diff --git a/fs/xfs/linux-2.6/xfs_super.c b/fs/xfs/linux-2.6/xfs_super.c
index c51faaa5e291..af32f375ca96 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/linux-2.6/xfs_super.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/linux-2.6/xfs_super.c
@@ -1413,7 +1413,7 @@ xfs_fs_freeze(
 
 	xfs_save_resvblks(mp);
 	xfs_quiesce_attr(mp);
-	return -xfs_fs_log_dummy(mp, SYNC_WAIT);
+	return -xfs_fs_log_dummy(mp);
 }
 
 STATIC int
diff --git a/fs/xfs/linux-2.6/xfs_sync.c b/fs/xfs/linux-2.6/xfs_sync.c
index a02480de9759..e22f0057d21f 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/linux-2.6/xfs_sync.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/linux-2.6/xfs_sync.c
@@ -362,7 +362,7 @@ xfs_quiesce_data(
 
 	/* mark the log as covered if needed */
 	if (xfs_log_need_covered(mp))
-		error2 = xfs_fs_log_dummy(mp, SYNC_WAIT);
+		error2 = xfs_fs_log_dummy(mp);
 
 	/* flush data-only devices */
 	if (mp->m_rtdev_targp)
@@ -503,13 +503,14 @@ xfs_sync_worker(
 	int		error;
 
 	if (!(mp->m_flags & XFS_MOUNT_RDONLY)) {
-		xfs_log_force(mp, 0);
-		xfs_reclaim_inodes(mp, 0);
 		/* dgc: errors ignored here */
-		error = xfs_qm_sync(mp, SYNC_TRYLOCK);
 		if (mp->m_super->s_frozen == SB_UNFROZEN &&
 		    xfs_log_need_covered(mp))
-			error = xfs_fs_log_dummy(mp, 0);
+			error = xfs_fs_log_dummy(mp);
+		else
+			xfs_log_force(mp, 0);
+		xfs_reclaim_inodes(mp, 0);
+		error = xfs_qm_sync(mp, SYNC_TRYLOCK);
 	}
 	mp->m_sync_seq++;
 	wake_up(&mp->m_wait_single_sync_task);
diff --git a/fs/xfs/xfs_fsops.c b/fs/xfs/xfs_fsops.c
index f56d30e8040c..cec89dd5d7d2 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/xfs_fsops.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/xfs_fsops.c
@@ -612,12 +612,13 @@ xfs_reserve_blocks(
  *
  * We cannot use an inode here for this - that will push dirty state back up
  * into the VFS and then periodic inode flushing will prevent log covering from
- * making progress. Hence we log a field in the superblock instead.
+ * making progress. Hence we log a field in the superblock instead and use a
+ * synchronous transaction to ensure the superblock is immediately unpinned
+ * and can be written back.
  */
 int
 xfs_fs_log_dummy(
-	xfs_mount_t	*mp,
-	int		flags)
+	xfs_mount_t	*mp)
 {
 	xfs_trans_t	*tp;
 	int		error;
@@ -632,8 +633,7 @@ xfs_fs_log_dummy(
 
 	/* log the UUID because it is an unchanging field */
 	xfs_mod_sb(tp, XFS_SB_UUID);
-	if (flags & SYNC_WAIT)
-		xfs_trans_set_sync(tp);
+	xfs_trans_set_sync(tp);
 	return xfs_trans_commit(tp, 0);
 }
 
diff --git a/fs/xfs/xfs_fsops.h b/fs/xfs/xfs_fsops.h
index a786c5212c1e..1b6a98b66886 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/xfs_fsops.h
+++ b/fs/xfs/xfs_fsops.h
@@ -25,6 +25,6 @@ extern int xfs_fs_counts(xfs_mount_t *mp, xfs_fsop_counts_t *cnt);
 extern int xfs_reserve_blocks(xfs_mount_t *mp, __uint64_t *inval,
 				xfs_fsop_resblks_t *outval);
 extern int xfs_fs_goingdown(xfs_mount_t *mp, __uint32_t inflags);
-extern int xfs_fs_log_dummy(xfs_mount_t *mp, int flags);
+extern int xfs_fs_log_dummy(struct xfs_mount *mp);
 
 #endif	/* __XFS_FSOPS_H__ */