diff --git a/lib/kadm5/admin.h b/lib/kadm5/admin.h
index 530070c78..a556efd22 100644
--- a/lib/kadm5/admin.h
+++ b/lib/kadm5/admin.h
@@ -225,6 +225,7 @@ typedef struct _kadm5_policy_ent_t {
 #define KADM5_CONFIG_ENCTYPES			(1 << 18)
 #define KADM5_CONFIG_READONLY_ADMIN_SERVER	(1 << 19)
 #define KADM5_CONFIG_READONLY_KADMIN_PORT	(1 << 20)
+#define KADM5_CONFIG_ASYNC_HDB_WRITES		(1 << 21)
 
 #define KADM5_PRIV_GET		(1 << 0)
 #define KADM5_PRIV_ADD 		(1 << 1)
diff --git a/lib/kadm5/chpass_s.c b/lib/kadm5/chpass_s.c
index c89448f48..c37d8cca6 100644
--- a/lib/kadm5/chpass_s.c
+++ b/lib/kadm5/chpass_s.c
@@ -140,6 +140,12 @@ change(void *server_handle,
 	ret = context->db->hdb_open(context->context, context->db, O_RDWR, 0);
 	if(ret)
 	    return ret;
+
+        if (context->config.mask & KADM5_CONFIG_ASYNC_HDB_WRITES) {
+            ret = context->db->hdb_set_sync(context->context, context->db, 0);
+            if (ret)
+                return ret;
+        }
     }
 
     ret = kadm5_log_init(context);
@@ -376,6 +382,12 @@ kadm5_s_chpass_principal_with_key(void *server_handle,
 	ret = context->db->hdb_open(context->context, context->db, O_RDWR, 0);
 	if(ret)
 	    return ret;
+
+        if (context->config.mask & KADM5_CONFIG_ASYNC_HDB_WRITES) {
+            ret = context->db->hdb_set_sync(context->context, context->db, 0);
+            if (ret)
+                return ret;
+        }
     }
 
     ret = kadm5_log_init(context);
diff --git a/lib/kadm5/context_s.c b/lib/kadm5/context_s.c
index 5c9b3e31c..86290e0af 100644
--- a/lib/kadm5/context_s.c
+++ b/lib/kadm5/context_s.c
@@ -56,6 +56,12 @@ kadm5_s_lock(void *server_handle)
     if (ret)
 	return ret;
 
+    if (context->config.mask & KADM5_CONFIG_ASYNC_HDB_WRITES) {
+        ret = context->db->hdb_set_sync(context->context, context->db, 0);
+	if (ret)
+	    return ret;
+    }
+
     ret = context->db->hdb_lock(context->context, context->db, HDB_WLOCK);
     if (ret) {
         (void) context->db->hdb_close(context->context, context->db);
diff --git a/lib/kadm5/create_s.c b/lib/kadm5/create_s.c
index 26e4e4ca7..e13e643ae 100644
--- a/lib/kadm5/create_s.c
+++ b/lib/kadm5/create_s.c
@@ -205,6 +205,14 @@ kadm5_s_create_principal_with_key(void *server_handle,
             hdb_free_entry(context->context, context->db, &ent);
             return ret;
         }
+
+        if (context->config.mask & KADM5_CONFIG_ASYNC_HDB_WRITES) {
+            ret = context->db->hdb_set_sync(context->context, context->db, 0);
+            if (ret) {
+                hdb_free_entry(context->context, context->db, &ent);
+                return ret;
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     ret = kadm5_log_init(context);
@@ -324,6 +332,14 @@ kadm5_s_create_principal(void *server_handle,
             hdb_free_entry(context->context, context->db, &ent);
             return ret;
         }
+
+        if (context->config.mask & KADM5_CONFIG_ASYNC_HDB_WRITES) {
+            ret = context->db->hdb_set_sync(context->context, context->db, 0);
+            if (ret) {
+                hdb_free_entry(context->context, context->db, &ent);
+                return ret;
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     ret = kadm5_log_init(context);
diff --git a/lib/kadm5/delete_s.c b/lib/kadm5/delete_s.c
index aa9fdb4fc..2084f5f6c 100644
--- a/lib/kadm5/delete_s.c
+++ b/lib/kadm5/delete_s.c
@@ -101,6 +101,15 @@ kadm5_s_delete_principal(void *server_handle, krb5_principal princ)
 	    krb5_warn(context->context, ret, "opening database");
 	    return ret;
 	}
+
+        if (context->config.mask & KADM5_CONFIG_ASYNC_HDB_WRITES) {
+            ret = context->db->hdb_set_sync(context->context, context->db, 0);
+            if (ret) {
+                krb5_warn(context->context, ret,
+                          "disabling synchronous updates");
+                return ret;
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     ret = kadm5_log_init(context);
diff --git a/lib/kadm5/modify_s.c b/lib/kadm5/modify_s.c
index 2159caf55..0af684455 100644
--- a/lib/kadm5/modify_s.c
+++ b/lib/kadm5/modify_s.c
@@ -111,6 +111,12 @@ modify_principal(void *server_handle,
 	ret = context->db->hdb_open(context->context, context->db, O_RDWR, 0);
 	if(ret)
 	    return ret;
+
+        if (context->config.mask & KADM5_CONFIG_ASYNC_HDB_WRITES) {
+            ret = context->db->hdb_set_sync(context->context, context->db, 0);
+            if (ret)
+                return ret;
+        }
     }
 
