diff --git a/fs/fs-writeback.c b/fs/fs-writeback.c
index c007607..be804b4 100644
--- a/fs/fs-writeback.c
+++ b/fs/fs-writeback.c
@@ -58,7 +58,10 @@ void __mark_inode_dirty(struct inode *inode, int flags)
 
 	/*
 	 * Don't do this for I_DIRTY_PAGES - that doesn't actually
-	 * dirty the inode itself
+	 * dirty the inode itself.  Do not call dirty_inode() for 
+	 * atime-only updates, as dirty_inode() can be expensive and 
+	 * we want atime updates to occur as asynchronously as
+	 * possible.
 	 */
 	if (flags & (I_DIRTY_SYNC | I_DIRTY_DATASYNC)) {
 		if (sb->s_op->dirty_inode)
@@ -245,8 +248,11 @@ __sync_single_inode(struct inode *inode, struct writeback_control *wbc)
 
 	ret = do_writepages(mapping, wbc);
 
+	if ((dirty & I_DIRTY_ATIME) && inode->i_sb->s_op->dirty_inode)
+		inode->i_sb->s_op->dirty_inode(inode);
+
 	/* Don't write the inode if only I_DIRTY_PAGES was set */
-	if (dirty & (I_DIRTY_SYNC | I_DIRTY_DATASYNC)) {
+	if (dirty & (I_DIRTY_ATIME | I_DIRTY_SYNC | I_DIRTY_DATASYNC)) {
 		int err = write_inode(inode, wait);
 		if (ret == 0)
 			ret = err;
diff --git a/fs/inode.c b/fs/inode.c
index 53245ff..2354f9f 100644
--- a/fs/inode.c
+++ b/fs/inode.c
@@ -1234,7 +1234,7 @@ void touch_atime(struct vfsmount *mnt, struct dentry *dentry)
 		return;
 
 	inode->i_atime = now;
-	mark_inode_dirty_sync(inode);
+	__mark_inode_dirty(inode, I_DIRTY_ATIME);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(touch_atime);
 
diff --git a/include/linux/fs.h b/include/linux/fs.h
index 98ffb6e..d2b2185 100644
--- a/include/linux/fs.h
+++ b/include/linux/fs.h
@@ -1282,6 +1282,7 @@ struct super_operations {
  *
  * Two bits are used for locking and completion notification, I_LOCK and I_SYNC.
  *
+ * I_DIRTY_ATIME	Inode's atime is dirty -- writeback can be deferred.
  * I_DIRTY_SYNC		Inode is dirty, but doesn't have to be written on
  *			fdatasync().  i_atime is the usual cause.
  * I_DIRTY_DATASYNC	Data-related inode changes pending. We keep track of
@@ -1334,8 +1335,10 @@ struct super_operations {
 #define I_LOCK			(1 << __I_LOCK)
 #define __I_SYNC		8
 #define I_SYNC			(1 << __I_SYNC)
+#define __I_DIRTY_ATIME		9
+#define I_DIRTY_ATIME		(1 << __I_DIRTY_ATIME)
 
-#define I_DIRTY (I_DIRTY_SYNC | I_DIRTY_DATASYNC | I_DIRTY_PAGES)
+#define I_DIRTY (I_DIRTY_ATIME | I_DIRTY_SYNC | I_DIRTY_DATASYNC | I_DIRTY_PAGES)
 
 extern void __mark_inode_dirty(struct inode *, int);
 static inline void mark_inode_dirty(struct inode *inode)