diff --git a/drivers/md/md-cluster.c b/drivers/md/md-cluster.c
index b659ef7b8daf..ad3ec7df1547 100644
--- a/drivers/md/md-cluster.c
+++ b/drivers/md/md-cluster.c
@@ -48,12 +48,26 @@ struct resync_info {
 #define		MD_CLUSTER_SUSPEND_READ_BALANCING	2
 #define		MD_CLUSTER_BEGIN_JOIN_CLUSTER		3
 
+/* Lock the send communication. This is done through
+ * bit manipulation as opposed to a mutex in order to
+ * accomodate lock and hold. See next comment.
+ */
+#define		MD_CLUSTER_SEND_LOCK			4
+/* If cluster operations must lock the communication channel,
+ * so as to perform extra operations (and no other operation
+ * is allowed on the MD, such as adding a disk. Token needs
+ * to be locked and held until the operation completes with
+ * a md_update_sb(), which would eventually release the lock.
+ */
+#define		MD_CLUSTER_SEND_LOCKED_ALREADY		5
+
 
 struct md_cluster_info {
 	/* dlm lock space and resources for clustered raid. */
 	dlm_lockspace_t *lockspace;
 	int slot_number;
 	struct completion completion;
+	struct mutex recv_mutex;
 	struct dlm_lock_resource *bitmap_lockres;
 	struct dlm_lock_resource **other_bitmap_lockres;
 	struct dlm_lock_resource *resync_lockres;
@@ -68,6 +82,7 @@ struct md_cluster_info {
 	struct dlm_lock_resource *no_new_dev_lockres;
 	struct md_thread *recv_thread;
 	struct completion newdisk_completion;
+	wait_queue_head_t wait;
 	unsigned long state;
 };
 
@@ -508,9 +523,11 @@ static void recv_daemon(struct md_thread *thread)
 	struct cluster_msg msg;
 	int ret;
 
+	mutex_lock(&cinfo->recv_mutex);
 	/*get CR on Message*/
 	if (dlm_lock_sync(message_lockres, DLM_LOCK_CR)) {
 		pr_err("md/raid1:failed to get CR on MESSAGE\n");
+		mutex_unlock(&cinfo->recv_mutex);
 		return;
 	}
 
@@ -534,33 +551,45 @@ static void recv_daemon(struct md_thread *thread)
 	ret = dlm_unlock_sync(message_lockres);
 	if (unlikely(ret != 0))
 		pr_info("unlock msg failed return %d\n", ret);
+	mutex_unlock(&cinfo->recv_mutex);
 }
 
-/* lock_comm()
+/* lock_token()
  * Takes the lock on the TOKEN lock resource so no other
  * node can communicate while the operation is underway.
- * If called again, and the TOKEN lock is alread in EX mode
- * return success. However, care must be taken that unlock_comm()
- * is called only once.
  */
-static int lock_comm(struct md_cluster_info *cinfo)
+static int lock_token(struct md_cluster_info *cinfo)
 {
 	int error;
 
-	if (cinfo->token_lockres->mode == DLM_LOCK_EX)
-		return 0;
-
 	error = dlm_lock_sync(cinfo->token_lockres, DLM_LOCK_EX);
 	if (error)
 		pr_err("md-cluster(%s:%d): failed to get EX on TOKEN (%d)\n",
 				__func__, __LINE__, error);
+
+	/* Lock the receive sequence */
+	mutex_lock(&cinfo->recv_mutex);
 	return error;
 }
 
+/* lock_comm()
+ * Sets the MD_CLUSTER_SEND_LOCK bit to lock the send channel.
+ */
+static int lock_comm(struct md_cluster_info *cinfo)
+{
+	wait_event(cinfo->wait,
+		   !test_and_set_bit(MD_CLUSTER_SEND_LOCK, &cinfo->state));
+
+	return lock_token(cinfo);
+}
+
 static void unlock_comm(struct md_cluster_info *cinfo)
 {
 	WARN_ON(cinfo->token_lockres->mode != DLM_LOCK_EX);
+	mutex_unlock(&cinfo->recv_mutex);
 	dlm_unlock_sync(cinfo->token_lockres);
+	clear_bit(MD_CLUSTER_SEND_LOCK, &cinfo->state);
+	wake_up(&cinfo->wait);
 }
 
 /* __sendmsg()
@@ -713,6 +742,8 @@ static int join(struct mddev *mddev, int nodes)
 	spin_lock_init(&cinfo->suspend_lock);
 	init_completion(&cinfo->completion);
 	set_bit(MD_CLUSTER_BEGIN_JOIN_CLUSTER, &cinfo->state);
+	init_waitqueue_head(&cinfo->wait);
+	mutex_init(&cinfo->recv_mutex);
 
 	mddev->cluster_info = cinfo;
 
@@ -843,9 +874,25 @@ static int slot_number(struct mddev *mddev)
 	return cinfo->slot_number - 1;
 }
 
+/*
+ * Check if the communication is already locked, else lock the communication
+ * channel.
+ * If it is already locked, token is in EX mode, and hence lock_token()
+ * should not be called.
+ */
 static int metadata_update_start(struct mddev *mddev)
 {
-	return lock_comm(mddev->cluster_info);
+	struct md_cluster_info *cinfo = mddev->cluster_info;
+
+	wait_event(cinfo->wait,
+		   !test_and_set_bit(MD_CLUSTER_SEND_LOCK, &cinfo->state) ||
+		   test_and_clear_bit(MD_CLUSTER_SEND_LOCKED_ALREADY, &cinfo->state));
+
+	/* If token is already locked, return 0 */
+	if (cinfo->token_lockres->mode == DLM_LOCK_EX)
+		return 0;
+
+	return lock_token(cinfo);
 }
 
 static int metadata_update_finish(struct mddev *mddev)
@@ -870,6 +917,7 @@ static int metadata_update_finish(struct mddev *mddev)
 		ret = __sendmsg(cinfo, &cmsg);
 	} else
 		pr_warn("md-cluster: No good device id found to send\n");
+	clear_bit(MD_CLUSTER_SEND_LOCKED_ALREADY, &cinfo->state);
 	unlock_comm(cinfo);
 	return ret;
 }
@@ -877,6 +925,7 @@ static int metadata_update_finish(struct mddev *mddev)
 static void metadata_update_cancel(struct mddev *mddev)
 {
 	struct md_cluster_info *cinfo = mddev->cluster_info;
+	clear_bit(MD_CLUSTER_SEND_LOCKED_ALREADY, &cinfo->state);
 	unlock_comm(cinfo);
 }
 
@@ -970,14 +1019,18 @@ static int add_new_disk(struct mddev *mddev, struct md_rdev *rdev)
 		ret = -ENOENT;
 	if (ret)
 		unlock_comm(cinfo);
-	else
+	else {
 		dlm_lock_sync(cinfo->no_new_dev_lockres, DLM_LOCK_CR);
+		set_bit(MD_CLUSTER_SEND_LOCKED_ALREADY, &cinfo->state);
+		wake_up(&cinfo->wait);
+	}
 	return ret;
 }
 
 static void add_new_disk_cancel(struct mddev *mddev)
 {
 	struct md_cluster_info *cinfo = mddev->cluster_info;
+	clear_bit(MD_CLUSTER_SEND_LOCKED_ALREADY, &cinfo->state);
 	unlock_comm(cinfo);
 }