struct btrfs_root *root,
                                   struct extent_buffer *buf)
 {
+       /* ensure we can see the force_cow */
+       smp_rmb();
+
+       /*
+        * We do not need to cow a block if
+        * 1) this block is not created or changed in this transaction;
+        * 2) this block does not belong to TREE_RELOC tree;
+        * 3) the root is not forced COW.
+        *
+        * What is forced COW:
+        *    when we create snapshot during commiting the transaction,
+        *    after we've finished coping src root, we must COW the shared
+        *    block to ensure the metadata consistency.
+        */
        if (btrfs_header_generation(buf) == trans->transid &&
            !btrfs_header_flag(buf, BTRFS_HEADER_FLAG_WRITTEN) &&
            !(root->root_key.objectid != BTRFS_TREE_RELOC_OBJECTID &&
-             btrfs_header_flag(buf, BTRFS_HEADER_FLAG_RELOC)))
+             btrfs_header_flag(buf, BTRFS_HEADER_FLAG_RELOC)) &&
+           !root->force_cow)
                return 0;
        return 1;
 }
 
 
                        btrfs_save_ino_cache(root, trans);
 
+                       /* see comments in should_cow_block() */
+                       root->force_cow = 0;
+                       smp_wmb();
+
                        if (root->commit_root != root->node) {
                                mutex_lock(&root->fs_commit_mutex);
                                switch_commit_root(root);
        btrfs_tree_unlock(old);
        free_extent_buffer(old);
 
+       /* see comments in should_cow_block() */
+       root->force_cow = 1;
+       smp_wmb();
+
        btrfs_set_root_node(new_root_item, tmp);
        /* record when the snapshot was created in key.offset */
        key.offset = trans->transid;