diff --git a/fs/reiserfs/journal.c b/fs/reiserfs/journal.c
index e8870de4627e..a88b1b3e7db3 100644
--- a/fs/reiserfs/journal.c
+++ b/fs/reiserfs/journal.c
@@ -1947,8 +1947,6 @@ static int do_journal_release(struct reiserfs_transaction_handle *th,
 		}
 	}
 
-	/* wait for all commits to finish */
-	cancel_delayed_work(&SB_JOURNAL(sb)->j_work);
 
 	/*
 	 * We must release the write lock here because
@@ -1956,8 +1954,14 @@ static int do_journal_release(struct reiserfs_transaction_handle *th,
 	 */
 	reiserfs_write_unlock(sb);
 
+	/*
+	 * Cancel flushing of old commits. Note that neither of these works
+	 * will be requeued because superblock is being shutdown and doesn't
+	 * have MS_ACTIVE set.
+	 */
 	cancel_delayed_work_sync(&REISERFS_SB(sb)->old_work);
-	flush_workqueue(REISERFS_SB(sb)->commit_wq);
+	/* wait for all commits to finish */
+	cancel_delayed_work_sync(&SB_JOURNAL(sb)->j_work);
 
 	free_journal_ram(sb);
 
@@ -4292,9 +4296,15 @@ static int do_journal_end(struct reiserfs_transaction_handle *th, int flags)
 	if (flush) {
 		flush_commit_list(sb, jl, 1);
 		flush_journal_list(sb, jl, 1);
-	} else if (!(jl->j_state & LIST_COMMIT_PENDING))
-		queue_delayed_work(REISERFS_SB(sb)->commit_wq,
-				   &journal->j_work, HZ / 10);
+	} else if (!(jl->j_state & LIST_COMMIT_PENDING)) {
+		/*
+		 * Avoid queueing work when sb is being shut down. Transaction
+		 * will be flushed on journal shutdown.
+		 */
+		if (sb->s_flags & MS_ACTIVE)
+			queue_delayed_work(REISERFS_SB(sb)->commit_wq,
+					   &journal->j_work, HZ / 10);
+	}
 
 	/*
 	 * if the next transaction has any chance of wrapping, flush
diff --git a/fs/reiserfs/super.c b/fs/reiserfs/super.c
index a392cef6acc6..5fd8f57e07fc 100644
--- a/fs/reiserfs/super.c
+++ b/fs/reiserfs/super.c
@@ -100,7 +100,11 @@ void reiserfs_schedule_old_flush(struct super_block *s)
 	struct reiserfs_sb_info *sbi = REISERFS_SB(s);
 	unsigned long delay;
 
-	if (s->s_flags & MS_RDONLY)
+	/*
+	 * Avoid scheduling flush when sb is being shut down. It can race
+	 * with journal shutdown and free still queued delayed work.
+	 */
+	if (s->s_flags & MS_RDONLY || !(s->s_flags & MS_ACTIVE))
 		return;
 
 	spin_lock(&sbi->old_work_lock);