diff --git a/drivers/md/bitmap.c b/drivers/md/bitmap.c
index 7aeceedcf7d4..831aed9c56ff 100644
--- a/drivers/md/bitmap.c
+++ b/drivers/md/bitmap.c
@@ -1047,6 +1047,11 @@ void bitmap_daemon_work(struct bitmap *bitmap)
 	if (time_before(jiffies, bitmap->daemon_lastrun + bitmap->daemon_sleep*HZ))
 		return;
 	bitmap->daemon_lastrun = jiffies;
+	if (bitmap->allclean) {
+		bitmap->mddev->thread->timeout = MAX_SCHEDULE_TIMEOUT;
+		return;
+	}
+	bitmap->allclean = 1;
 
 	for (j = 0; j < bitmap->chunks; j++) {
 		bitmap_counter_t *bmc;
@@ -1068,8 +1073,10 @@ void bitmap_daemon_work(struct bitmap *bitmap)
 					clear_page_attr(bitmap, page, BITMAP_PAGE_NEEDWRITE);
 
 				spin_unlock_irqrestore(&bitmap->lock, flags);
-				if (need_write)
+				if (need_write) {
 					write_page(bitmap, page, 0);
+					bitmap->allclean = 0;
+				}
 				continue;
 			}
 
@@ -1098,6 +1105,9 @@ void bitmap_daemon_work(struct bitmap *bitmap)
 /*
   if (j < 100) printk("bitmap: j=%lu, *bmc = 0x%x\n", j, *bmc);
 */
+			if (*bmc)
+				bitmap->allclean = 0;
+
 			if (*bmc == 2) {
 				*bmc=1; /* maybe clear the bit next time */
 				set_page_attr(bitmap, page, BITMAP_PAGE_CLEAN);
@@ -1132,6 +1142,8 @@ void bitmap_daemon_work(struct bitmap *bitmap)
 		}
 	}
 
+	if (bitmap->allclean == 0)
+		bitmap->mddev->thread->timeout = bitmap->daemon_sleep * HZ;
 }
 
 static bitmap_counter_t *bitmap_get_counter(struct bitmap *bitmap,
@@ -1226,6 +1238,7 @@ int bitmap_startwrite(struct bitmap *bitmap, sector_t offset, unsigned long sect
 			sectors -= blocks;
 		else sectors = 0;
 	}
+	bitmap->allclean = 0;
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -1296,6 +1309,7 @@ int bitmap_start_sync(struct bitmap *bitmap, sector_t offset, int *blocks,
 		}
 	}
 	spin_unlock_irq(&bitmap->lock);
+	bitmap->allclean = 0;
 	return rv;
 }
 
@@ -1332,6 +1346,7 @@ void bitmap_end_sync(struct bitmap *bitmap, sector_t offset, int *blocks, int ab
 	}
  unlock:
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&bitmap->lock, flags);
+	bitmap->allclean = 0;
 }
 
 void bitmap_close_sync(struct bitmap *bitmap)
@@ -1399,7 +1414,7 @@ static void bitmap_set_memory_bits(struct bitmap *bitmap, sector_t offset, int n
 		set_page_attr(bitmap, page, BITMAP_PAGE_CLEAN);
 	}
 	spin_unlock_irq(&bitmap->lock);
-
+	bitmap->allclean = 0;
 }
 
 /* dirty the memory and file bits for bitmap chunks "s" to "e" */
diff --git a/include/linux/raid/bitmap.h b/include/linux/raid/bitmap.h
index e51b531cd0b2..47fbcba11850 100644
--- a/include/linux/raid/bitmap.h
+++ b/include/linux/raid/bitmap.h
@@ -235,6 +235,8 @@ struct bitmap {
 
 	unsigned long flags;
 
+	int allclean;
+
 	unsigned long max_write_behind; /* write-behind mode */
 	atomic_t behind_writes;