diff --git a/kmod/src/alloc.c b/kmod/src/alloc.c
index 709f3b78..48307ebc 100644
--- a/kmod/src/alloc.c
+++ b/kmod/src/alloc.c
@@ -270,8 +270,7 @@ int scoutfs_alloc_dirty_ring(struct super_block *sb)
 		kfree(pend);
 	}
 
-	scoutfs_treap_dirty_ring(sal->treap);
-	scoutfs_treap_update_root(&super->alloc_treap_root, sal->treap);
+	scoutfs_treap_dirty_ring(sal->treap, &super->alloc_treap_root);
 	ret = 0;
 out:
 	up_write(&sal->rwsem);
diff --git a/kmod/src/manifest.c b/kmod/src/manifest.c
index e10d811e..01266a52 100644
--- a/kmod/src/manifest.c
+++ b/kmod/src/manifest.c
@@ -612,8 +612,7 @@ int scoutfs_manifest_dirty_ring(struct super_block *sb)
 	struct scoutfs_super_block *super = &sbi->super;
 
 	down_write(&mani->rwsem);
-	scoutfs_treap_dirty_ring(mani->treap);
-	scoutfs_treap_update_root(&super->manifest.root, mani->treap);
+	scoutfs_treap_dirty_ring(mani->treap, &super->manifest.root);
 	up_write(&mani->rwsem);
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/kmod/src/treap.c b/kmod/src/treap.c
index 692b25a2..f458aa76 100644
--- a/kmod/src/treap.c
+++ b/kmod/src/treap.c
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@ struct scoutfs_treap {
 	struct scoutfs_super_block *super;
 	struct scoutfs_treap_ops *ops;
 	struct treap_ref root_ref;
+	bool dirty;
 	u64 dirty_bytes;
 };
 
@@ -424,6 +425,7 @@ static bool mark_node_dirty(struct scoutfs_treap *treap, struct treap_ref *ref,
 		return false;
 
 	treap->dirty_bytes += node_ring_bytes(node);
+	treap->dirty = true;
 
 	node->off = tinf->dirty_off;
 	node->gen = tinf->dirty_gen;
@@ -1030,7 +1032,7 @@ out:
 
 int scoutfs_treap_has_dirty(struct scoutfs_treap *treap)
 {
-	return !!(treap->root_ref.aug_bits & SCOUTFS_TREAP_AUG_DIRTY);
+	return treap->dirty;
 }
 
 static void *pages_off_ptr(struct treap_info *tinf)
@@ -1135,7 +1137,8 @@ static void copy_node_to_ring(struct scoutfs_treap *treap,
  *
  * This is called for multiple treaps before the ring is written.
  */
-int scoutfs_treap_dirty_ring(struct scoutfs_treap *treap)
+int scoutfs_treap_dirty_ring(struct scoutfs_treap *treap,
+			     struct scoutfs_treap_root *root)
 {
 	struct treap_node *node;
 	unsigned bytes;
@@ -1168,7 +1171,13 @@ int scoutfs_treap_dirty_ring(struct scoutfs_treap *treap)
 		}
 	}
 
+	/* point the persistent super root at the treap we wrote to the ring */
+	root->ref.off = cpu_to_le64(treap->root_ref.off);
+	root->ref.gen = cpu_to_le64(treap->root_ref.gen);
+	root->ref.aug_bits = treap->root_ref.aug_bits;
+
 	treap->dirty_bytes = 0;
+	treap->dirty = false;
 	ret = 0;
 out:
 	return ret;
@@ -1258,14 +1267,6 @@ struct scoutfs_treap *scoutfs_treap_alloc(struct super_block *sb,
 	return treap;
 }
 
-void scoutfs_treap_update_root(struct scoutfs_treap_root *root,
-			       struct scoutfs_treap *treap)
-{
-	root->ref.off = cpu_to_le64(treap->root_ref.off);
-	root->ref.gen = cpu_to_le64(treap->root_ref.gen);
-	root->ref.aug_bits = treap->root_ref.aug_bits;
-}
-
 /*
  * Free all the allocated nodes in the treap and clear the root.
  */
diff --git a/kmod/src/treap.h b/kmod/src/treap.h
index e69fbde1..497d742a 100644
--- a/kmod/src/treap.h
+++ b/kmod/src/treap.h
@@ -18,8 +18,6 @@ struct scoutfs_treap_ops {
 struct scoutfs_treap *scoutfs_treap_alloc(struct super_block *sb,
 					  struct scoutfs_treap_ops *ops,
 					  struct scoutfs_treap_root *root);
-void scoutfs_treap_update_root(struct scoutfs_treap_root *root,
-			       struct scoutfs_treap *treap);
 void scoutfs_treap_free(struct scoutfs_treap *treap);
 
 void *scoutfs_treap_insert(struct scoutfs_treap *treap, void *key, u16 bytes,
@@ -38,7 +36,8 @@ void *scoutfs_treap_next(struct scoutfs_treap *treap, void *data);
 void *scoutfs_treap_prev(struct scoutfs_treap *treap, void *data);
 
 int scoutfs_treap_has_dirty(struct scoutfs_treap *treap);
-int scoutfs_treap_dirty_ring(struct scoutfs_treap *treap);
+int scoutfs_treap_dirty_ring(struct scoutfs_treap *treap,
+			     struct scoutfs_treap_root *root);
 int scoutfs_treap_submit_write(struct super_block *sb,
 			       struct scoutfs_bio_completion *comp);