diff --git a/fs/ocfs2/cluster/heartbeat.c b/fs/ocfs2/cluster/heartbeat.c
index 9a3e6bbff27bd4839b487c2c14282fd9ef1a4675..4728a746281df6b29a1dcc52bdf30d315b86b2ef 100644
--- a/fs/ocfs2/cluster/heartbeat.c
+++ b/fs/ocfs2/cluster/heartbeat.c
@@ -216,6 +216,7 @@ struct o2hb_region {
 
 	struct list_head	hr_all_item;
 	unsigned		hr_unclean_stop:1,
+				hr_aborted_start:1,
 				hr_item_pinned:1,
 				hr_item_dropped:1;
 
@@ -254,6 +255,10 @@ struct o2hb_region {
 	 * a more complete api that doesn't lead to this sort of fragility. */
 	atomic_t		hr_steady_iterations;
 
+	/* terminate o2hb thread if it does not reach steady state
+	 * (hr_steady_iterations == 0) within hr_unsteady_iterations */
+	atomic_t		hr_unsteady_iterations;
+
 	char			hr_dev_name[BDEVNAME_SIZE];
 
 	unsigned int		hr_timeout_ms;
@@ -324,6 +329,10 @@ static void o2hb_write_timeout(struct work_struct *work)
 
 static void o2hb_arm_write_timeout(struct o2hb_region *reg)
 {
+	/* Arm writeout only after thread reaches steady state */
+	if (atomic_read(&reg->hr_steady_iterations) != 0)
+		return;
+
 	mlog(ML_HEARTBEAT, "Queue write timeout for %u ms\n",
 	     O2HB_MAX_WRITE_TIMEOUT_MS);
 
@@ -537,9 +546,14 @@ static int o2hb_verify_crc(struct o2hb_region *reg,
 	return read == computed;
 }
 
-/* We want to make sure that nobody is heartbeating on top of us --
- * this will help detect an invalid configuration. */
-static void o2hb_check_last_timestamp(struct o2hb_region *reg)
+/*
+ * Compare the slot data with what we wrote in the last iteration.
+ * If the match fails, print an appropriate error message. This is to
+ * detect errors like... another node hearting on the same slot,
+ * flaky device that is losing writes, etc.
+ * Returns 1 if check succeeds, 0 otherwise.
+ */
+static int o2hb_check_own_slot(struct o2hb_region *reg)
 {
 	struct o2hb_disk_slot *slot;
 	struct o2hb_disk_heartbeat_block *hb_block;
@@ -548,13 +562,13 @@ static void o2hb_check_last_timestamp(struct o2hb_region *reg)
 	slot = &reg->hr_slots[o2nm_this_node()];
 	/* Don't check on our 1st timestamp */
 	if (!slot->ds_last_time)
-		return;
+		return 0;
 
 	hb_block = slot->ds_raw_block;
 	if (le64_to_cpu(hb_block->hb_seq) == slot->ds_last_time &&
 	    le64_to_cpu(hb_block->hb_generation) == slot->ds_last_generation &&
 	    hb_block->hb_node == slot->ds_node_num)
-		return;
+		return 1;
 
 #define ERRSTR1		"Another node is heartbeating on device"
 #define ERRSTR2		"Heartbeat generation mismatch on device"
@@ -574,6 +588,8 @@ static void o2hb_check_last_timestamp(struct o2hb_region *reg)
 	     (unsigned long long)slot->ds_last_time, hb_block->hb_node,
 	     (unsigned long long)le64_to_cpu(hb_block->hb_generation),
 	     (unsigned long long)le64_to_cpu(hb_block->hb_seq));
+
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static inline void o2hb_prepare_block(struct o2hb_region *reg,
@@ -719,17 +735,24 @@ static void o2hb_shutdown_slot(struct o2hb_disk_slot *slot)
 	o2nm_node_put(node);
 }
 
-static void o2hb_set_quorum_device(struct o2hb_region *reg,
-				   struct o2hb_disk_slot *slot)
+static void o2hb_set_quorum_device(struct o2hb_region *reg)
 {
-	assert_spin_locked(&o2hb_live_lock);
-
 	if (!o2hb_global_heartbeat_active())
 		return;
 
-	if (test_bit(reg->hr_region_num, o2hb_quorum_region_bitmap))
+	/* Prevent race with o2hb_heartbeat_group_drop_item() */
+	if (kthread_should_stop())
+		return;
+
+	/* Tag region as quorum only after thread reaches steady state */
+	if (atomic_read(&reg->hr_steady_iterations) != 0)
 		return;
 
