diff --git a/fs/btrfs/extent-tree.c b/fs/btrfs/extent-tree.c
index f5be06a..c9ee0e1 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/extent-tree.c
+++ b/fs/btrfs/extent-tree.c
@@ -3340,7 +3340,8 @@
 		smp_mb();
 		nr_pages = min_t(unsigned long, nr_pages,
 		       root->fs_info->delalloc_bytes >> PAGE_CACHE_SHIFT);
-		writeback_inodes_sb_nr_if_idle(root->fs_info->sb, nr_pages);
+		writeback_inodes_sb_nr_if_idle(root->fs_info->sb, nr_pages,
+						WB_REASON_FS_FREE_SPACE);
 
 		spin_lock(&space_info->lock);
 		if (reserved > space_info->bytes_reserved)
diff --git a/fs/buffer.c b/fs/buffer.c
index 1a80b04..f5dcee6 100644
--- a/fs/buffer.c
+++ b/fs/buffer.c
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@
 	struct zone *zone;
 	int nid;
 
-	wakeup_flusher_threads(1024);
+	wakeup_flusher_threads(1024, WB_REASON_FREE_MORE_MEM);
 	yield();
 
 	for_each_online_node(nid) {
diff --git a/fs/ext4/inode.c b/fs/ext4/inode.c
index 986e238..7fa73a3 100644
--- a/fs/ext4/inode.c
+++ b/fs/ext4/inode.c
@@ -2241,7 +2241,7 @@
 	 * start pushing delalloc when 1/2 of free blocks are dirty.
 	 */
 	if (free_blocks < 2 * dirty_blocks)
-		writeback_inodes_sb_if_idle(sb);
+		writeback_inodes_sb_if_idle(sb, WB_REASON_FS_FREE_SPACE);
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/fs/fs-writeback.c b/fs/fs-writeback.c
index c510296..73c3992 100644
--- a/fs/fs-writeback.c
+++ b/fs/fs-writeback.c
@@ -41,11 +41,23 @@
 	unsigned int for_kupdate:1;
 	unsigned int range_cyclic:1;
 	unsigned int for_background:1;
+	enum wb_reason reason;		/* why was writeback initiated? */
 
 	struct list_head list;		/* pending work list */
 	struct completion *done;	/* set if the caller waits */
 };
 
+const char *wb_reason_name[] = {
+	[WB_REASON_BACKGROUND]		= "background",
+	[WB_REASON_TRY_TO_FREE_PAGES]	= "try_to_free_pages",
+	[WB_REASON_SYNC]		= "sync",
+	[WB_REASON_PERIODIC]		= "periodic",
+	[WB_REASON_LAPTOP_TIMER]	= "laptop_timer",
+	[WB_REASON_FREE_MORE_MEM]	= "free_more_memory",
+	[WB_REASON_FS_FREE_SPACE]	= "fs_free_space",
+	[WB_REASON_FORKER_THREAD]	= "forker_thread"
+};
+
 /*
  * Include the creation of the trace points after defining the
  * wb_writeback_work structure so that the definition remains local to this
@@ -115,7 +127,7 @@
 
 static void
 __bdi_start_writeback(struct backing_dev_info *bdi, long nr_pages,
-		      bool range_cyclic)
+		      bool range_cyclic, enum wb_reason reason)
 {
 	struct wb_writeback_work *work;
 
@@ -135,6 +147,7 @@
 	work->sync_mode	= WB_SYNC_NONE;
 	work->nr_pages	= nr_pages;
 	work->range_cyclic = range_cyclic;
+	work->reason	= reason;
 
 	bdi_queue_work(bdi, work);
 }
@@ -150,9 +163,10 @@
  *   completion. Caller need not hold sb s_umount semaphore.
  *
  */
-void bdi_start_writeback(struct backing_dev_info *bdi, long nr_pages)
+void bdi_start_writeback(struct backing_dev_info *bdi, long nr_pages,
+			enum wb_reason reason)
 {
-	__bdi_start_writeback(bdi, nr_pages, true);
+	__bdi_start_writeback(bdi, nr_pages, true, reason);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -641,12 +655,14 @@
 	return wrote;
 }
 
