diff --git a/fs/ceph/snap.c b/fs/ceph/snap.c
index bc5ec72d958c..5fd79ae96f34 100644
--- a/fs/ceph/snap.c
+++ b/fs/ceph/snap.c
@@ -708,7 +708,8 @@ int ceph_update_snap_trace(struct ceph_mds_client *mdsc,
 	__le64 *prior_parent_snaps;        /* encoded */
 	struct ceph_snap_realm *realm = NULL;
 	struct ceph_snap_realm *first_realm = NULL;
-	int invalidate = 0;
+	struct ceph_snap_realm *realm_to_rebuild = NULL;
+	int rebuild_snapcs;
 	int err = -ENOMEM;
 	LIST_HEAD(dirty_realms);
 
@@ -716,6 +717,7 @@ int ceph_update_snap_trace(struct ceph_mds_client *mdsc,
 
 	dout("update_snap_trace deletion=%d\n", deletion);
 more:
+	rebuild_snapcs = 0;
 	ceph_decode_need(&p, e, sizeof(*ri), bad);
 	ri = p;
 	p += sizeof(*ri);
@@ -739,7 +741,7 @@ more:
 	err = adjust_snap_realm_parent(mdsc, realm, le64_to_cpu(ri->parent));
 	if (err < 0)
 		goto fail;
-	invalidate += err;
+	rebuild_snapcs += err;
 
 	if (le64_to_cpu(ri->seq) > realm->seq) {
 		dout("update_snap_trace updating %llx %p %lld -> %lld\n",
@@ -764,22 +766,30 @@ more:
 		if (realm->seq > mdsc->last_snap_seq)
 			mdsc->last_snap_seq = realm->seq;
 
-		invalidate = 1;
+		rebuild_snapcs = 1;
 	} else if (!realm->cached_context) {
 		dout("update_snap_trace %llx %p seq %lld new\n",
 		     realm->ino, realm, realm->seq);
-		invalidate = 1;
+		rebuild_snapcs = 1;
 	} else {
 		dout("update_snap_trace %llx %p seq %lld unchanged\n",
 		     realm->ino, realm, realm->seq);
 	}
 
-	dout("done with %llx %p, invalidated=%d, %p %p\n", realm->ino,
-	     realm, invalidate, p, e);
+	dout("done with %llx %p, rebuild_snapcs=%d, %p %p\n", realm->ino,
+	     realm, rebuild_snapcs, p, e);
 
-	/* invalidate when we reach the _end_ (root) of the trace */
-	if (invalidate && p >= e)
-		rebuild_snap_realms(realm, &dirty_realms);
+	/*
+	 * this will always track the uppest parent realm from which
+	 * we need to rebuild the snapshot contexts _downward_ in
+	 * hierarchy.
+	 */
+	if (rebuild_snapcs)
+		realm_to_rebuild = realm;
+
+	/* rebuild_snapcs when we reach the _end_ (root) of the trace */
+	if (realm_to_rebuild && p >= e)
+		rebuild_snap_realms(realm_to_rebuild, &dirty_realms);
 
 	if (!first_realm)
 		first_realm = realm;