fs/ceph/snap.c
@@ -70,13 +70,11 @@ void ceph_get_snap_realm(struct ceph_mds_client *mdsc,
 	 * safe.  we do need to protect against concurrent empty list
 	 * additions, however.
 	 */
-	if (atomic_read(&realm->nref) == 0) {
+	if (atomic_inc_return(&realm->nref) == 1) {
 		spin_lock(&mdsc->snap_empty_lock);
 		list_del_init(&realm->empty_item);
 		spin_unlock(&mdsc->snap_empty_lock);
 	}
-
-	atomic_inc(&realm->nref);
 }
 
 static void __insert_snap_realm(struct rb_root *root,
@@ -116,7 +114,7 @@ static struct ceph_snap_realm *ceph_create_snap_realm(
 	if (!realm)
 		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
 
-	atomic_set(&realm->nref, 0);    /* tree does not take a ref */
+	atomic_set(&realm->nref, 1);    /* for caller */
 	realm->ino = ino;
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&realm->children);
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&realm->child_item);
@@ -134,8 +132,8 @@ static struct ceph_snap_realm *ceph_create_snap_realm(
  *
  * caller must hold snap_rwsem for write.
  */
-struct ceph_snap_realm *ceph_lookup_snap_realm(struct ceph_mds_client *mdsc,
-					       u64 ino)
+static struct ceph_snap_realm *__lookup_snap_realm(struct ceph_mds_client *mdsc,
+						   u64 ino)
 {
 	struct rb_node *n = mdsc->snap_realms.rb_node;
 	struct ceph_snap_realm *r;
@@ -154,6 +152,16 @@ struct ceph_snap_realm *ceph_lookup_snap_realm(struct ceph_mds_client *mdsc,
 	return NULL;
 }
 
+struct ceph_snap_realm *ceph_lookup_snap_realm(struct ceph_mds_client *mdsc,
+					       u64 ino)
+{
+	struct ceph_snap_realm *r;
+	r = __lookup_snap_realm(mdsc, ino);
+	if (r)
+		ceph_get_snap_realm(mdsc, r);
+	return r;
+}
+
 static void __put_snap_realm(struct ceph_mds_client *mdsc,
 			     struct ceph_snap_realm *realm);
 
@@ -273,7 +281,6 @@ static int adjust_snap_realm_parent(struct ceph_mds_client *mdsc,
 	}
 	realm->parent_ino = parentino;
 	realm->parent = parent;
-	ceph_get_snap_realm(mdsc, parent);
 	list_add(&realm->child_item, &parent->children);
 	return 1;
 }
@@ -631,12 +638,14 @@ static void queue_realm_cap_snaps(struct ceph_snap_realm *realm)
  * Caller must hold snap_rwsem for write.
  */
 int ceph_update_snap_trace(struct ceph_mds_client *mdsc,
-			   void *p, void *e, bool deletion)
+			   void *p, void *e, bool deletion,
+			   struct ceph_snap_realm **realm_ret)
 {
 	struct ceph_mds_snap_realm *ri;    /* encoded */
 	__le64 *snaps;                     /* encoded */
 	__le64 *prior_parent_snaps;        /* encoded */
-	struct ceph_snap_realm *realm;
+	struct ceph_snap_realm *realm = NULL;
+	struct ceph_snap_realm *first_realm = NULL;
 	int invalidate = 0;
 	int err = -ENOMEM;
 	LIST_HEAD(dirty_realms);
@@ -704,13 +713,18 @@ int ceph_update_snap_trace(struct ceph_mds_client *mdsc,
 	dout("done with %llx %p, invalidated=%d, %p %p\n", realm->ino,
 	     realm, invalidate, p, e);
 
+	/* invalidate when we reach the _end_ (root) of the trace */
+	if (invalidate && p >= e)
+		rebuild_snap_realms(realm);
+
+	if (!first_realm)
+		first_realm = realm;
+	else
+		ceph_put_snap_realm(mdsc, realm);
+
 	if (p < e)
 		goto more;
 
-	/* invalidate when we reach the _end_ (root) of the trace */
-	if (invalidate)
-		rebuild_snap_realms(realm);
-
 	/*
 	 * queue cap snaps _after_ we've built the new snap contexts,
 	 * so that i_head_snapc can be set appropriately.
@@ -721,12 +735,21 @@ int ceph_update_snap_trace(struct ceph_mds_client *mdsc,
 		queue_realm_cap_snaps(realm);
 	}
 
+	if (realm_ret)
+		*realm_ret = first_realm;
+	else
+		ceph_put_snap_realm(mdsc, first_realm);
+
 	__cleanup_empty_realms(mdsc);
 	return 0;
 
 bad:
 	err = -EINVAL;
 fail:
+	if (realm && !IS_ERR(realm))
+		ceph_put_snap_realm(mdsc, realm);
+	if (first_realm)
+		ceph_put_snap_realm(mdsc, first_realm);
 	pr_err("update_snap_trace error %d\n", err);
 	return err;
 }
@@ -844,7 +867,6 @@ void ceph_handle_snap(struct ceph_mds_client *mdsc,
 			if (IS_ERR(realm))
 				goto out;
 		}
-		ceph_get_snap_realm(mdsc, realm);
 
 		dout("splitting snap_realm %llx %p\n", realm->ino, realm);
 		for (i = 0; i < num_split_inos; i++) {
@@ -905,7 +927,7 @@ void ceph_handle_snap(struct ceph_mds_client *mdsc,
 		/* we may have taken some of the old realm's children. */
 		for (i = 0; i < num_split_realms; i++) {
 			struct ceph_snap_realm *child =
-				ceph_lookup_snap_realm(mdsc,
+				__lookup_snap_realm(mdsc,
 					   le64_to_cpu(split_realms[i]));
 			if (!child)
 				continue;
@@ -918,7 +940,7 @@ void ceph_handle_snap(struct ceph_mds_client *mdsc,
 	 * snap, we can avoid queueing cap_snaps.
 	 */
 	ceph_update_snap_trace(mdsc, p, e,
-			       op == CEPH_SNAP_OP_DESTROY);
+			       op == CEPH_SNAP_OP_DESTROY, NULL);
 
 	if (op == CEPH_SNAP_OP_SPLIT)
 		/* we took a reference when we created the realm, above */
diff --git a/fs/ceph/super.h b/fs/ceph/super.h
index e1aa32d0759d..72bc05a73b69 100644
--- a/fs/ceph/super.h
+++ b/fs/ceph/super.h
@@ -693,7 +693,8 @@ extern void ceph_get_snap_realm(struct ceph_mds_client *mdsc,
 extern void ceph_put_snap_realm(struct ceph_mds_client *mdsc,
 				struct ceph_snap_realm *realm);
 extern int ceph_update_snap_trace(struct ceph_mds_client *m,
-				  void *p, void *e, bool deletion);
+				  void *p, void *e, bool deletion,
+				  struct ceph_snap_realm **realm_ret);
 extern void ceph_handle_snap(struct ceph_mds_client *mdsc,
 			     struct ceph_mds_session *session,
 			     struct ceph_msg *msg);