diff --git a/fs/xfs/xfs_buf.c b/fs/xfs/xfs_buf.c
index 689d72655ea6..fbbb9eb92e32 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/xfs_buf.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/xfs_buf.c
@@ -1505,6 +1505,8 @@ restart:
 	while (!list_empty(&btp->bt_lru)) {
 		bp = list_first_entry(&btp->bt_lru, struct xfs_buf, b_lru);
 		if (atomic_read(&bp->b_hold) > 1) {
+			trace_xfs_buf_wait_buftarg(bp, _RET_IP_);
+			list_move_tail(&bp->b_lru, &btp->bt_lru);
 			spin_unlock(&btp->bt_lru_lock);
 			delay(100);
 			goto restart;
diff --git a/fs/xfs/xfs_buf_item.c b/fs/xfs/xfs_buf_item.c
index 77b09750e92c..3f9949fee391 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/xfs_buf_item.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/xfs_buf_item.c
@@ -652,7 +652,10 @@ xfs_buf_item_unlock(
 
 	/*
 	 * If the buf item isn't tracking any data, free it, otherwise drop the
-	 * reference we hold to it.
+	 * reference we hold to it. If we are aborting the transaction, this may
+	 * be the only reference to the buf item, so we free it anyway
+	 * regardless of whether it is dirty or not. A dirty abort implies a
+	 * shutdown, anyway.
 	 */
 	clean = 1;
 	for (i = 0; i < bip->bli_format_count; i++) {
@@ -664,7 +667,12 @@ xfs_buf_item_unlock(
 	}
 	if (clean)
 		xfs_buf_item_relse(bp);
-	else
+	else if (aborted) {
+		if (atomic_dec_and_test(&bip->bli_refcount)) {
+			ASSERT(XFS_FORCED_SHUTDOWN(lip->li_mountp));
+			xfs_buf_item_relse(bp);
+		}
+	} else
 		atomic_dec(&bip->bli_refcount);
 
 	if (!hold)
diff --git a/fs/xfs/xfs_trace.h b/fs/xfs/xfs_trace.h
index 2e137d4a85ae..16a812977eab 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/xfs_trace.h
+++ b/fs/xfs/xfs_trace.h
@@ -341,6 +341,7 @@ DEFINE_BUF_EVENT(xfs_buf_item_relse);
 DEFINE_BUF_EVENT(xfs_buf_item_iodone);
 DEFINE_BUF_EVENT(xfs_buf_item_iodone_async);
 DEFINE_BUF_EVENT(xfs_buf_error_relse);
+DEFINE_BUF_EVENT(xfs_buf_wait_buftarg);
 DEFINE_BUF_EVENT(xfs_trans_read_buf_io);
 DEFINE_BUF_EVENT(xfs_trans_read_buf_shut);