diff --git a/drivers/mtd/ubi/fastmap-wl.c b/drivers/mtd/ubi/fastmap-wl.c
index 98f7d6be8d1fc..13efebb400225 100644
--- a/drivers/mtd/ubi/fastmap-wl.c
+++ b/drivers/mtd/ubi/fastmap-wl.c
@@ -66,18 +66,6 @@ static void return_unused_pool_pebs(struct ubi_device *ubi,
 	}
 }
 
-static int anchor_pebs_available(struct rb_root *root)
-{
-	struct rb_node *p;
-	struct ubi_wl_entry *e;
-
-	ubi_rb_for_each_entry(p, e, root, u.rb)
-		if (e->pnum < UBI_FM_MAX_START)
-			return 1;
-
-	return 0;
-}
-
 /**
  * ubi_wl_get_fm_peb - find a physical erase block with a given maximal number.
  * @ubi: UBI device description object
@@ -286,8 +274,26 @@ static struct ubi_wl_entry *get_peb_for_wl(struct ubi_device *ubi)
 int ubi_ensure_anchor_pebs(struct ubi_device *ubi)
 {
 	struct ubi_work *wrk;
+	struct ubi_wl_entry *anchor;
 
 	spin_lock(&ubi->wl_lock);
+
+	/* Do we already have an anchor? */
+	if (ubi->fm_anchor) {
+		spin_unlock(&ubi->wl_lock);
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	/* See if we can find an anchor PEB on the list of free PEBs */
+	anchor = ubi_wl_get_fm_peb(ubi, 1);
+	if (anchor) {
+		ubi->fm_anchor = anchor;
+		spin_unlock(&ubi->wl_lock);
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	/* No luck, trigger wear leveling to produce a new anchor PEB */
+	ubi->fm_do_produce_anchor = 1;
 	if (ubi->wl_scheduled) {
 		spin_unlock(&ubi->wl_lock);
 		return 0;
@@ -303,7 +309,6 @@ int ubi_ensure_anchor_pebs(struct ubi_device *ubi)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 	}
 
-	wrk->anchor = 1;
 	wrk->func = &wear_leveling_worker;
 	__schedule_ubi_work(ubi, wrk);
 	return 0;
diff --git a/drivers/mtd/ubi/fastmap.c b/drivers/mtd/ubi/fastmap.c
index 8e292992f84c7..b88ef875236cc 100644
--- a/drivers/mtd/ubi/fastmap.c
+++ b/drivers/mtd/ubi/fastmap.c
@@ -1552,14 +1552,6 @@ int ubi_update_fastmap(struct ubi_device *ubi)
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	ret = ubi_ensure_anchor_pebs(ubi);
-	if (ret) {
-		up_write(&ubi->fm_eba_sem);
-		up_write(&ubi->work_sem);
-		up_write(&ubi->fm_protect);
-		return ret;
-	}
-
 	new_fm = kzalloc(sizeof(*new_fm), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!new_fm) {
 		up_write(&ubi->fm_eba_sem);
@@ -1630,7 +1622,8 @@ int ubi_update_fastmap(struct ubi_device *ubi)
 	}
 
 	spin_lock(&ubi->wl_lock);
-	tmp_e = ubi_wl_get_fm_peb(ubi, 1);
+	tmp_e = ubi->fm_anchor;
+	ubi->fm_anchor = NULL;
 	spin_unlock(&ubi->wl_lock);
 
 	if (old_fm) {
@@ -1682,6 +1675,9 @@ out_unlock:
 	up_write(&ubi->work_sem);
 	up_write(&ubi->fm_protect);
 	kfree(old_fm);
+
+	ubi_ensure_anchor_pebs(ubi);
+
 	return ret;
 
 err:
diff --git a/drivers/mtd/ubi/ubi.h b/drivers/mtd/ubi/ubi.h
index d47b9e436e673..d248ec371cc17 100644
--- a/drivers/mtd/ubi/ubi.h
+++ b/drivers/mtd/ubi/ubi.h
@@ -504,6 +504,8 @@ struct ubi_debug_info {
  * @fm_work: fastmap work queue
  * @fm_work_scheduled: non-zero if fastmap work was scheduled
  * @fast_attach: non-zero if UBI was attached by fastmap
+ * @fm_anchor: The next anchor PEB to use for fastmap
+ * @fm_do_produce_anchor: If true produce an anchor PEB in wl
  *
  * @used: RB-tree of used physical eraseblocks
  * @erroneous: RB-tree of erroneous used physical eraseblocks
@@ -612,6 +614,8 @@ struct ubi_device {
 	struct work_struct fm_work;
 	int fm_work_scheduled;
 	int fast_attach;
+	struct ubi_wl_entry *fm_anchor;
+	int fm_do_produce_anchor;
 
