while ((k = bch2_btree_iter_peek(iter)).k &&
               !(ret = bkey_err(k))) {
                if (!bch2_bkey_has_device(k, dev_idx)) {
-                       ret = bch2_mark_bkey_replicas(c, k);
-                       if (ret)
-                               break;
                        bch2_btree_iter_next(iter);
                        continue;
                }
                        struct bkey_i_btree_ptr *new_key;
 retry:
                        if (!bch2_bkey_has_device(bkey_i_to_s_c(&b->key),
-                                                 dev_idx)) {
-                               /*
-                                * we might have found a btree node key we
-                                * needed to update, and then tried to update it
-                                * but got -EINTR after upgrading the iter, but
-                                * then raced and the node is now gone:
-                                */
-                               bch2_btree_iter_downgrade(iter);
-
-                               ret = bch2_mark_bkey_replicas(c, bkey_i_to_s_c(&b->key));
-                               if (ret)
-                                       goto err;
-                       } else {
-                               bkey_copy(&tmp.k, &b->key);
-                               new_key = bkey_i_to_btree_ptr(&tmp.k);
-
-                               ret = drop_dev_ptrs(c, bkey_i_to_s(&new_key->k_i),
-                                                   dev_idx, flags, true);
-                               if (ret)
-                                       goto err;
-
-                               ret = bch2_btree_node_update_key(c, iter, b, new_key);
-                               if (ret == -EINTR) {
-                                       b = bch2_btree_iter_peek_node(iter);
-                                       goto retry;
-                               }
-                               if (ret)
-                                       goto err;
+                                                 dev_idx))
+                               continue;
+
+                       bkey_copy(&tmp.k, &b->key);
+                       new_key = bkey_i_to_btree_ptr(&tmp.k);
+
+                       ret = drop_dev_ptrs(c, bkey_i_to_s(&new_key->k_i),
+                                           dev_idx, flags, true);
+                       if (ret) {
+                               bch_err(c, "Cannot drop device without losing data");
+                               goto err;
+                       }
+
+                       ret = bch2_btree_node_update_key(c, iter, b, new_key);
+                       if (ret == -EINTR) {
+                               b = bch2_btree_iter_peek_node(iter);
+                               goto retry;
+                       }
+                       if (ret) {
+                               bch_err(c, "Error updating btree node key: %i", ret);
+                               goto err;
                        }
                }
                bch2_trans_iter_free(&trans, iter);
                closure_wait_event(&c->btree_interior_update_wait,
                                   !bch2_btree_interior_updates_nr_pending(c) ||
                                   c->btree_roots_dirty);
+               if (c->btree_roots_dirty)
+                       bch2_journal_meta(&c->journal);
                if (!bch2_btree_interior_updates_nr_pending(c))
                        break;
-               bch2_journal_meta(&c->journal);
        }
 
        ret = 0;
 int bch2_dev_data_drop(struct bch_fs *c, unsigned dev_idx, int flags)
 {
        return bch2_dev_usrdata_drop(c, dev_idx, flags) ?:
-               bch2_dev_metadata_drop(c, dev_idx, flags) ?:
-               bch2_replicas_gc2(c);
+               bch2_dev_metadata_drop(c, dev_idx, flags);
 }
 
 
        mutex_lock(&c->state_lock);
 
-       percpu_ref_put(&ca->ref); /* XXX */
+       /*
+        * We consume a reference to ca->ref, regardless of whether we succeed
+        * or fail:
+        */
+       percpu_ref_put(&ca->ref);
 
        if (!bch2_dev_state_allowed(c, ca, BCH_MEMBER_STATE_FAILED, flags)) {
                bch_err(ca, "Cannot remove without losing data");
 
        __bch2_dev_read_only(c, ca);
 
-       /*
-        * XXX: verify that dev_idx is really not in use anymore, anywhere
-        *
-        * flag_data_bad() does not check btree pointers
-        */
        ret = bch2_dev_data_drop(c, ca->dev_idx, flags);
        if (ret) {
                bch_err(ca, "Remove failed: error %i dropping data", ret);
                goto err;
        }
 
-       data = bch2_dev_has_data(c, ca);
-       if (data) {
-               char data_has_str[100];
-
-               bch2_flags_to_text(&PBUF(data_has_str),
-                                  bch2_data_types, data);
-               bch_err(ca, "Remove failed, still has data (%s)", data_has_str);
-               ret = -EBUSY;
-               goto err;
-       }
-
        ret = bch2_btree_delete_range(c, BTREE_ID_ALLOC,
                                      POS(ca->dev_idx, 0),
                                      POS(ca->dev_idx + 1, 0),
         * (overwritten) keys that point to the device we're removing:
         */
        bch2_journal_flush_all_pins(&c->journal);
+       /*
+        * hack to ensure bch2_replicas_gc2() clears out entries to this device
+        */
+       bch2_journal_meta(&c->journal);
        ret = bch2_journal_error(&c->journal);
        if (ret) {
                bch_err(ca, "Remove failed, journal error");
                goto err;
        }
 
+       ret = bch2_replicas_gc2(c);
+       if (ret) {
+               bch_err(ca, "Remove failed: error %i from replicas gc", ret);
+               goto err;
+       }
+
+       data = bch2_dev_has_data(c, ca);
+       if (data) {
+               char data_has_str[100];
+
+               bch2_flags_to_text(&PBUF(data_has_str),
+                                  bch2_data_types, data);
+               bch_err(ca, "Remove failed, still has data (%s)", data_has_str);
+               ret = -EBUSY;
+               goto err;
+       }
+
        __bch2_dev_offline(c, ca);
 
        mutex_lock(&c->sb_lock);