-long writeback_inodes_wb(struct bdi_writeback *wb, long nr_pages)
+long writeback_inodes_wb(struct bdi_writeback *wb, long nr_pages,
+				enum wb_reason reason)
 {
 	struct wb_writeback_work work = {
 		.nr_pages	= nr_pages,
 		.sync_mode	= WB_SYNC_NONE,
 		.range_cyclic	= 1,
+		.reason		= reason,
 	};
 
 	spin_lock(&wb->list_lock);
@@ -825,6 +841,7 @@
 			.sync_mode	= WB_SYNC_NONE,
 			.for_background	= 1,
 			.range_cyclic	= 1,
+			.reason		= WB_REASON_BACKGROUND,
 		};
 
 		return wb_writeback(wb, &work);
@@ -858,6 +875,7 @@
 			.sync_mode	= WB_SYNC_NONE,
 			.for_kupdate	= 1,
 			.range_cyclic	= 1,
+			.reason		= WB_REASON_PERIODIC,
 		};
 
 		return wb_writeback(wb, &work);
@@ -976,7 +994,7 @@
  * Start writeback of `nr_pages' pages.  If `nr_pages' is zero, write back
  * the whole world.
  */
-void wakeup_flusher_threads(long nr_pages)
+void wakeup_flusher_threads(long nr_pages, enum wb_reason reason)
 {
 	struct backing_dev_info *bdi;
 
@@ -989,7 +1007,7 @@
 	list_for_each_entry_rcu(bdi, &bdi_list, bdi_list) {
 		if (!bdi_has_dirty_io(bdi))
 			continue;
-		__bdi_start_writeback(bdi, nr_pages, false);
+		__bdi_start_writeback(bdi, nr_pages, false, reason);
 	}
 	rcu_read_unlock();
 }
@@ -1210,7 +1228,9 @@
  * on how many (if any) will be written, and this function does not wait
  * for IO completion of submitted IO.
  */
-void writeback_inodes_sb_nr(struct super_block *sb, unsigned long nr)
+void writeback_inodes_sb_nr(struct super_block *sb,
+			    unsigned long nr,
+			    enum wb_reason reason)
 {
 	DECLARE_COMPLETION_ONSTACK(done);
 	struct wb_writeback_work work = {
@@ -1219,6 +1239,7 @@
 		.tagged_writepages	= 1,
 		.done			= &done,
 		.nr_pages		= nr,
+		.reason			= reason,
 	};
 
 	WARN_ON(!rwsem_is_locked(&sb->s_umount));
@@ -1235,9 +1256,9 @@
  * on how many (if any) will be written, and this function does not wait
  * for IO completion of submitted IO.
  */
-void writeback_inodes_sb(struct super_block *sb)
+void writeback_inodes_sb(struct super_block *sb, enum wb_reason reason)
 {
-	return writeback_inodes_sb_nr(sb, get_nr_dirty_pages());
+	return writeback_inodes_sb_nr(sb, get_nr_dirty_pages(), reason);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(writeback_inodes_sb);
 
@@ -1248,11 +1269,11 @@
  * Invoke writeback_inodes_sb if no writeback is currently underway.
  * Returns 1 if writeback was started, 0 if not.
  */
-int writeback_inodes_sb_if_idle(struct super_block *sb)
+int writeback_inodes_sb_if_idle(struct super_block *sb, enum wb_reason reason)
 {
 	if (!writeback_in_progress(sb->s_bdi)) {
 		down_read(&sb->s_umount);
-		writeback_inodes_sb(sb);
+		writeback_inodes_sb(sb, reason);
 		up_read(&sb->s_umount);
 		return 1;
 	} else
@@ -1269,11 +1290,12 @@
  * Returns 1 if writeback was started, 0 if not.
  */
 int writeback_inodes_sb_nr_if_idle(struct super_block *sb,
-				   unsigned long nr)
+				   unsigned long nr,
+				   enum wb_reason reason)
 {
 	if (!writeback_in_progress(sb->s_bdi)) {
 		down_read(&sb->s_umount);
-		writeback_inodes_sb_nr(sb, nr);
+		writeback_inodes_sb_nr(sb, nr, reason);
 		up_read(&sb->s_umount);
 		return 1;
 	} else
@@ -1297,6 +1319,7 @@
 		.nr_pages	= LONG_MAX,
 		.range_cyclic	= 0,
 		.done		= &done,
+		.reason		= WB_REASON_SYNC,
 	};
 
