diff --git a/mm/vmscan.c b/mm/vmscan.c
index 095817820a56..1638814c7848 100644
--- a/mm/vmscan.c
+++ b/mm/vmscan.c
@@ -1743,9 +1743,15 @@ shrink_inactive_list(unsigned long nr_to_scan, struct lruvec *lruvec,
 	int file = is_file_lru(lru);
 	struct pglist_data *pgdat = lruvec_pgdat(lruvec);
 	struct zone_reclaim_stat *reclaim_stat = &lruvec->reclaim_stat;
+	bool stalled = false;
 
 	while (unlikely(too_many_isolated(pgdat, file, sc))) {
-		congestion_wait(BLK_RW_ASYNC, HZ/10);
+		if (stalled)
+			return 0;
+
+		/* wait a bit for the reclaimer. */
+		msleep(100);
+		stalled = true;
 
 		/* We are about to die and free our memory. Return now. */
 		if (fatal_signal_pending(current))