diff --git a/fs/xfs/xfs_sync.c b/fs/xfs/xfs_sync.c
index d2422683ed76..c9d3409c5ca3 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/xfs_sync.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/xfs_sync.c
@@ -386,20 +386,23 @@ xfs_sync_worker(
 	 * We shouldn't write/force the log if we are in the mount/unmount
 	 * process or on a read only filesystem. The workqueue still needs to be
 	 * active in both cases, however, because it is used for inode reclaim
-	 * during these times. hence use the MS_ACTIVE flag to avoid doing
-	 * anything in these periods.
+	 * during these times.  Use the s_umount semaphore to provide exclusion
+	 * with unmount.
 	 */
-	if (!(mp->m_super->s_flags & MS_ACTIVE) &&
-	    !(mp->m_flags & XFS_MOUNT_RDONLY)) {
-		/* dgc: errors ignored here */
-		if (mp->m_super->s_frozen == SB_UNFROZEN &&
-		    xfs_log_need_covered(mp))
-			error = xfs_fs_log_dummy(mp);
-		else
-			xfs_log_force(mp, 0);
-
-		/* start pushing all the metadata that is currently dirty */
-		xfs_ail_push_all(mp->m_ail);
+	if (down_read_trylock(&mp->m_super->s_umount)) {
+		if (!(mp->m_flags & XFS_MOUNT_RDONLY)) {
+			/* dgc: errors ignored here */
+			if (mp->m_super->s_frozen == SB_UNFROZEN &&
+			    xfs_log_need_covered(mp))
+				error = xfs_fs_log_dummy(mp);
+			else
+				xfs_log_force(mp, 0);
+
+			/* start pushing all the metadata that is currently
+			 * dirty */
+			xfs_ail_push_all(mp->m_ail);
+		}
+		up_read(&mp->m_super->s_umount);
 	}
 
 	/* queue us up again */