diff --git a/fs/jbd2/checkpoint.c b/fs/jbd2/checkpoint.c
index 5247e7ffdcb46d400e10681535a5728ef8006ad8..524800dce207a3fb577fa82b8812a9012621cb60 100644
--- a/fs/jbd2/checkpoint.c
+++ b/fs/jbd2/checkpoint.c
@@ -299,6 +299,16 @@ static int __process_buffer(journal_t *journal, struct journal_head *jh,
 		transaction->t_chp_stats.cs_forced_to_close++;
 		spin_unlock(&journal->j_list_lock);
 		jbd_unlock_bh_state(bh);
+		if (unlikely(journal->j_flags & JBD2_UNMOUNT))
+			/*
+			 * The journal thread is dead; so starting and
+			 * waiting for a commit to finish will cause
+			 * us to wait for a _very_ long time.
+			 */
+			printk(KERN_ERR "JBD2: %s: "
+			       "Waiting for Godot: block %llu\n",
+			       journal->j_devname,
+			       (unsigned long long) bh->b_blocknr);
 		jbd2_log_start_commit(journal, tid);
 		jbd2_log_wait_commit(journal, tid);
 		ret = 1;
diff --git a/fs/jbd2/transaction.c b/fs/jbd2/transaction.c
index f3479d6e0a83a31c616ab19f260a9062a5a5a5db..6bf0a242613ec54fb3186931031262e48329f2c6 100644
--- a/fs/jbd2/transaction.c
+++ b/fs/jbd2/transaction.c
@@ -156,6 +156,7 @@ static int start_this_handle(journal_t *journal, handle_t *handle,
 	 */
 repeat:
 	read_lock(&journal->j_state_lock);
+	BUG_ON(journal->j_flags & JBD2_UNMOUNT);
 	if (is_journal_aborted(journal) ||
 	    (journal->j_errno != 0 && !(journal->j_flags & JBD2_ACK_ERR))) {
 		read_unlock(&journal->j_state_lock);