 	/* Wear-leveling sub-system's stuff */
 	struct rb_root used;
@@ -802,7 +806,6 @@ struct ubi_attach_info {
  * @vol_id: the volume ID on which this erasure is being performed
  * @lnum: the logical eraseblock number
  * @torture: if the physical eraseblock has to be tortured
- * @anchor: produce a anchor PEB to by used by fastmap
  *
  * The @func pointer points to the worker function. If the @shutdown argument is
  * not zero, the worker has to free the resources and exit immediately as the
@@ -818,7 +821,6 @@ struct ubi_work {
 	int vol_id;
 	int lnum;
 	int torture;
-	int anchor;
 };
 
 #include "debug.h"
diff --git a/drivers/mtd/ubi/wl.c b/drivers/mtd/ubi/wl.c
index 6f2ac865ff05e..80d64d7e7a8be 100644
--- a/drivers/mtd/ubi/wl.c
+++ b/drivers/mtd/ubi/wl.c
@@ -331,13 +331,6 @@ static struct ubi_wl_entry *find_wl_entry(struct ubi_device *ubi,
 		}
 	}
 
-	/* If no fastmap has been written and this WL entry can be used
-	 * as anchor PEB, hold it back and return the second best WL entry
-	 * such that fastmap can use the anchor PEB later. */
-	if (prev_e && !ubi->fm_disabled &&
-	    !ubi->fm && e->pnum < UBI_FM_MAX_START)
-		return prev_e;
-
 	return e;
 }
 
@@ -648,9 +641,6 @@ static int wear_leveling_worker(struct ubi_device *ubi, struct ubi_work *wrk,
 {
 	int err, scrubbing = 0, torture = 0, protect = 0, erroneous = 0;
 	int erase = 0, keep = 0, vol_id = -1, lnum = -1;
-#ifdef CONFIG_MTD_UBI_FASTMAP
-	int anchor = wrk->anchor;
-#endif
 	struct ubi_wl_entry *e1, *e2;
 	struct ubi_vid_io_buf *vidb;
 	struct ubi_vid_hdr *vid_hdr;
@@ -690,11 +680,7 @@ static int wear_leveling_worker(struct ubi_device *ubi, struct ubi_work *wrk,
 	}
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_MTD_UBI_FASTMAP
-	/* Check whether we need to produce an anchor PEB */
-	if (!anchor)
-		anchor = !anchor_pebs_available(&ubi->free);
-
-	if (anchor) {
+	if (ubi->fm_do_produce_anchor) {
 		e1 = find_anchor_wl_entry(&ubi->used);
 		if (!e1)
 			goto out_cancel;
@@ -705,6 +691,7 @@ static int wear_leveling_worker(struct ubi_device *ubi, struct ubi_work *wrk,
 		self_check_in_wl_tree(ubi, e1, &ubi->used);
 		rb_erase(&e1->u.rb, &ubi->used);
 		dbg_wl("anchor-move PEB %d to PEB %d", e1->pnum, e2->pnum);
+		ubi->fm_do_produce_anchor = 0;
 	} else if (!ubi->scrub.rb_node) {
 #else
 	if (!ubi->scrub.rb_node) {
@@ -1037,7 +1024,6 @@ static int ensure_wear_leveling(struct ubi_device *ubi, int nested)
 		goto out_cancel;
 	}
 
-	wrk->anchor = 0;
 	wrk->func = &wear_leveling_worker;
 	if (nested)
 		__schedule_ubi_work(ubi, wrk);
@@ -1079,8 +1065,15 @@ static int __erase_worker(struct ubi_device *ubi, struct ubi_work *wl_wrk)
 	err = sync_erase(ubi, e, wl_wrk->torture);
 	if (!err) {
 		spin_lock(&ubi->wl_lock);
-		wl_tree_add(e, &ubi->free);
-		ubi->free_count++;
+
+		if (!ubi->fm_anchor && e->pnum < UBI_FM_MAX_START) {
+			ubi->fm_anchor = e;
+			ubi->fm_do_produce_anchor = 0;
+		} else {
+			wl_tree_add(e, &ubi->free);
+			ubi->free_count++;
+		}
+
 		spin_unlock(&ubi->wl_lock);
 
 		/*
@@ -1724,6 +1717,9 @@ int ubi_wl_init(struct ubi_device *ubi, struct ubi_attach_info *ai)
 	if (err)
 		goto out_free;
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_MTD_UBI_FASTMAP
+	ubi_ensure_anchor_pebs(ubi);
+#endif
 	return 0;
 
 out_free:
diff --git a/drivers/mtd/ubi/wl.h b/drivers/mtd/ubi/wl.h
index a9e2d669acd81..c93a532937863 100644
--- a/drivers/mtd/ubi/wl.h
+++ b/drivers/mtd/ubi/wl.h
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 #ifndef UBI_WL_H
 #define UBI_WL_H
 #ifdef CONFIG_MTD_UBI_FASTMAP
-static int anchor_pebs_available(struct rb_root *root);
 static void update_fastmap_work_fn(struct work_struct *wrk);
 static struct ubi_wl_entry *find_anchor_wl_entry(struct rb_root *root);
 static struct ubi_wl_entry *get_peb_for_wl(struct ubi_device *ubi);
