diff --git a/fs/btrfs/ctree.c b/fs/btrfs/ctree.c
index 7afd0a6495f3..db1f3bc7f328 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/ctree.c
+++ b/fs/btrfs/ctree.c
@@ -682,9 +682,13 @@ noinline int btrfs_cow_block(struct btrfs_trans_handle *trans,
 	u64 search_start;
 	int ret;
 
-	if (test_bit(BTRFS_ROOT_DELETING, &root->state))
-		btrfs_err(fs_info,
-			"COW'ing blocks on a fs root that's being dropped");
+	if (unlikely(test_bit(BTRFS_ROOT_DELETING, &root->state))) {
+		btrfs_abort_transaction(trans, -EUCLEAN);
+		btrfs_crit(fs_info,
+		   "attempt to COW block %llu on root %llu that is being deleted",
+			   buf->start, btrfs_root_id(root));
+		return -EUCLEAN;
+	}
 
 	/*
 	 * COWing must happen through a running transaction, which always