diff --git a/src/bin/pg_checksums/pg_checksums.c b/src/bin/pg_checksums/pg_checksums.c
index a7c39ac99a..1d7dd52ad0 100644
--- a/src/bin/pg_checksums/pg_checksums.c
+++ b/src/bin/pg_checksums/pg_checksums.c
@@ -454,17 +454,16 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		}
 	}
 
-	/*
-	 * Finally update the control file, flushing the data directory at the
-	 * end.
-	 */
+	/* Flush the data directory and update the control file */
 	if (mode == PG_MODE_ENABLE || mode == PG_MODE_DISABLE)
 	{
+		fsync_pgdata(DataDir, progname, PG_VERSION_NUM);
+
 		/* Update control file */
 		ControlFile->data_checksum_version =
 			(mode == PG_MODE_ENABLE) ? PG_DATA_CHECKSUM_VERSION : 0;
 		update_controlfile(DataDir, progname, ControlFile);
-		fsync_pgdata(DataDir, progname, PG_VERSION_NUM);
+
 		if (verbose)
 			printf(_("Data checksum version: %d\n"), ControlFile->data_checksum_version);
 		if (mode == PG_MODE_ENABLE)
diff --git a/src/common/controldata_utils.c b/src/common/controldata_utils.c
index 71e67a2eda..0f599826e0 100644
--- a/src/common/controldata_utils.c
+++ b/src/common/controldata_utils.c
@@ -145,8 +145,8 @@ get_controlfile(const char *DataDir, const char *progname, bool *crc_ok_p)
  *
  * Update controlfile values with the contents given by caller.  The
  * contents to write are included in "ControlFile".  Note that it is up
- * to the caller to fsync the updated file, and to properly lock
- * ControlFileLock when calling this routine in the backend.
+ * to the caller to properly lock ControlFileLock when calling this
+ * routine in the backend.
  */
 void
 update_controlfile(const char *DataDir, const char *progname,
@@ -216,6 +216,20 @@ update_controlfile(const char *DataDir, const char *progname,
 #endif
 	}
 
+	if (pg_fsync(fd) != 0)
+	{
+#ifndef FRONTEND
+		ereport(PANIC,
+				(errcode_for_file_access(),
+				 errmsg("could not fsync file \"%s\": %m",
+						ControlFilePath)));
+#else
+		fprintf(stderr, _("%s: could not fsync \"%s\": %s\n"),
+				progname, ControlFilePath, strerror(errno));
+		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+#endif
+	}
+
 #ifndef FRONTEND
 	if (CloseTransientFile(fd))
 		ereport(PANIC,