diff --git a/fs/btrfs/backref.c b/fs/btrfs/backref.c
index f3cb191..0552a59 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/backref.c
+++ b/fs/btrfs/backref.c
@@ -119,6 +119,26 @@
 	u64 wanted_disk_byte;
 };
 
+static struct kmem_cache *btrfs_prelim_ref_cache;
+
+int __init btrfs_prelim_ref_init(void)
+{
+	btrfs_prelim_ref_cache = kmem_cache_create("btrfs_prelim_ref",
+					sizeof(struct __prelim_ref),
+					0,
+					SLAB_RECLAIM_ACCOUNT | SLAB_MEM_SPREAD,
+					NULL);
+	if (!btrfs_prelim_ref_cache)
+		return -ENOMEM;
+	return 0;
+}
+
+void btrfs_prelim_ref_exit(void)
+{
+	if (btrfs_prelim_ref_cache)
+		kmem_cache_destroy(btrfs_prelim_ref_cache);
+}
+
 /*
  * the rules for all callers of this function are:
  * - obtaining the parent is the goal
@@ -165,7 +185,7 @@
 {
 	struct __prelim_ref *ref;
 
-	ref = kmalloc(sizeof(*ref), gfp_mask);
+	ref = kmem_cache_alloc(btrfs_prelim_ref_cache, gfp_mask);
 	if (!ref)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
@@ -368,7 +388,8 @@
 
 		/* additional parents require new refs being added here */
 		while ((node = ulist_next(parents, &uiter))) {
-			new_ref = kmalloc(sizeof(*new_ref), GFP_NOFS);
+			new_ref = kmem_cache_alloc(btrfs_prelim_ref_cache,
+						   GFP_NOFS);
 			if (!new_ref) {
 				ret = -ENOMEM;
 				goto out;
@@ -492,7 +513,7 @@
 			ref1->count += ref2->count;
 
 			list_del(&ref2->list);
-			kfree(ref2);
+			kmem_cache_free(btrfs_prelim_ref_cache, ref2);
 		}
 
 	}
@@ -955,7 +976,7 @@
 			}
 		}
 		list_del(&ref->list);
-		kfree(ref);
+		kmem_cache_free(btrfs_prelim_ref_cache, ref);
 	}
 
 out:
@@ -963,13 +984,13 @@
 	while (!list_empty(&prefs)) {
 		ref = list_first_entry(&prefs, struct __prelim_ref, list);
 		list_del(&ref->list);
-		kfree(ref);
+		kmem_cache_free(btrfs_prelim_ref_cache, ref);
 	}
 	while (!list_empty(&prefs_delayed)) {
 		ref = list_first_entry(&prefs_delayed, struct __prelim_ref,
 				       list);
 		list_del(&ref->list);
-		kfree(ref);
+		kmem_cache_free(btrfs_prelim_ref_cache, ref);
 	}
 
 	return ret;
diff --git a/fs/btrfs/backref.h b/fs/btrfs/backref.h
index 8f2e767..a910b27 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/backref.h
+++ b/fs/btrfs/backref.h
@@ -72,4 +72,6 @@
 			  struct btrfs_inode_extref **ret_extref,
 			  u64 *found_off);
 
+int __init btrfs_prelim_ref_init(void);
+void btrfs_prelim_ref_exit(void);
 #endif
diff --git a/fs/btrfs/super.c b/fs/btrfs/super.c
index 4d5d0f3..3aab10c 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/super.c
+++ b/fs/btrfs/super.c
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
 #include "rcu-string.h"
 #include "dev-replace.h"
 #include "free-space-cache.h"
+#include "backref.h"
 #include "tests/btrfs-tests.h"
 
 #define CREATE_TRACE_POINTS
@@ -1810,6 +1811,10 @@
 	if (err)
 		goto free_auto_defrag;
 
+	err = btrfs_prelim_ref_init();
+	if (err)
+		goto free_prelim_ref;
+
 	err = btrfs_interface_init();
 	if (err)
 		goto free_delayed_ref;
@@ -1830,6 +1835,8 @@
 
 unregister_ioctl:
 	btrfs_interface_exit();
+free_prelim_ref:
+	btrfs_prelim_ref_exit();
 free_delayed_ref:
 	btrfs_delayed_ref_exit();
 free_auto_defrag:
@@ -1856,6 +1863,7 @@
 	btrfs_delayed_ref_exit();
 	btrfs_auto_defrag_exit();
 	btrfs_delayed_inode_exit();
+	btrfs_prelim_ref_exit();
 	ordered_data_exit();
 	extent_map_exit();
 	extent_io_exit();