diff --git a/fs/btrfs/backref.c b/fs/btrfs/backref.c
index 40afae0af4e6..18374a6d05bd 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/backref.c
+++ b/fs/btrfs/backref.c
@@ -289,8 +289,10 @@ static void prelim_release(struct preftree *preftree)
 	struct prelim_ref *ref, *next_ref;
 
 	rbtree_postorder_for_each_entry_safe(ref, next_ref,
-					     &preftree->root.rb_root, rbnode)
+					     &preftree->root.rb_root, rbnode) {
+		free_inode_elem_list(ref->inode_list);
 		free_pref(ref);
+	}
 
 	preftree->root = RB_ROOT_CACHED;
 	preftree->count = 0;
@@ -1384,6 +1386,12 @@ again:
 				if (ret < 0)
 					goto out;
 				ref->inode_list = eie;
+				/*
+				 * We transferred the list ownership to the ref,
+				 * so set to NULL to avoid a double free in case
+				 * an error happens after this.
+				 */
+				eie = NULL;
 			}
 			ret = ulist_add_merge_ptr(refs, ref->parent,
 						  ref->inode_list,
@@ -1409,6 +1417,14 @@ again:
 				eie->next = ref->inode_list;
 			}
 			eie = NULL;
+			/*
+			 * We have transferred the inode list ownership from
+			 * this ref to the ref we added to the 'refs' ulist.
+			 * So set this ref's inode list to NULL to avoid
+			 * use-after-free when our caller uses it or double
+			 * frees in case an error happens before we return.
+			 */
+			ref->inode_list = NULL;
 		}
 		cond_resched();
 	}