diff --git a/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_refcount.c b/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_refcount.c
index 8e330a196060..df67821fb5f4 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_refcount.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_refcount.c
@@ -1692,18 +1692,19 @@ xfs_refcount_recover_cow_leftovers(
 
 		/* Free the orphan record */
 		xfs_defer_init(&dfops, &fsb);
+		tp->t_dfops = &dfops;
 		agbno = rr->rr_rrec.rc_startblock - XFS_REFC_COW_START;
 		fsb = XFS_AGB_TO_FSB(mp, agno, agbno);
-		error = xfs_refcount_free_cow_extent(mp, &dfops, fsb,
+		error = xfs_refcount_free_cow_extent(mp, tp->t_dfops, fsb,
 				rr->rr_rrec.rc_blockcount);
 		if (error)
 			goto out_defer;
 
 		/* Free the block. */
-		xfs_bmap_add_free(mp, &dfops, fsb,
+		xfs_bmap_add_free(mp, tp->t_dfops, fsb,
 				rr->rr_rrec.rc_blockcount, NULL);
 
-		error = xfs_defer_finish(&tp, &dfops);
+		error = xfs_defer_finish(&tp, tp->t_dfops);
 		if (error)
 			goto out_defer;
 
@@ -1717,7 +1718,7 @@ xfs_refcount_recover_cow_leftovers(
 
 	return error;
 out_defer:
-	xfs_defer_cancel(&dfops);
+	xfs_defer_cancel(tp->t_dfops);
 out_trans:
 	xfs_trans_cancel(tp);
 out_free: