diff --git a/fs/block_dev.c b/fs/block_dev.c
index 2dc9c73a4cb2..79272cdbe827 100644
--- a/fs/block_dev.c
+++ b/fs/block_dev.c
@@ -1857,6 +1857,16 @@ static void __blkdev_put(struct block_device *bdev, fmode_t mode, int for_part)
 	struct gendisk *disk = bdev->bd_disk;
 	struct block_device *victim = NULL;
 
+	/*
+	 * Sync early if it looks like we're the last one.  If someone else
+	 * opens the block device between now and the decrement of bd_openers
+	 * then we did a sync that we didn't need to, but that's not the end
+	 * of the world and we want to avoid long (could be several minute)
+	 * syncs while holding the mutex.
+	 */
+	if (bdev->bd_openers == 1)
+		sync_blockdev(bdev);
+
 	mutex_lock_nested(&bdev->bd_mutex, for_part);
 	if (for_part)
 		bdev->bd_part_count--;