     ret = kadm5_log_init(context);
diff --git a/lib/kadm5/prune_s.c b/lib/kadm5/prune_s.c
index 96133f242..202aa7d71 100644
--- a/lib/kadm5/prune_s.c
+++ b/lib/kadm5/prune_s.c
@@ -103,6 +103,12 @@ kadm5_s_prune_principal(void *server_handle,
         ret = context->db->hdb_open(context->context, context->db, O_RDWR, 0);
         if(ret)
             return ret;
+
+        if (context->config.mask & KADM5_CONFIG_ASYNC_HDB_WRITES) {
+            ret = context->db->hdb_set_sync(context->context, context->db, 0);
+            if (ret)
+                return ret;
+        }
     }
 
     ret = kadm5_log_init(context);
diff --git a/lib/kadm5/randkey_s.c b/lib/kadm5/randkey_s.c
index cb3696720..48d5fbd86 100644
--- a/lib/kadm5/randkey_s.c
+++ b/lib/kadm5/randkey_s.c
@@ -111,6 +111,12 @@ kadm5_s_randkey_principal(void *server_handle,
 	ret = context->db->hdb_open(context->context, context->db, O_RDWR, 0);
 	if(ret)
 	    return ret;
+
+        if (context->config.mask & KADM5_CONFIG_ASYNC_HDB_WRITES) {
+            ret = context->db->hdb_set_sync(context->context, context->db, 0);
+            if (ret)
+                return ret;
+        }
     }
 
     ret = kadm5_log_init(context);
diff --git a/lib/kadm5/rename_s.c b/lib/kadm5/rename_s.c
index 914331817..2f5fef323 100644
--- a/lib/kadm5/rename_s.c
+++ b/lib/kadm5/rename_s.c
@@ -108,6 +108,12 @@ kadm5_s_rename_principal(void *server_handle,
 	ret = context->db->hdb_open(context->context, context->db, O_RDWR, 0);
 	if(ret)
 	    return ret;
+
+        if (context->config.mask & KADM5_CONFIG_ASYNC_HDB_WRITES) {
+            ret = context->db->hdb_set_sync(context->context, context->db, 0);
+            if (ret)
+                return ret;
+        }
     }
 
     ret = kadm5_log_init(context);
diff --git a/lib/kadm5/setkey3_s.c b/lib/kadm5/setkey3_s.c
index 584c194dd..5c6331769 100644
--- a/lib/kadm5/setkey3_s.c
+++ b/lib/kadm5/setkey3_s.c
@@ -120,10 +120,17 @@ kadm5_s_setkey_principal_3(void *server_handle,
     size_t i;
 
     memset(&ent, 0, sizeof(ent));
-    if (!context->keep_open)
-	ret = context->db->hdb_open(context->context, context->db, O_RDWR, 0);
-    if (ret)
-	return ret;
+    if (!context->keep_open) {
+        ret = context->db->hdb_open(context->context, context->db, O_RDWR, 0);
+        if (ret)
+            return ret;
+
+        if (context->config.mask & KADM5_CONFIG_ASYNC_HDB_WRITES) {
+            ret = context->db->hdb_set_sync(context->context, context->db, 0);
+            if (ret)
+                return ret;
+        }
+    }
 
     ret = kadm5_log_init(context);
     if (ret) {