diff --git a/drivers/md/bcache/util.c b/drivers/md/bcache/util.c
index 176d3c2ef5f5cf8b69ed425c504a204ca520dffb..4dbe37e828778790f41ae999158cca2e6938eab0 100644
--- a/drivers/md/bcache/util.c
+++ b/drivers/md/bcache/util.c
@@ -232,8 +232,14 @@ uint64_t bch_next_delay(struct bch_ratelimit *d, uint64_t done)
 
 	d->next += div_u64(done * NSEC_PER_SEC, d->rate);
 
-	if (time_before64(now + NSEC_PER_SEC, d->next))
-		d->next = now + NSEC_PER_SEC;
+	/* Bound the time.  Don't let us fall further than 2 seconds behind
+	 * (this prevents unnecessary backlog that would make it impossible
+	 * to catch up).  If we're ahead of the desired writeback rate,
+	 * don't let us sleep more than 2.5 seconds (so we can notice/respond
+	 * if the control system tells us to speed up!).
+	 */
+	if (time_before64(now + NSEC_PER_SEC * 5 / 2, d->next))
+		d->next = now + NSEC_PER_SEC * 5 / 2;
 
 	if (time_after64(now - NSEC_PER_SEC * 2, d->next))
 		d->next = now - NSEC_PER_SEC * 2;
diff --git a/drivers/md/bcache/writeback.c b/drivers/md/bcache/writeback.c
index cac8678da5d06cae2461d91d19198b0fee7e44b0..8deb721c355e90b0c03a4aa1a0925013b08fd0a3 100644
--- a/drivers/md/bcache/writeback.c
+++ b/drivers/md/bcache/writeback.c
@@ -526,7 +526,7 @@ void bch_cached_dev_writeback_init(struct cached_dev *dc)
 	dc->writeback_percent		= 10;
 	dc->writeback_delay		= 30;
 	dc->writeback_rate.rate		= 1024;
-	dc->writeback_rate_minimum	= 1;
+	dc->writeback_rate_minimum	= 8;
 
 	dc->writeback_rate_update_seconds = 5;
 	dc->writeback_rate_p_term_inverse = 40;