diff --git a/fs/nilfs2/btree.c b/fs/nilfs2/btree.c
index dedd3c480842..ef5061bb56da 100644
--- a/fs/nilfs2/btree.c
+++ b/fs/nilfs2/btree.c
@@ -1659,13 +1659,16 @@ static int nilfs_btree_check_delete(struct nilfs_bmap *btree, __u64 key)
 	int nchildren, ret;
 
 	root = nilfs_btree_get_root(btree);
+	nchildren = nilfs_btree_node_get_nchildren(root);
+	if (unlikely(nchildren == 0))
+		return 0;
+
 	switch (nilfs_btree_height(btree)) {
 	case 2:
 		bh = NULL;
 		node = root;
 		break;
 	case 3:
-		nchildren = nilfs_btree_node_get_nchildren(root);
 		if (nchildren > 1)
 			return 0;
 		ptr = nilfs_btree_node_get_ptr(root, nchildren - 1,
@@ -1674,12 +1677,12 @@ static int nilfs_btree_check_delete(struct nilfs_bmap *btree, __u64 key)
 		if (ret < 0)
 			return ret;
 		node = (struct nilfs_btree_node *)bh->b_data;
+		nchildren = nilfs_btree_node_get_nchildren(node);
 		break;
 	default:
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	nchildren = nilfs_btree_node_get_nchildren(node);
 	maxkey = nilfs_btree_node_get_key(node, nchildren - 1);
 	nextmaxkey = (nchildren > 1) ?
 		nilfs_btree_node_get_key(node, nchildren - 2) : 0;