diff --git a/fs/fat/fat.h b/fs/fat/fat.h
index adb0e72a176d..7db0979c6b72 100644
--- a/fs/fat/fat.h
+++ b/fs/fat/fat.h
@@ -323,7 +323,7 @@ extern int fat_flush_inodes(struct super_block *sb, struct inode *i1,
 /* fat/misc.c */
 extern void fat_fs_error(struct super_block *s, const char *fmt, ...)
 	__attribute__ ((format (printf, 2, 3))) __cold;
-extern void fat_clusters_flush(struct super_block *sb);
+extern int fat_clusters_flush(struct super_block *sb);
 extern int fat_chain_add(struct inode *inode, int new_dclus, int nr_cluster);
 extern void fat_time_fat2unix(struct msdos_sb_info *sbi, struct timespec *ts,
 			      __le16 __time, __le16 __date, u8 time_cs);
diff --git a/fs/fat/inode.c b/fs/fat/inode.c
index 63a5c1a4ee60..a8a3afec8758 100644
--- a/fs/fat/inode.c
+++ b/fs/fat/inode.c
@@ -451,12 +451,16 @@ static void fat_write_super(struct super_block *sb)
 
 static int fat_sync_fs(struct super_block *sb, int wait)
 {
-	lock_super(sb);
-	fat_clusters_flush(sb);
-	sb->s_dirt = 0;
-	unlock_super(sb);
+	int err = 0;
 
-	return 0;
+	if (sb->s_dirt) {
+		lock_super(sb);
+		sb->s_dirt = 0;
+		err = fat_clusters_flush(sb);
+		unlock_super(sb);
+	}
+
+	return err;
 }
 
 static void fat_put_super(struct super_block *sb)
diff --git a/fs/fat/misc.c b/fs/fat/misc.c
index a6c20473dfd7..63785a150290 100644
--- a/fs/fat/misc.c
+++ b/fs/fat/misc.c
@@ -43,19 +43,19 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(fat_fs_error);
 
 /* Flushes the number of free clusters on FAT32 */
 /* XXX: Need to write one per FSINFO block.  Currently only writes 1 */
-void fat_clusters_flush(struct super_block *sb)
+int fat_clusters_flush(struct super_block *sb)
 {
 	struct msdos_sb_info *sbi = MSDOS_SB(sb);
 	struct buffer_head *bh;
 	struct fat_boot_fsinfo *fsinfo;
 
 	if (sbi->fat_bits != 32)
-		return;
+		return 0;
 
 	bh = sb_bread(sb, sbi->fsinfo_sector);
 	if (bh == NULL) {
 		printk(KERN_ERR "FAT: bread failed in fat_clusters_flush\n");
-		return;
+		return -EIO;
 	}
 
 	fsinfo = (struct fat_boot_fsinfo *)bh->b_data;
@@ -74,6 +74,8 @@ void fat_clusters_flush(struct super_block *sb)
 		mark_buffer_dirty(bh);
 	}
 	brelse(bh);
+
+	return 0;
 }
 
 /*