diff --git a/fs/xfs/linux-2.6/xfs_sync.c b/fs/xfs/linux-2.6/xfs_sync.c
index debe2822c930..9ad956052b69 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/linux-2.6/xfs_sync.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/linux-2.6/xfs_sync.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #include "xfs_log.h"
 #include "xfs_inum.h"
 #include "xfs_trans.h"
+#include "xfs_trans_priv.h"
 #include "xfs_sb.h"
 #include "xfs_ag.h"
 #include "xfs_mount.h"
@@ -462,6 +463,9 @@ xfs_sync_worker(
 		else
 			xfs_log_force(mp, 0);
 		error = xfs_qm_sync(mp, SYNC_TRYLOCK);
+
+		/* start pushing all the metadata that is currently dirty */
+		xfs_ail_push_all(mp->m_ail);
 	}
 
 	/* queue us up again */
@@ -1027,8 +1031,9 @@ xfs_reclaim_inode_shrink(
 
 	mp = container_of(shrink, struct xfs_mount, m_inode_shrink);
 	if (nr_to_scan) {
-		/* kick background reclaimer */
+		/* kick background reclaimer and push the AIL */
 		xfs_syncd_queue_reclaim(mp);
+		xfs_ail_push_all(mp->m_ail);
 
 		if (!(gfp_mask & __GFP_FS))
 			return -1;
diff --git a/fs/xfs/xfs_log.c b/fs/xfs/xfs_log.c
index 25efa9b8a602..24643169e632 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/xfs_log.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/xfs_log.c
@@ -761,7 +761,7 @@ xfs_log_need_covered(xfs_mount_t *mp)
 		break;
 	case XLOG_STATE_COVER_NEED:
 	case XLOG_STATE_COVER_NEED2:
-		if (!xfs_trans_ail_tail(log->l_ailp) &&
+		if (!xfs_ail_min_lsn(log->l_ailp) &&
 		    xlog_iclogs_empty(log)) {
 			if (log->l_covered_state == XLOG_STATE_COVER_NEED)
 				log->l_covered_state = XLOG_STATE_COVER_DONE;
@@ -801,7 +801,7 @@ xlog_assign_tail_lsn(
 	xfs_lsn_t		tail_lsn;
 	struct log		*log = mp->m_log;
 
-	tail_lsn = xfs_trans_ail_tail(mp->m_ail);
+	tail_lsn = xfs_ail_min_lsn(mp->m_ail);
 	if (!tail_lsn)
 		tail_lsn = atomic64_read(&log->l_last_sync_lsn);
 
@@ -1239,7 +1239,7 @@ xlog_grant_push_ail(
 	 * the filesystem is shutting down.
 	 */
 	if (!XLOG_FORCED_SHUTDOWN(log))
-		xfs_trans_ail_push(log->l_ailp, threshold_lsn);
+		xfs_ail_push(log->l_ailp, threshold_lsn);
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/fs/xfs/xfs_trans_ail.c b/fs/xfs/xfs_trans_ail.c
index 8012bfbc6dc0..acdb92f14d51 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/xfs_trans_ail.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/xfs_trans_ail.c
@@ -90,6 +90,20 @@ xfs_ail_min(
 	return list_first_entry(&ailp->xa_ail, xfs_log_item_t, li_ail);
 }
 
+ /*
+ * Return a pointer to the last item in the AIL.  If the AIL is empty, then
+ * return NULL.
+ */
+static xfs_log_item_t *
+xfs_ail_max(
+	struct xfs_ail  *ailp)
+{
+	if (list_empty(&ailp->xa_ail))
+		return NULL;
+
+	return list_entry(ailp->xa_ail.prev, xfs_log_item_t, li_ail);
+}
+
 /*
  * Return a pointer to the item which follows the given item in the AIL.  If
  * the given item is the last item in the list, then return NULL.
@@ -114,7 +128,7 @@ xfs_ail_next(
  * item in the AIL.
  */
 xfs_lsn_t
-xfs_trans_ail_tail(
+xfs_ail_min_lsn(
 	struct xfs_ail	*ailp)
 {
 	xfs_lsn_t	lsn = 0;
@@ -129,6 +143,25 @@ xfs_trans_ail_tail(
 	return lsn;
 }
 
+/*
+ * Return the maximum lsn held in the AIL, or zero if the AIL is empty.
+ */
+static xfs_lsn_t
+xfs_ail_max_lsn(
+	struct xfs_ail  *ailp)
+{
+	xfs_lsn_t       lsn = 0;
+	xfs_log_item_t  *lip;
+
+	spin_lock(&ailp->xa_lock);
+	lip = xfs_ail_max(ailp);
+	if (lip)
+		lsn = lip->li_lsn;
+	spin_unlock(&ailp->xa_lock);
+
+	return lsn;
+}
+
 /*
  * AIL traversal cursor initialisation.
  *
@@ -504,7 +537,7 @@ xfs_ail_worker(
  * any of the objects, so the lock is not needed.
  */
 void
-xfs_trans_ail_push(
+xfs_ail_push(
 	struct xfs_ail	*ailp,
 	xfs_lsn_t	threshold_lsn)
 {
@@ -525,6 +558,19 @@ xfs_trans_ail_push(
 		queue_delayed_work(xfs_syncd_wq, &ailp->xa_work, 0);
 }
 
+/*
+ * Push out all items in the AIL immediately
+ */
+void
+xfs_ail_push_all(
+	struct xfs_ail  *ailp)
+{
+	xfs_lsn_t       threshold_lsn = xfs_ail_max_lsn(ailp);
+
+	if (threshold_lsn)
+		xfs_ail_push(ailp, threshold_lsn);
+}
+
 /*
  * This is to be called when an item is unlocked that may have
  * been in the AIL.  It will wake up the first member of the AIL
diff --git a/fs/xfs/xfs_trans_priv.h b/fs/xfs/xfs_trans_priv.h
index 6ebd322bd37c..6b164e9e9a1f 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/xfs_trans_priv.h
+++ b/fs/xfs/xfs_trans_priv.h
@@ -104,12 +104,13 @@ xfs_trans_ail_delete(
 	xfs_trans_ail_delete_bulk(ailp, &lip, 1);
 }
 
-void			xfs_trans_ail_push(struct xfs_ail *, xfs_lsn_t);
+void			xfs_ail_push(struct xfs_ail *, xfs_lsn_t);
+void			xfs_ail_push_all(struct xfs_ail *);
+xfs_lsn_t		xfs_ail_min_lsn(struct xfs_ail *ailp);
+
 void			xfs_trans_unlocked_item(struct xfs_ail *,
 					xfs_log_item_t *);
 
-xfs_lsn_t		xfs_trans_ail_tail(struct xfs_ail *ailp);
-
 struct xfs_log_item	*xfs_trans_ail_cursor_first(struct xfs_ail *ailp,
 					struct xfs_ail_cursor *cur,
 					xfs_lsn_t lsn);