+	spin_lock(&o2hb_live_lock);
+
+	if (test_bit(reg->hr_region_num, o2hb_quorum_region_bitmap))
+		goto unlock;
+
 	/*
 	 * A region can be added to the quorum only when it sees all
 	 * live nodes heartbeat on it. In other words, the region has been
@@ -737,13 +760,10 @@ static void o2hb_set_quorum_device(struct o2hb_region *reg,
 	 */
 	if (memcmp(reg->hr_live_node_bitmap, o2hb_live_node_bitmap,
 		   sizeof(o2hb_live_node_bitmap)))
-		return;
-
-	if (slot->ds_changed_samples < O2HB_LIVE_THRESHOLD)
-		return;
+		goto unlock;
 
-	printk(KERN_NOTICE "o2hb: Region %s is now a quorum device\n",
-	       config_item_name(&reg->hr_item));
+	printk(KERN_NOTICE "o2hb: Region %s (%s) is now a quorum device\n",
+	       config_item_name(&reg->hr_item), reg->hr_dev_name);
 
 	set_bit(reg->hr_region_num, o2hb_quorum_region_bitmap);
 
@@ -754,6 +774,8 @@ static void o2hb_set_quorum_device(struct o2hb_region *reg,
 	if (o2hb_pop_count(&o2hb_quorum_region_bitmap,
 			   O2NM_MAX_REGIONS) > O2HB_PIN_CUT_OFF)
 		o2hb_region_unpin(NULL);
+unlock:
+	spin_unlock(&o2hb_live_lock);
 }
 
 static int o2hb_check_slot(struct o2hb_region *reg,
@@ -925,8 +947,6 @@ static int o2hb_check_slot(struct o2hb_region *reg,
 		slot->ds_equal_samples = 0;
 	}
 out:
-	o2hb_set_quorum_device(reg, slot);
-
 	spin_unlock(&o2hb_live_lock);
 
 	o2hb_run_event_list(&event);
@@ -957,7 +977,8 @@ static int o2hb_highest_node(unsigned long *nodes,
 
 static int o2hb_do_disk_heartbeat(struct o2hb_region *reg)
 {
-	int i, ret, highest_node, change = 0;
+	int i, ret, highest_node;
+	int membership_change = 0, own_slot_ok = 0;
 	unsigned long configured_nodes[BITS_TO_LONGS(O2NM_MAX_NODES)];
 	unsigned long live_node_bitmap[BITS_TO_LONGS(O2NM_MAX_NODES)];
 	struct o2hb_bio_wait_ctxt write_wc;
@@ -966,7 +987,7 @@ static int o2hb_do_disk_heartbeat(struct o2hb_region *reg)
 				       sizeof(configured_nodes));
 	if (ret) {
 		mlog_errno(ret);
-		return ret;
+		goto bail;
 	}
 
 	/*
@@ -982,8 +1003,9 @@ static int o2hb_do_disk_heartbeat(struct o2hb_region *reg)
 
 	highest_node = o2hb_highest_node(configured_nodes, O2NM_MAX_NODES);
 	if (highest_node >= O2NM_MAX_NODES) {
-		mlog(ML_NOTICE, "ocfs2_heartbeat: no configured nodes found!\n");
-		return -EINVAL;
+		mlog(ML_NOTICE, "o2hb: No configured nodes found!\n");
+		ret = -EINVAL;
+		goto bail;
 	}
 
 	/* No sense in reading the slots of nodes that don't exist
@@ -993,29 +1015,27 @@ static int o2hb_do_disk_heartbeat(struct o2hb_region *reg)
 	ret = o2hb_read_slots(reg, highest_node + 1);
 	if (ret < 0) {
 		mlog_errno(ret);
-		return ret;
+		goto bail;
 	}
 
 	/* With an up to date view of the slots, we can check that no
 	 * other node has been improperly configured to heartbeat in
 	 * our slot. */
-	o2hb_check_last_timestamp(reg);
+	own_slot_ok = o2hb_check_own_slot(reg);
 
 	/* fill in the proper info for our next heartbeat */
 	o2hb_prepare_block(reg, reg->hr_generation);
 
-	/* And fire off the write. Note that we don't wait on this I/O
-	 * until later. */
 	ret = o2hb_issue_node_write(reg, &write_wc);
 	if (ret < 0) {
 		mlog_errno(ret);
-		return ret;
+		goto bail;
 	}
 
 	i = -1;
 	while((i = find_next_bit(configured_nodes,
 				 O2NM_MAX_NODES, i + 1)) < O2NM_MAX_NODES) {
-		change |= o2hb_check_slot(reg, &reg->hr_slots[i]);
+		membership_change |= o2hb_check_slot(reg, &reg->hr_slots[i]);
 	}
 
