unsigned int idx, bool idle)
 {
        struct dm_zone *dzone = NULL;
-       struct dm_zone *zone, *last = NULL;
+       struct dm_zone *zone, *maxw_z = NULL;
        struct list_head *zone_list;
 
        /* If we have cache zones select from the cache zone list */
        } else
                zone_list = &zmd->dev[idx].map_rnd_list;
 
+       /*
+        * Find the buffer zone with the heaviest weight or the first (oldest)
+        * data zone that can be reclaimed.
+        */
        list_for_each_entry(zone, zone_list, link) {
                if (dmz_is_buf(zone)) {
                        dzone = zone->bzone;
-                       if (dzone->dev->dev_idx != idx)
+                       if (dmz_is_rnd(dzone) && dzone->dev->dev_idx != idx)
                                continue;
-                       if (!last) {
-                               last = dzone;
-                               continue;
-                       }
-                       if (last->weight < dzone->weight)
+                       if (!maxw_z || maxw_z->weight < dzone->weight)
+                               maxw_z = dzone;
+               } else {
+                       dzone = zone;
+                       if (dmz_lock_zone_reclaim(dzone))
+                               return dzone;
+               }
+       }
+
+       if (maxw_z && dmz_lock_zone_reclaim(maxw_z))
+               return maxw_z;
+
+       /*
+        * If we come here, none of the zones inspected could be locked for
+        * reclaim. Try again, being more aggressive, that is, find the
+        * first zone that can be reclaimed regardless of its weitght.
+        */
+       list_for_each_entry(zone, zone_list, link) {
+               if (dmz_is_buf(zone)) {
+                       dzone = zone->bzone;
+                       if (dmz_is_rnd(dzone) && dzone->dev->dev_idx != idx)
                                continue;
-                       dzone = last;
                } else
                        dzone = zone;
                if (dmz_lock_zone_reclaim(dzone))