diff --git a/daemon/graphdriver/btrfs/btrfs.go b/daemon/graphdriver/btrfs/btrfs.go
index d9750c95b2..48388f72fe 100644
--- a/daemon/graphdriver/btrfs/btrfs.go
+++ b/daemon/graphdriver/btrfs/btrfs.go
@@ -256,10 +256,14 @@ func (d *Driver) Create(id, parent, mountLabel string) error {
 			return err
 		}
 	} else {
-		parentDir, err := d.Get(parent, "")
+		parentDir := d.subvolumesDirID(parent)
+		st, err := os.Stat(parentDir)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
+		if !st.IsDir() {
+			return fmt.Errorf("%s: not a direcotory", parentDir)
+		}
 		if err := subvolSnapshot(parentDir, subvolumes, id); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}