diff --git a/fs/btrfs/ctree.h b/fs/btrfs/ctree.h
index 34019c8b6158..8b1d06fa222d 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/ctree.h
+++ b/fs/btrfs/ctree.h
@@ -787,6 +787,9 @@ enum {
 	 * main phase. The fs_info::balance_ctl is initialized.
 	 */
 	BTRFS_FS_BALANCE_RUNNING,
+
+	/* Indicate that the cleaner thread is awake and doing something. */
+	BTRFS_FS_CLEANER_RUNNING,
 };
 
 struct btrfs_fs_info {
diff --git a/fs/btrfs/disk-io.c b/fs/btrfs/disk-io.c
index 18eefc5b2532..6a2a2a951705 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/disk-io.c
+++ b/fs/btrfs/disk-io.c
@@ -1682,6 +1682,8 @@ static int cleaner_kthread(void *arg)
 	while (1) {
 		again = 0;
 
+		set_bit(BTRFS_FS_CLEANER_RUNNING, &fs_info->flags);
+
 		/* Make the cleaner go to sleep early. */
 		if (btrfs_need_cleaner_sleep(fs_info))
 			goto sleep;
@@ -1728,6 +1730,7 @@ static int cleaner_kthread(void *arg)
 		 */
 		btrfs_delete_unused_bgs(fs_info);
 sleep:
+		clear_bit(BTRFS_FS_CLEANER_RUNNING, &fs_info->flags);
 		if (kthread_should_park())
 			kthread_parkme();
 		if (kthread_should_stop())
diff --git a/fs/btrfs/inode.c b/fs/btrfs/inode.c
index b6025b5d0b25..5c349667c761 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/inode.c
+++ b/fs/btrfs/inode.c
@@ -3251,6 +3251,8 @@ void btrfs_add_delayed_iput(struct inode *inode)
 	ASSERT(list_empty(&binode->delayed_iput));
 	list_add_tail(&binode->delayed_iput, &fs_info->delayed_iputs);
 	spin_unlock(&fs_info->delayed_iput_lock);
+	if (!test_bit(BTRFS_FS_CLEANER_RUNNING, &fs_info->flags))
+		wake_up_process(fs_info->cleaner_kthread);
 }
 
 void btrfs_run_delayed_iputs(struct btrfs_fs_info *fs_info)