 	/*
@@ -1030,18 +1050,39 @@ static int o2hb_do_disk_heartbeat(struct o2hb_region *reg)
 		 * disk */
 		mlog(ML_ERROR, "Write error %d on device \"%s\"\n",
 		     write_wc.wc_error, reg->hr_dev_name);
-		return write_wc.wc_error;
+		ret = write_wc.wc_error;
+		goto bail;
 	}
 
-	o2hb_arm_write_timeout(reg);
+	/* Skip disarming the timeout if own slot has stale/bad data */
+	if (own_slot_ok) {
+		o2hb_set_quorum_device(reg);
+		o2hb_arm_write_timeout(reg);
+	}
 
+bail:
 	/* let the person who launched us know when things are steady */
-	if (!change && (atomic_read(&reg->hr_steady_iterations) != 0)) {
-		if (atomic_dec_and_test(&reg->hr_steady_iterations))
+	if (atomic_read(&reg->hr_steady_iterations) != 0) {
+		if (!ret && own_slot_ok && !membership_change) {
+			if (atomic_dec_and_test(&reg->hr_steady_iterations))
+				wake_up(&o2hb_steady_queue);
+		}
+	}
+
+	if (atomic_read(&reg->hr_steady_iterations) != 0) {
+		if (atomic_dec_and_test(&reg->hr_unsteady_iterations)) {
+			printk(KERN_NOTICE "o2hb: Unable to stabilize "
+			       "heartbeart on region %s (%s)\n",
+			       config_item_name(&reg->hr_item),
+			       reg->hr_dev_name);
+			atomic_set(&reg->hr_steady_iterations, 0);
+			reg->hr_aborted_start = 1;
 			wake_up(&o2hb_steady_queue);
+			ret = -EIO;
+		}
 	}
 
-	return 0;
+	return ret;
 }
 
 /* Subtract b from a, storing the result in a. a *must* have a larger
@@ -1095,7 +1136,8 @@ static int o2hb_thread(void *data)
 	/* Pin node */
 	o2nm_depend_this_node();
 
-	while (!kthread_should_stop() && !reg->hr_unclean_stop) {
+	while (!kthread_should_stop() &&
+	       !reg->hr_unclean_stop && !reg->hr_aborted_start) {
 		/* We track the time spent inside
 		 * o2hb_do_disk_heartbeat so that we avoid more than
 		 * hr_timeout_ms between disk writes. On busy systems
@@ -1103,10 +1145,7 @@ static int o2hb_thread(void *data)
 		 * likely to time itself out. */
 		do_gettimeofday(&before_hb);
 
-		i = 0;
-		do {
-			ret = o2hb_do_disk_heartbeat(reg);
-		} while (ret && ++i < 2);
+		ret = o2hb_do_disk_heartbeat(reg);
 
 		do_gettimeofday(&after_hb);
 		elapsed_msec = o2hb_elapsed_msecs(&before_hb, &after_hb);
@@ -1117,7 +1156,8 @@ static int o2hb_thread(void *data)
 		     after_hb.tv_sec, (unsigned long) after_hb.tv_usec,
 		     elapsed_msec);
 
-		if (elapsed_msec < reg->hr_timeout_ms) {
+		if (!kthread_should_stop() &&
+		    elapsed_msec < reg->hr_timeout_ms) {
 			/* the kthread api has blocked signals for us so no
 			 * need to record the return value. */
 			msleep_interruptible(reg->hr_timeout_ms - elapsed_msec);
@@ -1134,20 +1174,20 @@ static int o2hb_thread(void *data)
 	 * to timeout on this region when we could just as easily
 	 * write a clear generation - thus indicating to them that
 	 * this node has left this region.
-	 *
-	 * XXX: Should we skip this on unclean_stop? */
-	o2hb_prepare_block(reg, 0);
-	ret = o2hb_issue_node_write(reg, &write_wc);
-	if (ret == 0) {
-		o2hb_wait_on_io(reg, &write_wc);
-	} else {
-		mlog_errno(ret);
+	 */
+	if (!reg->hr_unclean_stop && !reg->hr_aborted_start) {
+		o2hb_prepare_block(reg, 0);
+		ret = o2hb_issue_node_write(reg, &write_wc);
+		if (ret == 0)
+			o2hb_wait_on_io(reg, &write_wc);
+		else
+			mlog_errno(ret);
 	}
 
 	/* Unpin node */
 	o2nm_undepend_this_node();
 
-	mlog(ML_HEARTBEAT|ML_KTHREAD, "hb thread exiting\n");
+	mlog(ML_HEARTBEAT|ML_KTHREAD, "o2hb thread exiting\n");
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -1426,6 +1466,8 @@ static void o2hb_region_release(struct config_item *item)
 	struct page *page;
 	struct o2hb_region *reg = to_o2hb_region(item);
 
