diff --git a/drivers/md/raid1.c b/drivers/md/raid1.c
index b30f74be3982..164b25dca101 100644
--- a/drivers/md/raid1.c
+++ b/drivers/md/raid1.c
@@ -775,6 +775,7 @@ static int make_request(request_queue_t *q, struct bio * bio)
 	struct bio_list bl;
 	struct page **behind_pages = NULL;
 	const int rw = bio_data_dir(bio);
+	const int do_sync = bio_sync(bio);
 	int do_barriers;
 
 	/*
@@ -835,7 +836,7 @@ static int make_request(request_queue_t *q, struct bio * bio)
 		read_bio->bi_sector = r1_bio->sector + mirror->rdev->data_offset;
 		read_bio->bi_bdev = mirror->rdev->bdev;
 		read_bio->bi_end_io = raid1_end_read_request;
-		read_bio->bi_rw = READ;
+		read_bio->bi_rw = READ | do_sync;
 		read_bio->bi_private = r1_bio;
 
 		generic_make_request(read_bio);
@@ -906,7 +907,7 @@ static int make_request(request_queue_t *q, struct bio * bio)
 		mbio->bi_sector	= r1_bio->sector + conf->mirrors[i].rdev->data_offset;
 		mbio->bi_bdev = conf->mirrors[i].rdev->bdev;
 		mbio->bi_end_io	= raid1_end_write_request;
-		mbio->bi_rw = WRITE | do_barriers;
+		mbio->bi_rw = WRITE | do_barriers | do_sync;
 		mbio->bi_private = r1_bio;
 
 		if (behind_pages) {
@@ -941,6 +942,8 @@ static int make_request(request_queue_t *q, struct bio * bio)
 	blk_plug_device(mddev->queue);
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&conf->device_lock, flags);
 
+	if (do_sync)
+		md_wakeup_thread(mddev->thread);
 #if 0
 	while ((bio = bio_list_pop(&bl)) != NULL)
 		generic_make_request(bio);
@@ -1541,6 +1544,7 @@ static void raid1d(mddev_t *mddev)
 			 * We already have a nr_pending reference on these rdevs.
 			 */
 			int i;
+			const int do_sync = bio_sync(r1_bio->master_bio);
 			clear_bit(R1BIO_BarrierRetry, &r1_bio->state);
 			clear_bit(R1BIO_Barrier, &r1_bio->state);
 			for (i=0; i < conf->raid_disks; i++)
@@ -1561,7 +1565,7 @@ static void raid1d(mddev_t *mddev)
 						conf->mirrors[i].rdev->data_offset;
 					bio->bi_bdev = conf->mirrors[i].rdev->bdev;
 					bio->bi_end_io = raid1_end_write_request;
-					bio->bi_rw = WRITE;
+					bio->bi_rw = WRITE | do_sync;
 					bio->bi_private = r1_bio;
 					r1_bio->bios[i] = bio;
 					generic_make_request(bio);
@@ -1593,6 +1597,7 @@ static void raid1d(mddev_t *mddev)
 				       (unsigned long long)r1_bio->sector);
 				raid_end_bio_io(r1_bio);
 			} else {
+				const int do_sync = bio_sync(r1_bio->master_bio);
 				r1_bio->bios[r1_bio->read_disk] =
 					mddev->ro ? IO_BLOCKED : NULL;
 				r1_bio->read_disk = disk;
@@ -1608,7 +1613,7 @@ static void raid1d(mddev_t *mddev)
 				bio->bi_sector = r1_bio->sector + rdev->data_offset;
 				bio->bi_bdev = rdev->bdev;
 				bio->bi_end_io = raid1_end_read_request;
-				bio->bi_rw = READ;
+				bio->bi_rw = READ | do_sync;
 				bio->bi_private = r1_bio;
 				unplug = 1;
 				generic_make_request(bio);
diff --git a/drivers/md/raid10.c b/drivers/md/raid10.c
index f0141910bb8d..a9401c017e35 100644
--- a/drivers/md/raid10.c
+++ b/drivers/md/raid10.c
@@ -782,6 +782,7 @@ static int make_request(request_queue_t *q, struct bio * bio)
 	int i;
 	int chunk_sects = conf->chunk_mask + 1;
 	const int rw = bio_data_dir(bio);
+	const int do_sync = bio_sync(bio);
 	struct bio_list bl;
 	unsigned long flags;
 
@@ -863,7 +864,7 @@ static int make_request(request_queue_t *q, struct bio * bio)
 			mirror->rdev->data_offset;
 		read_bio->bi_bdev = mirror->rdev->bdev;
 		read_bio->bi_end_io = raid10_end_read_request;
-		read_bio->bi_rw = READ;
+		read_bio->bi_rw = READ | do_sync;
 		read_bio->bi_private = r10_bio;
 
 		generic_make_request(read_bio);
@@ -909,7 +910,7 @@ static int make_request(request_queue_t *q, struct bio * bio)
 			conf->mirrors[d].rdev->data_offset;
 		mbio->bi_bdev = conf->mirrors[d].rdev->bdev;
 		mbio->bi_end_io	= raid10_end_write_request;
-		mbio->bi_rw = WRITE;
+		mbio->bi_rw = WRITE | do_sync;
 		mbio->bi_private = r10_bio;
 
 		atomic_inc(&r10_bio->remaining);
@@ -922,6 +923,9 @@ static int make_request(request_queue_t *q, struct bio * bio)
 	blk_plug_device(mddev->queue);
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&conf->device_lock, flags);
 
+	if (do_sync)
+		md_wakeup_thread(mddev->thread);
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -1563,6 +1567,7 @@ static void raid10d(mddev_t *mddev)
 				       (unsigned long long)r10_bio->sector);
 				raid_end_bio_io(r10_bio);
 			} else {
+				const int do_sync = bio_sync(r10_bio->master_bio);
 				rdev = conf->mirrors[mirror].rdev;
 				if (printk_ratelimit())
 					printk(KERN_ERR "raid10: %s: redirecting sector %llu to"
@@ -1574,7 +1579,7 @@ static void raid10d(mddev_t *mddev)
 				bio->bi_sector = r10_bio->devs[r10_bio->read_slot].addr
 					+ rdev->data_offset;
 				bio->bi_bdev = rdev->bdev;
-				bio->bi_rw = READ;
+				bio->bi_rw = READ | do_sync;
 				bio->bi_private = r10_bio;
 				bio->bi_end_io = raid10_end_read_request;
 				unplug = 1;