return sprintf(page, "%s\n", type);
 }
 
-static void stop_sync_thread(struct mddev *mddev)
+/**
+ * stop_sync_thread() - wait for sync_thread to stop if it's running.
+ * @mddev:     the array.
+ * @locked:    if set, reconfig_mutex will still be held after this function
+ *             return; if not set, reconfig_mutex will be released after this
+ *             function return.
+ * @check_seq: if set, only wait for curent running sync_thread to stop, noted
+ *             that new sync_thread can still start.
+ */
+static void stop_sync_thread(struct mddev *mddev, bool locked, bool check_seq)
 {
-       if (!test_bit(MD_RECOVERY_RUNNING, &mddev->recovery))
-               return;
+       int sync_seq;
 
-       if (mddev_lock(mddev))
-               return;
+       if (check_seq)
+               sync_seq = atomic_read(&mddev->sync_seq);
 
-       /*
-        * Check again in case MD_RECOVERY_RUNNING is cleared before lock is
-        * held.
-        */
        if (!test_bit(MD_RECOVERY_RUNNING, &mddev->recovery)) {
-               mddev_unlock(mddev);
+               if (!locked)
+                       mddev_unlock(mddev);
                return;
        }
 
-       if (work_pending(&mddev->sync_work))
-               flush_workqueue(md_misc_wq);
+       mddev_unlock(mddev);
 
        set_bit(MD_RECOVERY_INTR, &mddev->recovery);
        /*
         * never happen
         */
        md_wakeup_thread_directly(mddev->sync_thread);
+       if (work_pending(&mddev->sync_work))
+               flush_work(&mddev->sync_work);
 
-       mddev_unlock(mddev);
+       wait_event(resync_wait,
+                  !test_bit(MD_RECOVERY_RUNNING, &mddev->recovery) ||
+                  (check_seq && sync_seq != atomic_read(&mddev->sync_seq)));
+
+       if (locked)
+               mddev_lock_nointr(mddev);
 }
 
 static void idle_sync_thread(struct mddev *mddev)
 {
-       int sync_seq = atomic_read(&mddev->sync_seq);
-
        mutex_lock(&mddev->sync_mutex);
        clear_bit(MD_RECOVERY_FROZEN, &mddev->recovery);
-       stop_sync_thread(mddev);
 
-       wait_event(resync_wait, sync_seq != atomic_read(&mddev->sync_seq) ||
-                       !test_bit(MD_RECOVERY_RUNNING, &mddev->recovery));
+       if (mddev_lock(mddev)) {
+               mutex_unlock(&mddev->sync_mutex);
+               return;
+       }
 
+       stop_sync_thread(mddev, false, true);
        mutex_unlock(&mddev->sync_mutex);
 }
 
 {
        mutex_lock(&mddev->sync_mutex);
        set_bit(MD_RECOVERY_FROZEN, &mddev->recovery);
-       stop_sync_thread(mddev);
 
-       wait_event(resync_wait, mddev->sync_thread == NULL &&
-                       !test_bit(MD_RECOVERY_RUNNING, &mddev->recovery));
+       if (mddev_lock(mddev)) {
+               mutex_unlock(&mddev->sync_mutex);
+               return;
+       }
 
+       stop_sync_thread(mddev, false, false);
        mutex_unlock(&mddev->sync_mutex);
 }
 
 
 static void __md_stop_writes(struct mddev *mddev)
 {
-       set_bit(MD_RECOVERY_FROZEN, &mddev->recovery);
-       if (work_pending(&mddev->sync_work))
-               flush_workqueue(md_misc_wq);
-       if (mddev->sync_thread) {
-               set_bit(MD_RECOVERY_INTR, &mddev->recovery);
-               md_reap_sync_thread(mddev);
-       }
-
+       stop_sync_thread(mddev, true, false);
        del_timer_sync(&mddev->safemode_timer);
 
        if (mddev->pers && mddev->pers->quiesce) {
                set_bit(MD_RECOVERY_FROZEN, &mddev->recovery);
                md_wakeup_thread(mddev->thread);
        }
-       if (test_bit(MD_RECOVERY_RUNNING, &mddev->recovery))
-               set_bit(MD_RECOVERY_INTR, &mddev->recovery);
-
-       /*
-        * Thread might be blocked waiting for metadata update which will now
-        * never happen
-        */
-       md_wakeup_thread_directly(mddev->sync_thread);
 
-       mddev_unlock(mddev);
-       wait_event(resync_wait, !test_bit(MD_RECOVERY_RUNNING,
-                                         &mddev->recovery));
+       stop_sync_thread(mddev, false, false);
        wait_event(mddev->sb_wait,
                   !test_bit(MD_SB_CHANGE_PENDING, &mddev->sb_flags));
        mddev_lock_nointr(mddev);
                set_bit(MD_RECOVERY_FROZEN, &mddev->recovery);
                md_wakeup_thread(mddev->thread);
        }
-       if (test_bit(MD_RECOVERY_RUNNING, &mddev->recovery))
-               set_bit(MD_RECOVERY_INTR, &mddev->recovery);
 
-       /*
-        * Thread might be blocked waiting for metadata update which will now
-        * never happen
-        */
-       md_wakeup_thread_directly(mddev->sync_thread);
-
-       mddev_unlock(mddev);
-       wait_event(resync_wait, (mddev->sync_thread == NULL &&
-                                !test_bit(MD_RECOVERY_RUNNING,
-                                          &mddev->recovery)));
-       mddev_lock_nointr(mddev);
+       stop_sync_thread(mddev, true, false);
 
        mutex_lock(&mddev->open_mutex);
        if ((mddev->pers && atomic_read(&mddev->openers) > !!bdev) ||