diff --git a/fs/btrfs/ctree.c b/fs/btrfs/ctree.c
index d99d9651dd58..4eada52f3969 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/ctree.c
+++ b/fs/btrfs/ctree.c
@@ -5097,7 +5097,17 @@ int btrfs_prev_leaf(struct btrfs_root *root, struct btrfs_path *path)
 		return ret;
 	btrfs_item_key(path->nodes[0], &found_key, 0);
 	ret = comp_keys(&found_key, &key);
-	if (ret < 0)
+	/*
+	 * We might have had an item with the previous key in the tree right
+	 * before we released our path. And after we released our path, that
+	 * item might have been pushed to the first slot (0) of the leaf we
+	 * were holding due to a tree balance. Alternatively, an item with the
+	 * previous key can exist as the only element of a leaf (big fat item).
+	 * Therefore account for these 2 cases, so that our callers (like
+	 * btrfs_previous_item) don't miss an existing item with a key matching
+	 * the previous key we computed above.
+	 */
+	if (ret <= 0)
 		return 0;
 	return 1;
 }