 	WARN_ON(!rwsem_is_locked(&sb->s_umount));
diff --git a/fs/quota/quota.c b/fs/quota/quota.c
index 10b6be3..4bae57f 100644
--- a/fs/quota/quota.c
+++ b/fs/quota/quota.c
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@
 		/* caller already holds s_umount */
 		if (sb->s_flags & MS_RDONLY)
 			return -EROFS;
-		writeback_inodes_sb(sb);
+		writeback_inodes_sb(sb, WB_REASON_SYNC);
 		return 0;
 	default:
 		return -EINVAL;
diff --git a/fs/sync.c b/fs/sync.c
index c98a747..101b8ef 100644
--- a/fs/sync.c
+++ b/fs/sync.c
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
 	if (wait)
 		sync_inodes_sb(sb);
 	else
-		writeback_inodes_sb(sb);
+		writeback_inodes_sb(sb, WB_REASON_SYNC);
 
 	if (sb->s_op->sync_fs)
 		sb->s_op->sync_fs(sb, wait);
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@
  */
 SYSCALL_DEFINE0(sync)
 {
-	wakeup_flusher_threads(0);
+	wakeup_flusher_threads(0, WB_REASON_SYNC);
 	sync_filesystems(0);
 	sync_filesystems(1);
 	if (unlikely(laptop_mode))
diff --git a/fs/ubifs/budget.c b/fs/ubifs/budget.c
index 315de66..bc4f94b 100644
--- a/fs/ubifs/budget.c
+++ b/fs/ubifs/budget.c
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@
 static void shrink_liability(struct ubifs_info *c, int nr_to_write)
 {
 	down_read(&c->vfs_sb->s_umount);
-	writeback_inodes_sb(c->vfs_sb);
+	writeback_inodes_sb(c->vfs_sb, WB_REASON_FS_FREE_SPACE);
 	up_read(&c->vfs_sb->s_umount);
 }
 
diff --git a/include/linux/backing-dev.h b/include/linux/backing-dev.h
index c3b9201..b1038bd 100644
--- a/include/linux/backing-dev.h
+++ b/include/linux/backing-dev.h
@@ -118,7 +118,8 @@
 int bdi_register_dev(struct backing_dev_info *bdi, dev_t dev);
 void bdi_unregister(struct backing_dev_info *bdi);
 int bdi_setup_and_register(struct backing_dev_info *, char *, unsigned int);
-void bdi_start_writeback(struct backing_dev_info *bdi, long nr_pages);
+void bdi_start_writeback(struct backing_dev_info *bdi, long nr_pages,
+			enum wb_reason reason);
 void bdi_start_background_writeback(struct backing_dev_info *bdi);
 int bdi_writeback_thread(void *data);
 int bdi_has_dirty_io(struct backing_dev_info *bdi);
diff --git a/include/linux/writeback.h b/include/linux/writeback.h
index ddb4652..a378c29 100644
--- a/include/linux/writeback.h
+++ b/include/linux/writeback.h
@@ -39,6 +39,23 @@
 };
 
 /*
+ * why some writeback work was initiated
+ */
+enum wb_reason {
+	WB_REASON_BACKGROUND,
+	WB_REASON_TRY_TO_FREE_PAGES,
+	WB_REASON_SYNC,
+	WB_REASON_PERIODIC,
+	WB_REASON_LAPTOP_TIMER,
+	WB_REASON_FREE_MORE_MEM,
+	WB_REASON_FS_FREE_SPACE,
+	WB_REASON_FORKER_THREAD,
+
+	WB_REASON_MAX,
+};
+extern const char *wb_reason_name[];
+
+/*
  * A control structure which tells the writeback code what to do.  These are
  * always on the stack, and hence need no locking.  They are always initialised
  * in a manner such that unspecified fields are set to zero.
@@ -69,14 +86,17 @@
  */	
 struct bdi_writeback;
 int inode_wait(void *);
-void writeback_inodes_sb(struct super_block *);
-void writeback_inodes_sb_nr(struct super_block *, unsigned long nr);
-int writeback_inodes_sb_if_idle(struct super_block *);
-int writeback_inodes_sb_nr_if_idle(struct super_block *, unsigned long nr);
+void writeback_inodes_sb(struct super_block *, enum wb_reason reason);
+void writeback_inodes_sb_nr(struct super_block *, unsigned long nr,
+							enum wb_reason reason);
+int writeback_inodes_sb_if_idle(struct super_block *, enum wb_reason reason);
+int writeback_inodes_sb_nr_if_idle(struct super_block *, unsigned long nr,
+							enum wb_reason reason);
 void sync_inodes_sb(struct super_block *);
-long writeback_inodes_wb(struct bdi_writeback *wb, long nr_pages);
+long writeback_inodes_wb(struct bdi_writeback *wb, long nr_pages,
+				enum wb_reason reason);
 long wb_do_writeback(struct bdi_writeback *wb, int force_wait);
-void wakeup_flusher_threads(long nr_pages);
+void wakeup_flusher_threads(long nr_pages, enum wb_reason reason);
 
