diff --git a/check/main.c b/check/main.c
index 054957f1..6ee3250e 100644
--- a/check/main.c
+++ b/check/main.c
@@ -9129,29 +9129,34 @@ static int do_check_chunks_and_extents(void)
 	return ret;
 }
 
-static int btrfs_fsck_reinit_root(struct btrfs_trans_handle *trans,
-				  struct btrfs_root *root)
+static struct extent_buffer *btrfs_fsck_clear_root(
+					struct btrfs_trans_handle *trans,
+					struct btrfs_key *key)
 {
+	struct btrfs_root_item ri = {};
+	struct btrfs_path *path;
 	struct extent_buffer *c;
-	struct extent_buffer *old = root->node;
-	int level;
+	struct btrfs_disk_key disk_key = {};
 	int ret;
-	struct btrfs_disk_key disk_key = {0,0,0};
 
-	level = 0;
+	path = btrfs_alloc_path();
+	if (!path)
+		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
 
-	c = btrfs_alloc_free_block(trans, root, gfs_info->nodesize,
-				   root->root_key.objectid,
-				   &disk_key, level, 0, 0);
-	if (IS_ERR(c))
-		return PTR_ERR(c);
+	c = btrfs_alloc_free_block(trans, gfs_info->tree_root,
+				   gfs_info->nodesize, key->objectid,
+				   &disk_key, 0, 0, 0);
+	if (IS_ERR(c)) {
+		btrfs_free_path(path);
+		return c;
+	}
 
 	memset_extent_buffer(c, 0, 0, sizeof(struct btrfs_header));
-	btrfs_set_header_level(c, level);
+	btrfs_set_header_level(c, 0);
 	btrfs_set_header_bytenr(c, c->start);
 	btrfs_set_header_generation(c, trans->transid);
 	btrfs_set_header_backref_rev(c, BTRFS_MIXED_BACKREF_REV);
-	btrfs_set_header_owner(c, root->root_key.objectid);
+	btrfs_set_header_owner(c, key->objectid);
 
 	write_extent_buffer(c, gfs_info->fs_devices->metadata_uuid,
 			    btrfs_header_fsid(), BTRFS_FSID_SIZE);
@@ -9161,25 +9166,48 @@ static int btrfs_fsck_reinit_root(struct btrfs_trans_handle *trans,
 			    BTRFS_UUID_SIZE);
 
 	btrfs_mark_buffer_dirty(c);
+
 	/*
-	 * this case can happen in the following case:
-	 *
-	 * reinit reloc data root, this is because we skip pin
-	 * down reloc data tree before which means we can allocate
-	 * same block bytenr here.
+	 * The root item may not exist, try to insert an empty one so it exists,
+	 * otherwise simply update the existing one with the correct settings.
 	 */
-	if (old->start == c->start) {
-		btrfs_set_root_generation(&root->root_item,
-					  trans->transid);
-		root->root_item.level = btrfs_header_level(root->node);
-		ret = btrfs_update_root(trans, gfs_info->tree_root,
-					&root->root_key, &root->root_item);
-		if (ret) {
-			free_extent_buffer(c);
-			return ret;
-		}
+	ret = btrfs_insert_empty_item(trans, gfs_info->tree_root, path, key,
+				      sizeof(ri));
+	if (ret == -EEXIST) {
+		read_extent_buffer(path->nodes[0], &ri,
+				   btrfs_item_ptr_offset(path->nodes[0],
+							 path->slots[0]),
+				   sizeof(ri));
+	} else if (ret) {
+		btrfs_free_path(path);
+		free_extent_buffer(c);
+		return ERR_PTR(ret);
 	}
-	free_extent_buffer(old);
+	btrfs_set_root_bytenr(&ri, c->start);
+	btrfs_set_root_generation(&ri, trans->transid);
+	btrfs_set_root_refs(&ri, 1);
+	btrfs_set_root_used(&ri, c->len);
+	btrfs_set_root_generation_v2(&ri, trans->transid);
+
+	write_extent_buffer(path->nodes[0], &ri,
+			    btrfs_item_ptr_offset(path->nodes[0],
+						  path->slots[0]),
+			    sizeof(ri));
+	btrfs_mark_buffer_dirty(path->nodes[0]);
+	btrfs_free_path(path);
+	return c;
+}
+
+static int btrfs_fsck_reinit_root(struct btrfs_trans_handle *trans,
+				  struct btrfs_root *root)
+{
+	struct extent_buffer *c;
+
+	c = btrfs_fsck_clear_root(trans, &root->root_key);
+	if (IS_ERR(c))
+		return PTR_ERR(c);
+
+	free_extent_buffer(root->node);
 	root->node = c;
 	add_root_to_dirty_list(root);
 	return 0;