diff --git a/fs/btrfs/file.c b/fs/btrfs/file.c
index 65338a1d14ad..13664b315fe2 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/file.c
+++ b/fs/btrfs/file.c
@@ -761,6 +761,27 @@ int btrfs_mark_extent_written(struct btrfs_trans_handle *trans,
 	return 0;
 }
 
+/*
+ * on error we return an unlocked page and the error value
+ * on success we return a locked page and 0
+ */
+static int prepare_uptodate_page(struct page *page, u64 pos)
+{
+	int ret = 0;
+
+	if ((pos & (PAGE_CACHE_SIZE - 1)) && !PageUptodate(page)) {
+		ret = btrfs_readpage(NULL, page);
+		if (ret)
+			return ret;
+		lock_page(page);
+		if (!PageUptodate(page)) {
+			unlock_page(page);
+			return -EIO;
+		}
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
 /*
  * this gets pages into the page cache and locks them down, it also properly
  * waits for data=ordered extents to finish before allowing the pages to be
@@ -776,6 +797,7 @@ static noinline int prepare_pages(struct btrfs_root *root, struct file *file,
 	unsigned long index = pos >> PAGE_CACHE_SHIFT;
 	struct inode *inode = fdentry(file)->d_inode;
 	int err = 0;
+	int faili = 0;
 	u64 start_pos;
 	u64 last_pos;
 
@@ -793,15 +815,24 @@ static noinline int prepare_pages(struct btrfs_root *root, struct file *file,
 	for (i = 0; i < num_pages; i++) {
 		pages[i] = grab_cache_page(inode->i_mapping, index + i);
 		if (!pages[i]) {
-			int c;
-			for (c = i - 1; c >= 0; c--) {
-				unlock_page(pages[c]);
-				page_cache_release(pages[c]);
-			}
-			return -ENOMEM;
+			faili = i - 1;
+			err = -ENOMEM;
+			goto fail;
+		}
+
+		if (i == 0)
+			err = prepare_uptodate_page(pages[i], pos);
+		if (i == num_pages - 1)
+			err = prepare_uptodate_page(pages[i],
+						    pos + write_bytes);
+		if (err) {
+			page_cache_release(pages[i]);
+			faili = i - 1;
+			goto fail;
 		}
 		wait_on_page_writeback(pages[i]);
 	}
+	err = 0;
 	if (start_pos < inode->i_size) {
 		struct btrfs_ordered_extent *ordered;
 		lock_extent_bits(&BTRFS_I(inode)->io_tree,
@@ -841,6 +872,14 @@ static noinline int prepare_pages(struct btrfs_root *root, struct file *file,
 		WARN_ON(!PageLocked(pages[i]));
 	}
 	return 0;
+fail:
+	while (faili >= 0) {
+		unlock_page(pages[faili]);
+		page_cache_release(pages[faili]);
+		faili--;
+	}
+	return err;
+
 }
 
 static ssize_t btrfs_file_aio_write(struct kiocb *iocb,
@@ -850,7 +889,6 @@ static ssize_t btrfs_file_aio_write(struct kiocb *iocb,
 	struct file *file = iocb->ki_filp;
 	struct inode *inode = fdentry(file)->d_inode;
 	struct btrfs_root *root = BTRFS_I(inode)->root;
-	struct page *pinned[2];
 	struct page **pages = NULL;
 	struct iov_iter i;
 	loff_t *ppos = &iocb->ki_pos;
@@ -871,9 +909,6 @@ static ssize_t btrfs_file_aio_write(struct kiocb *iocb,
 	will_write = ((file->f_flags & O_DSYNC) || IS_SYNC(inode) ||
 		      (file->f_flags & O_DIRECT));
 
-	pinned[0] = NULL;
-	pinned[1] = NULL;
-
 	start_pos = pos;
 
 	vfs_check_frozen(inode->i_sb, SB_FREEZE_WRITE);
@@ -961,32 +996,6 @@ static ssize_t btrfs_file_aio_write(struct kiocb *iocb,
 	first_index = pos >> PAGE_CACHE_SHIFT;
 	last_index = (pos + iov_iter_count(&i)) >> PAGE_CACHE_SHIFT;
 
-	/*
-	 * there are lots of better ways to do this, but this code
-	 * makes sure the first and last page in the file range are
-	 * up to date and ready for cow
-	 */
-	if ((pos & (PAGE_CACHE_SIZE - 1))) {
-		pinned[0] = grab_cache_page(inode->i_mapping, first_index);
-		if (!PageUptodate(pinned[0])) {
-			ret = btrfs_readpage(NULL, pinned[0]);
-			BUG_ON(ret);
-			wait_on_page_locked(pinned[0]);
-		} else {
-			unlock_page(pinned[0]);
-		}
-	}
-	if ((pos + iov_iter_count(&i)) & (PAGE_CACHE_SIZE - 1)) {
-		pinned[1] = grab_cache_page(inode->i_mapping, last_index);
-		if (!PageUptodate(pinned[1])) {
-			ret = btrfs_readpage(NULL, pinned[1]);
-			BUG_ON(ret);
-			wait_on_page_locked(pinned[1]);
-		} else {
-			unlock_page(pinned[1]);
-		}
-	}
-
 	while (iov_iter_count(&i) > 0) {
 		size_t offset = pos & (PAGE_CACHE_SIZE - 1);
 		size_t write_bytes = min(iov_iter_count(&i),
@@ -1023,8 +1032,20 @@ static ssize_t btrfs_file_aio_write(struct kiocb *iocb,
 
 		copied = btrfs_copy_from_user(pos, num_pages,
 					   write_bytes, pages, &i);
-		dirty_pages = (copied + offset + PAGE_CACHE_SIZE - 1) >>
-				PAGE_CACHE_SHIFT;
+
+		/*
+		 * if we have trouble faulting in the pages, fall
+		 * back to one page at a time
+		 */
+		if (copied < write_bytes)
+			nrptrs = 1;
+
+		if (copied == 0)
+			dirty_pages = 0;
+		else
+			dirty_pages = (copied + offset +
+				       PAGE_CACHE_SIZE - 1) >>
+				       PAGE_CACHE_SHIFT;
 
 		if (num_pages > dirty_pages) {
 			if (copied > 0)
@@ -1068,10 +1089,6 @@ static ssize_t btrfs_file_aio_write(struct kiocb *iocb,
 		err = ret;
 
 	kfree(pages);
-	if (pinned[0])
-		page_cache_release(pinned[0]);
-	if (pinned[1])
-		page_cache_release(pinned[1]);
 	*ppos = pos;
 
 	/*