diff --git a/include/linux/mmzone.h b/include/linux/mmzone.h
index 5c76737d836b..2aaf72f7e345 100644
--- a/include/linux/mmzone.h
+++ b/include/linux/mmzone.h
@@ -495,6 +495,10 @@ typedef enum {
 	ZONE_CONGESTED,			/* zone has many dirty pages backed by
 					 * a congested BDI
 					 */
+	ZONE_TAIL_LRU_DIRTY,		/* reclaim scanning has recently found
+					 * many dirty file pages at the tail
+					 * of the LRU.
+					 */
 } zone_flags_t;
 
 static inline void zone_set_flag(struct zone *zone, zone_flags_t flag)
@@ -517,6 +521,11 @@ static inline int zone_is_reclaim_congested(const struct zone *zone)
 	return test_bit(ZONE_CONGESTED, &zone->flags);
 }
 
+static inline int zone_is_reclaim_dirty(const struct zone *zone)
+{
+	return test_bit(ZONE_TAIL_LRU_DIRTY, &zone->flags);
+}
+
 static inline int zone_is_reclaim_locked(const struct zone *zone)
 {
 	return test_bit(ZONE_RECLAIM_LOCKED, &zone->flags);
diff --git a/mm/vmscan.c b/mm/vmscan.c
index 1505c573719d..d6c916d808ba 100644
--- a/mm/vmscan.c
+++ b/mm/vmscan.c
@@ -676,13 +676,14 @@ static unsigned long shrink_page_list(struct list_head *page_list,
 				      struct zone *zone,
 				      struct scan_control *sc,
 				      enum ttu_flags ttu_flags,
-				      unsigned long *ret_nr_dirty,
+				      unsigned long *ret_nr_unqueued_dirty,
 				      unsigned long *ret_nr_writeback,
 				      bool force_reclaim)
 {
 	LIST_HEAD(ret_pages);
 	LIST_HEAD(free_pages);
 	int pgactivate = 0;
+	unsigned long nr_unqueued_dirty = 0;
 	unsigned long nr_dirty = 0;
 	unsigned long nr_congested = 0;
 	unsigned long nr_reclaimed = 0;
@@ -808,14 +809,17 @@ static unsigned long shrink_page_list(struct list_head *page_list,
 		if (PageDirty(page)) {
 			nr_dirty++;
 
+			if (!PageWriteback(page))
+				nr_unqueued_dirty++;
+
 			/*
 			 * Only kswapd can writeback filesystem pages to
-			 * avoid risk of stack overflow but do not writeback
-			 * unless under significant pressure.
+			 * avoid risk of stack overflow but only writeback
+			 * if many dirty pages have been encountered.
 			 */
 			if (page_is_file_cache(page) &&
 					(!current_is_kswapd() ||
-					 sc->priority >= DEF_PRIORITY - 2)) {
+					 !zone_is_reclaim_dirty(zone))) {
 				/*
 				 * Immediately reclaim when written back.
 				 * Similar in principal to deactivate_page()
@@ -960,7 +964,7 @@ keep:
 	list_splice(&ret_pages, page_list);
 	count_vm_events(PGACTIVATE, pgactivate);
 	mem_cgroup_uncharge_end();
-	*ret_nr_dirty += nr_dirty;
+	*ret_nr_unqueued_dirty += nr_unqueued_dirty;
 	*ret_nr_writeback += nr_writeback;
 	return nr_reclaimed;
 }
@@ -1373,6 +1377,15 @@ shrink_inactive_list(unsigned long nr_to_scan, struct lruvec *lruvec,
 			(nr_taken >> (DEF_PRIORITY - sc->priority)))
 		wait_iff_congested(zone, BLK_RW_ASYNC, HZ/10);
 
+	/*
+	 * Similarly, if many dirty pages are encountered that are not
+	 * currently being written then flag that kswapd should start
+	 * writing back pages.
+	 */
+	if (global_reclaim(sc) && nr_dirty &&
+			nr_dirty >= (nr_taken >> (DEF_PRIORITY - sc->priority)))
+		zone_set_flag(zone, ZONE_TAIL_LRU_DIRTY);
+
 	trace_mm_vmscan_lru_shrink_inactive(zone->zone_pgdat->node_id,
 		zone_idx(zone),
 		nr_scanned, nr_reclaimed,
@@ -2769,8 +2782,12 @@ static unsigned long balance_pgdat(pg_data_t *pgdat, int order,
 				end_zone = i;
 				break;
 			} else {
-				/* If balanced, clear the congested flag */
+				/*
+				 * If balanced, clear the dirty and congested
+				 * flags
+				 */
 				zone_clear_flag(zone, ZONE_CONGESTED);
+				zone_clear_flag(zone, ZONE_TAIL_LRU_DIRTY);
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -2888,8 +2905,10 @@ static unsigned long balance_pgdat(pg_data_t *pgdat, int order,
 				 * possible there are dirty pages backed by
 				 * congested BDIs but as pressure is relieved,
 				 * speculatively avoid congestion waits
+				 * or writing pages from kswapd context.
 				 */
 				zone_clear_flag(zone, ZONE_CONGESTED);
+				zone_clear_flag(zone, ZONE_TAIL_LRU_DIRTY);
 		}
 
 		/*