diff --git a/fs/bcachefs/btree_cache.c b/fs/bcachefs/btree_cache.c
index 9b80201c7982..899891295797 100644
--- a/fs/bcachefs/btree_cache.c
+++ b/fs/bcachefs/btree_cache.c
@@ -852,7 +852,6 @@ struct btree *bch2_btree_node_mem_alloc(struct btree_trans *trans, bool pcpu_rea
 	b->sib_u64s[1]		= 0;
 	b->whiteout_u64s	= 0;
 	bch2_btree_keys_init(b);
-	set_btree_node_accessed(b);
 
 	bch2_time_stats_update(&c->times[BCH_TIME_btree_node_mem_alloc],
 			       start_time);
@@ -1286,6 +1285,10 @@ struct btree *bch2_btree_node_get_noiter(struct btree_trans *trans,
 			six_unlock_read(&b->c.lock);
 			goto retry;
 		}
+
+		/* avoid atomic set bit if it's not needed: */
+		if (!btree_node_accessed(b))
+			set_btree_node_accessed(b);
 	}
 
 	/* XXX: waiting on IO with btree locks held: */
@@ -1301,10 +1304,6 @@ struct btree *bch2_btree_node_get_noiter(struct btree_trans *trans,
 		prefetch(p + L1_CACHE_BYTES * 2);
 	}
 
-	/* avoid atomic set bit if it's not needed: */
-	if (!btree_node_accessed(b))
-		set_btree_node_accessed(b);
-
 	if (unlikely(btree_node_read_error(b))) {
 		six_unlock_read(&b->c.lock);
 		b = ERR_PTR(-BCH_ERR_btree_node_read_err_cached);