diff --git a/drivers/md/md.c b/drivers/md/md.c
index a2b3f21d8ad6..8b04a02672b4 100644
--- a/drivers/md/md.c
+++ b/drivers/md/md.c
@@ -409,7 +409,7 @@ static void submit_flushes(struct work_struct *ws)
 			atomic_inc(&rdev->nr_pending);
 			atomic_inc(&rdev->nr_pending);
 			rcu_read_unlock();
-			bi = bio_alloc_mddev(GFP_KERNEL, 0, mddev);
+			bi = bio_alloc_mddev(GFP_NOIO, 0, mddev);
 			bi->bi_end_io = md_end_flush;
 			bi->bi_private = rdev;
 			bi->bi_bdev = rdev->bdev;