 /* writeback.h requires fs.h; it, too, is not included from here. */
 static inline void wait_on_inode(struct inode *inode)
diff --git a/include/trace/events/writeback.h b/include/trace/events/writeback.h
index 1261db3..b99caa8 100644
--- a/include/trace/events/writeback.h
+++ b/include/trace/events/writeback.h
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 		__field(int, for_kupdate)
 		__field(int, range_cyclic)
 		__field(int, for_background)
+		__field(int, reason)
 	),
 	TP_fast_assign(
 		strncpy(__entry->name, dev_name(bdi->dev), 32);
@@ -43,16 +44,18 @@
 		__entry->for_kupdate = work->for_kupdate;
 		__entry->range_cyclic = work->range_cyclic;
 		__entry->for_background	= work->for_background;
+		__entry->reason = work->reason;
 	),
 	TP_printk("bdi %s: sb_dev %d:%d nr_pages=%ld sync_mode=%d "
-		  "kupdate=%d range_cyclic=%d background=%d",
+		  "kupdate=%d range_cyclic=%d background=%d reason=%s",
 		  __entry->name,
 		  MAJOR(__entry->sb_dev), MINOR(__entry->sb_dev),
 		  __entry->nr_pages,
 		  __entry->sync_mode,
 		  __entry->for_kupdate,
 		  __entry->range_cyclic,
-		  __entry->for_background
+		  __entry->for_background,
+		  wb_reason_name[__entry->reason]
 	)
 );
 #define DEFINE_WRITEBACK_WORK_EVENT(name) \
@@ -165,6 +168,7 @@
 		__field(unsigned long,	older)
 		__field(long,		age)
 		__field(int,		moved)
+		__field(int,		reason)
 	),
 	TP_fast_assign(
 		unsigned long *older_than_this = work->older_than_this;
@@ -173,12 +177,14 @@
 		__entry->age	= older_than_this ?
 				  (jiffies - *older_than_this) * 1000 / HZ : -1;
 		__entry->moved	= moved;
+		__entry->reason	= work->reason;
 	),
-	TP_printk("bdi %s: older=%lu age=%ld enqueue=%d",
+	TP_printk("bdi %s: older=%lu age=%ld enqueue=%d reason=%s",
 		__entry->name,
 		__entry->older,	/* older_than_this in jiffies */
 		__entry->age,	/* older_than_this in relative milliseconds */
-		__entry->moved)
+		__entry->moved,
+		wb_reason_name[__entry->reason])
 );
 
 TRACE_EVENT(global_dirty_state,
diff --git a/mm/backing-dev.c b/mm/backing-dev.c
index 5dcaa3c..dd8916f 100644
--- a/mm/backing-dev.c
+++ b/mm/backing-dev.c
@@ -476,7 +476,8 @@
 				 * the bdi from the thread. Hopefully 1024 is
 				 * large enough for efficient IO.
 				 */
-				writeback_inodes_wb(&bdi->wb, 1024);
+				writeback_inodes_wb(&bdi->wb, 1024,
+						    WB_REASON_FORKER_THREAD);
 			} else {
 				/*
 				 * The spinlock makes sure we do not lose
diff --git a/mm/page-writeback.c b/mm/page-writeback.c
index 45d36f7..650846b 100644
--- a/mm/page-writeback.c
+++ b/mm/page-writeback.c
@@ -1301,7 +1301,8 @@
 	 * threshold
 	 */
 	if (bdi_has_dirty_io(&q->backing_dev_info))
-		bdi_start_writeback(&q->backing_dev_info, nr_pages);
+		bdi_start_writeback(&q->backing_dev_info, nr_pages,
+					WB_REASON_LAPTOP_TIMER);
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/mm/vmscan.c b/mm/vmscan.c
index b55699c..c735bd7 100644
--- a/mm/vmscan.c
+++ b/mm/vmscan.c
@@ -2181,7 +2181,8 @@
 		 */
 		writeback_threshold = sc->nr_to_reclaim + sc->nr_to_reclaim / 2;
 		if (total_scanned > writeback_threshold) {
-			wakeup_flusher_threads(laptop_mode ? 0 : total_scanned);
+			wakeup_flusher_threads(laptop_mode ? 0 : total_scanned,
+						WB_REASON_TRY_TO_FREE_PAGES);
 			sc->may_writepage = 1;
 		}