diff --git a/fs/ceph/snap.c b/fs/ceph/snap.c
index c1cc993225e3..f64576e72b79 100644
--- a/fs/ceph/snap.c
+++ b/fs/ceph/snap.c
@@ -288,6 +288,9 @@ static int cmpu64_rev(const void *a, const void *b)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+
+static struct ceph_snap_context *empty_snapc;
+
 /*
  * build the snap context for a given realm.
  */
@@ -328,6 +331,12 @@ static int build_snap_context(struct ceph_snap_realm *realm)
 		return 0;
 	}
 
+	if (num == 0 && realm->seq == empty_snapc->seq) {
+		ceph_get_snap_context(empty_snapc);
+		snapc = empty_snapc;
+		goto done;
+	}
+
 	/* alloc new snap context */
 	err = -ENOMEM;
 	if (num > (SIZE_MAX - sizeof(*snapc)) / sizeof(u64))
@@ -365,6 +374,7 @@ static int build_snap_context(struct ceph_snap_realm *realm)
 	     realm->ino, realm, snapc, snapc->seq,
 	     (unsigned int) snapc->num_snaps);
 
+done:
 	ceph_put_snap_context(realm->cached_context);
 	realm->cached_context = snapc;
 	return 0;
@@ -465,6 +475,9 @@ void ceph_queue_cap_snap(struct ceph_inode_info *ci)
 		   cap_snap.  lucky us. */
 		dout("queue_cap_snap %p already pending\n", inode);
 		kfree(capsnap);
+	} else if (ci->i_snap_realm->cached_context == empty_snapc) {
+		dout("queue_cap_snap %p empty snapc\n", inode);
+		kfree(capsnap);
 	} else if (dirty & (CEPH_CAP_AUTH_EXCL|CEPH_CAP_XATTR_EXCL|
 			    CEPH_CAP_FILE_EXCL|CEPH_CAP_FILE_WR)) {
 		struct ceph_snap_context *snapc = ci->i_head_snapc;
@@ -925,5 +938,16 @@ out:
 	return;
 }
 
+int __init ceph_snap_init(void)
+{
+	empty_snapc = ceph_create_snap_context(0, GFP_NOFS);
+	if (!empty_snapc)
+		return -ENOMEM;
+	empty_snapc->seq = 1;
+	return 0;
+}
 
-
+void ceph_snap_exit(void)
+{
+	ceph_put_snap_context(empty_snapc);
+}
diff --git a/fs/ceph/super.c b/fs/ceph/super.c
index f6e12377335c..3b5c1e3335db 100644
--- a/fs/ceph/super.c
+++ b/fs/ceph/super.c
@@ -1028,15 +1028,20 @@ static int __init init_ceph(void)
 
 	ceph_flock_init();
 	ceph_xattr_init();
+	ret = ceph_snap_init();
+	if (ret)
+		goto out_xattr;
 	ret = register_filesystem(&ceph_fs_type);
 	if (ret)
-		goto out_icache;
+		goto out_snap;
 
 	pr_info("loaded (mds proto %d)\n", CEPH_MDSC_PROTOCOL);
 
 	return 0;
 
-out_icache:
+out_snap:
+	ceph_snap_exit();
+out_xattr:
 	ceph_xattr_exit();
 	destroy_caches();
 out:
@@ -1047,6 +1052,7 @@ static void __exit exit_ceph(void)
 {
 	dout("exit_ceph\n");
 	unregister_filesystem(&ceph_fs_type);
+	ceph_snap_exit();
 	ceph_xattr_exit();
 	destroy_caches();
 }
diff --git a/fs/ceph/super.h b/fs/ceph/super.h
index aca22879b41f..fc1c8255dead 100644
--- a/fs/ceph/super.h
+++ b/fs/ceph/super.h
@@ -699,6 +699,8 @@ extern void ceph_queue_cap_snap(struct ceph_inode_info *ci);
 extern int __ceph_finish_cap_snap(struct ceph_inode_info *ci,
 				  struct ceph_cap_snap *capsnap);
 extern void ceph_cleanup_empty_realms(struct ceph_mds_client *mdsc);
+extern int ceph_snap_init(void);
+extern void ceph_snap_exit(void);
 
 /*
  * a cap_snap is "pending" if it is still awaiting an in-progress