diff --git a/drivers/md/md.c b/drivers/md/md.c
index c94373d64f2cd..5640a948086b9 100644
--- a/drivers/md/md.c
+++ b/drivers/md/md.c
@@ -4857,7 +4857,7 @@ static void stop_sync_thread(struct mddev *mddev)
 		return;
 	}
 
-	if (work_pending(&mddev->del_work))
+	if (work_pending(&mddev->sync_work))
 		flush_workqueue(md_misc_wq);
 
 	set_bit(MD_RECOVERY_INTR, &mddev->recovery);
@@ -6265,7 +6265,7 @@ static void md_clean(struct mddev *mddev)
 static void __md_stop_writes(struct mddev *mddev)
 {
 	set_bit(MD_RECOVERY_FROZEN, &mddev->recovery);
-	if (work_pending(&mddev->del_work))
+	if (work_pending(&mddev->sync_work))
 		flush_workqueue(md_misc_wq);
 	if (mddev->sync_thread) {
 		set_bit(MD_RECOVERY_INTR, &mddev->recovery);