diff --git a/fs/btrfs/ctree.h b/fs/btrfs/ctree.h
index eaf286a..4c3c20b 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/ctree.h
+++ b/fs/btrfs/ctree.h
@@ -863,6 +863,7 @@ struct btrfs_fs_info {
 	struct btrfs_transaction *running_transaction;
 	wait_queue_head_t transaction_throttle;
 	wait_queue_head_t transaction_wait;
+	wait_queue_head_t transaction_blocked_wait;
 	wait_queue_head_t async_submit_wait;
 
 	struct btrfs_super_block super_copy;
diff --git a/fs/btrfs/disk-io.c b/fs/btrfs/disk-io.c
index 64f1008..034abc6 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/disk-io.c
+++ b/fs/btrfs/disk-io.c
@@ -1680,6 +1680,7 @@ struct btrfs_root *open_ctree(struct super_block *sb,
 
 	init_waitqueue_head(&fs_info->transaction_throttle);
 	init_waitqueue_head(&fs_info->transaction_wait);
+	init_waitqueue_head(&fs_info->transaction_blocked_wait);
 	init_waitqueue_head(&fs_info->async_submit_wait);
 
 	__setup_root(4096, 4096, 4096, 4096, tree_root,
diff --git a/fs/btrfs/transaction.c b/fs/btrfs/transaction.c
index bf399ea..d720106 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/transaction.c
+++ b/fs/btrfs/transaction.c
@@ -988,6 +988,123 @@ int btrfs_transaction_blocked(struct btrfs_fs_info *info)
 	return ret;
 }
 
+/*
+ * wait for the current transaction commit to start and block subsequent
+ * transaction joins
+ */
+static void wait_current_trans_commit_start(struct btrfs_root *root,
+					    struct btrfs_transaction *trans)
+{
+	DEFINE_WAIT(wait);
+
+	if (trans->in_commit)
+		return;
+
+	while (1) {
+		prepare_to_wait(&root->fs_info->transaction_blocked_wait, &wait,
+				TASK_UNINTERRUPTIBLE);
+		if (trans->in_commit) {
+			finish_wait(&root->fs_info->transaction_blocked_wait,
+				    &wait);
+			break;
+		}
+		mutex_unlock(&root->fs_info->trans_mutex);
+		schedule();
+		mutex_lock(&root->fs_info->trans_mutex);
+		finish_wait(&root->fs_info->transaction_blocked_wait, &wait);
+	}
+}
+
+/*
+ * wait for the current transaction to start and then become unblocked.
+ * caller holds ref.
+ */
+static void wait_current_trans_commit_start_and_unblock(struct btrfs_root *root,
+					 struct btrfs_transaction *trans)
+{
+	DEFINE_WAIT(wait);
+
+	if (trans->commit_done || (trans->in_commit && !trans->blocked))
+		return;
+
+	while (1) {
+		prepare_to_wait(&root->fs_info->transaction_wait, &wait,
+				TASK_UNINTERRUPTIBLE);
+		if (trans->commit_done ||
+		    (trans->in_commit && !trans->blocked)) {
+			finish_wait(&root->fs_info->transaction_wait,
+				    &wait);
+			break;
+		}
+		mutex_unlock(&root->fs_info->trans_mutex);
+		schedule();
+		mutex_lock(&root->fs_info->trans_mutex);
+		finish_wait(&root->fs_info->transaction_wait,
+			    &wait);
+	}
+}
+
+/*
+ * commit transactions asynchronously. once btrfs_commit_transaction_async
+ * returns, any subsequent transaction will not be allowed to join.
+ */
+struct btrfs_async_commit {
+	struct btrfs_trans_handle *newtrans;
+	struct btrfs_root *root;
+	struct delayed_work work;
+};
+
+static void do_async_commit(struct work_struct *work)
+{
+	struct btrfs_async_commit *ac =
+		container_of(work, struct btrfs_async_commit, work.work);
+	
+	btrfs_commit_transaction(ac->newtrans, ac->root);
+	kfree(ac);
+}
+
+int btrfs_commit_transaction_async(struct btrfs_trans_handle *trans,
+				   struct btrfs_root *root,
+				   int wait_for_unblock)
+{
+	struct btrfs_async_commit *ac;
+	struct btrfs_transaction *cur_trans;
+
+	ac = kmalloc(sizeof(*ac), GFP_NOFS);
+	BUG_ON(!ac);
+
+	INIT_DELAYED_WORK(&ac->work, do_async_commit);
+	ac->root = root;
+	ac->newtrans = btrfs_join_transaction(root, 0);
+
+	/* take transaction reference */
+	mutex_lock(&root->fs_info->trans_mutex);
+	cur_trans = trans->transaction;
+	cur_trans->use_count++;
+	mutex_unlock(&root->fs_info->trans_mutex);
+
+	btrfs_end_transaction(trans, root);
+	schedule_delayed_work(&ac->work, 0);
+
+	/* wait for transaction to start and unblock */
+	mutex_lock(&root->fs_info->trans_mutex);
+	if (wait_for_unblock)
+		wait_current_trans_commit_start_and_unblock(root, cur_trans);
+	else
+		wait_current_trans_commit_start(root, cur_trans);
+	put_transaction(cur_trans);
+	mutex_unlock(&root->fs_info->trans_mutex);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+/*
+ * btrfs_transaction state sequence:
+ *    in_commit = 0, blocked = 0  (initial)
+ *    in_commit = 1, blocked = 1
+ *    blocked = 0
+ *    commit_done = 1
+ */
 int btrfs_commit_transaction(struct btrfs_trans_handle *trans,
 			     struct btrfs_root *root)
 {
@@ -1038,6 +1155,8 @@ int btrfs_commit_transaction(struct btrfs_trans_handle *trans,
 
 	trans->transaction->in_commit = 1;
 	trans->transaction->blocked = 1;
+	wake_up(&root->fs_info->transaction_blocked_wait);
+
 	if (cur_trans->list.prev != &root->fs_info->trans_list) {
 		prev_trans = list_entry(cur_trans->list.prev,
 					struct btrfs_transaction, list);
diff --git a/fs/btrfs/transaction.h b/fs/btrfs/transaction.h
index e104986..8972c62 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/transaction.h
+++ b/fs/btrfs/transaction.h
@@ -104,6 +104,9 @@ int btrfs_defrag_root(struct btrfs_root *root, int cacheonly);
 int btrfs_clean_old_snapshots(struct btrfs_root *root);
 int btrfs_commit_transaction(struct btrfs_trans_handle *trans,
 			     struct btrfs_root *root);
+int btrfs_commit_transaction_async(struct btrfs_trans_handle *trans,
+				   struct btrfs_root *root,
+				   int wait_for_unblock);
 int btrfs_end_transaction_throttle(struct btrfs_trans_handle *trans,
 				   struct btrfs_root *root);
 int btrfs_should_end_transaction(struct btrfs_trans_handle *trans,
