diff --git a/fs/jbd2/commit.c b/fs/jbd2/commit.c
index 0cd7439470fc..84663ff7dc50 100644
--- a/fs/jbd2/commit.c
+++ b/fs/jbd2/commit.c
@@ -777,9 +777,9 @@ start_journal_io:
 	/*
 	 * If the journal is not located on the file system device,
 	 * then we must flush the file system device before we issue
-	 * the commit record
+	 * the commit record and update the journal tail sequence.
 	 */
-	if (commit_transaction->t_need_data_flush &&
+	if ((commit_transaction->t_need_data_flush || update_tail) &&
 	    (journal->j_fs_dev != journal->j_dev) &&
 	    (journal->j_flags & JBD2_BARRIER))
 		blkdev_issue_flush(journal->j_fs_dev);