+	mlog(ML_HEARTBEAT, "hb region release (%s)\n", reg->hr_dev_name);
+
 	if (reg->hr_tmp_block)
 		kfree(reg->hr_tmp_block);
 
@@ -1792,7 +1834,10 @@ static ssize_t o2hb_region_dev_write(struct o2hb_region *reg,
 			live_threshold <<= 1;
 		spin_unlock(&o2hb_live_lock);
 	}
-	atomic_set(&reg->hr_steady_iterations, live_threshold + 1);
+	++live_threshold;
+	atomic_set(&reg->hr_steady_iterations, live_threshold);
+	/* unsteady_iterations is double the steady_iterations */
+	atomic_set(&reg->hr_unsteady_iterations, (live_threshold << 1));
 
 	hb_task = kthread_run(o2hb_thread, reg, "o2hb-%s",
 			      reg->hr_item.ci_name);
@@ -1809,14 +1854,12 @@ static ssize_t o2hb_region_dev_write(struct o2hb_region *reg,
 	ret = wait_event_interruptible(o2hb_steady_queue,
 				atomic_read(&reg->hr_steady_iterations) == 0);
 	if (ret) {
-		/* We got interrupted (hello ptrace!).  Clean up */
-		spin_lock(&o2hb_live_lock);
-		hb_task = reg->hr_task;
-		reg->hr_task = NULL;
-		spin_unlock(&o2hb_live_lock);
+		atomic_set(&reg->hr_steady_iterations, 0);
+		reg->hr_aborted_start = 1;
+	}
 
-		if (hb_task)
-			kthread_stop(hb_task);
+	if (reg->hr_aborted_start) {
+		ret = -EIO;
 		goto out;
 	}
 
@@ -1833,8 +1876,8 @@ static ssize_t o2hb_region_dev_write(struct o2hb_region *reg,
 		ret = -EIO;
 
 	if (hb_task && o2hb_global_heartbeat_active())
-		printk(KERN_NOTICE "o2hb: Heartbeat started on region %s\n",
-		       config_item_name(&reg->hr_item));
+		printk(KERN_NOTICE "o2hb: Heartbeat started on region %s (%s)\n",
+		       config_item_name(&reg->hr_item), reg->hr_dev_name);
 
 out:
 	if (filp)
@@ -2092,13 +2135,6 @@ static void o2hb_heartbeat_group_drop_item(struct config_group *group,
 
 	/* stop the thread when the user removes the region dir */
 	spin_lock(&o2hb_live_lock);
-	if (o2hb_global_heartbeat_active()) {
-		clear_bit(reg->hr_region_num, o2hb_region_bitmap);
-		clear_bit(reg->hr_region_num, o2hb_live_region_bitmap);
-		if (test_bit(reg->hr_region_num, o2hb_quorum_region_bitmap))
-			quorum_region = 1;
-		clear_bit(reg->hr_region_num, o2hb_quorum_region_bitmap);
-	}
 	hb_task = reg->hr_task;
 	reg->hr_task = NULL;
 	reg->hr_item_dropped = 1;
@@ -2107,19 +2143,30 @@ static void o2hb_heartbeat_group_drop_item(struct config_group *group,
 	if (hb_task)
 		kthread_stop(hb_task);
 
+	if (o2hb_global_heartbeat_active()) {
+		spin_lock(&o2hb_live_lock);
+		clear_bit(reg->hr_region_num, o2hb_region_bitmap);
+		clear_bit(reg->hr_region_num, o2hb_live_region_bitmap);
+		if (test_bit(reg->hr_region_num, o2hb_quorum_region_bitmap))
+			quorum_region = 1;
+		clear_bit(reg->hr_region_num, o2hb_quorum_region_bitmap);
+		spin_unlock(&o2hb_live_lock);
+		printk(KERN_NOTICE "o2hb: Heartbeat %s on region %s (%s)\n",
+		       ((atomic_read(&reg->hr_steady_iterations) == 0) ?
+			"stopped" : "start aborted"), config_item_name(item),
+		       reg->hr_dev_name);
+	}
+
 	/*
 	 * If we're racing a dev_write(), we need to wake them.  They will
 	 * check reg->hr_task
 	 */
 	if (atomic_read(&reg->hr_steady_iterations) != 0) {
+		reg->hr_aborted_start = 1;
 		atomic_set(&reg->hr_steady_iterations, 0);
 		wake_up(&o2hb_steady_queue);
 	}
 
-	if (o2hb_global_heartbeat_active())
-		printk(KERN_NOTICE "o2hb: Heartbeat stopped on region %s\n",
-		       config_item_name(&reg->hr_item));
-
 	config_item_put(item);
 
 	if (!o2hb_global_heartbeat_active() || !quorum_region)