diff --git a/gnu/packages/admin.scm b/gnu/packages/admin.scm
index 17b7b38a15..dea58354d9 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/admin.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/admin.scm
@@ -328,7 +328,18 @@ (define-public shepherd-0.9
                                   version ".tar.gz"))
               (sha256
                (base32
-                "0l2arn6gsyw88xk9phxnyplvv1mn8sqp3ipgyyb0nszdzvxlgd36"))))
+                "0l2arn6gsyw88xk9phxnyplvv1mn8sqp3ipgyyb0nszdzvxlgd36"))
+              (modules '((guix build utils)))
+              (snippet
+               ;; Avoid continuation barriers so (@ (fibers) sleep) can be
+               ;; called from a service's 'stop' method
+               '(substitute* "modules/shepherd/service.scm"
+                  (("call-with-blocked-asyncs")   ;in 'stop' method
+                   "(lambda (thunk) (thunk))")
+                  (("\\(for-each-service\n")      ;in 'shutdown-services'
+                   "((lambda (proc)
+                       (for-each proc
+                                 (fold-services cons '())))\n")))))
     (arguments
      (list #:configure-flags #~'("--localstatedir=/var")
            #:make-flags #~'("GUILE_AUTO_COMPILE=0")
diff --git a/gnu/services/base.scm b/gnu/services/base.scm
index d58afb27e3..1fd4cd84f3 100644
--- a/gnu/services/base.scm
+++ b/gnu/services/base.scm
@@ -300,27 +300,36 @@ (define %root-file-system-shepherd-service
              ;; Return #f if successfully stopped.
              (sync)
 
-             (call-with-blocked-asyncs
-              (lambda ()
-                (let ((null (%make-void-port "w")))
-                  ;; Close 'shepherd.log'.
-                  (display "closing log\n")
-                  ((@ (shepherd comm) stop-logging))
+             (let ((null (%make-void-port "w")))
+               ;; Close 'shepherd.log'.
+               (display "closing log\n")
+               ((@ (shepherd comm) stop-logging))
 
-                  ;; Redirect the default output ports..
-                  (set-current-output-port null)
-                  (set-current-error-port null)
+               ;; Redirect the default output ports..
+               (set-current-output-port null)
+               (set-current-error-port null)
 
-                  ;; Close /dev/console.
-                  (for-each close-fdes '(0 1 2))
+               ;; Close /dev/console.
+               (for-each close-fdes '(0 1 2))
 
-                  ;; At this point, there are no open files left, so the
-                  ;; root file system can be re-mounted read-only.
-                  (mount #f "/" #f
-                         (logior MS_REMOUNT MS_RDONLY)
-                         #:update-mtab? #f)
+               (let loop ((n 10))
+                 (unless (catch 'system-error
+                           (lambda ()
+                             ;; At this point, there are no open files left, so the
+                             ;; root file system can be re-mounted read-only.
+                             (mount #f "/" #f
+                                    (logior MS_REMOUNT MS_RDONLY)
+                                    #:update-mtab? #f)
+                             #t)
+                           (const #f))
+                   (unless (zero? n)
+                     ;; Yield to the other fibers.  That gives logging fibers
+                     ;; an opportunity to close log files so the 'mount' call
+                     ;; doesn't fail with EBUSY.
+                     ((@ (fibers) sleep) 1)
+                     (loop (- n 1)))))
 
-                  #f)))))
+               #f)))
    (respawn? #f)))
 
 (define root-file-system-service-type