diff --git a/diskimage_builder/block_device/level1/mbr.py b/diskimage_builder/block_device/level1/mbr.py
index 8fab1e832..6b3f87f66 100644
--- a/diskimage_builder/block_device/level1/mbr.py
+++ b/diskimage_builder/block_device/level1/mbr.py
@@ -11,9 +11,10 @@
 # WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
 # License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
 # under the License.
-import logging
-import random
 
+import logging
+import os
+import random
 
 from struct import pack
 
@@ -173,6 +174,8 @@ class MBR(object):
         return self
 
     def __exit__(self, exc_type, exc_value, traceback):
+        self.image_fd.flush()
+        os.fsync(self.image_fd.fileno())
         self.image_fd.close()
 
     def lba2chs(self, lba):
diff --git a/diskimage_builder/block_device/level1/partitioning.py b/diskimage_builder/block_device/level1/partitioning.py
index 926207e68..e8a559867 100644
--- a/diskimage_builder/block_device/level1/partitioning.py
+++ b/diskimage_builder/block_device/level1/partitioning.py
@@ -143,16 +143,13 @@ class Partitioning(PluginBase):
                 self.state['blockdev'][part_name] \
                     = {'device': partition_device_name}
 
+        # "saftey sync" to make sure the partitions are written
+        exec_sudo(["sync"])
+
         # now all the partitions are created, get device-mapper to
         # mount them
         if not os.path.exists("/.dockerenv"):
             exec_sudo(["kpartx", "-avs", device_path])
-            # We need to make sure udev finishes creating the device
-            # before continuting, so "udevadm settle".  Otherwise later
-            # commands can fail with "file does not exist".
-            # XXX: "-s" (synchronous) to kpartx should avoid this,
-            # but experience shows it does not.
-            exec_sudo(["udevadm", "settle"])
         else:
             # If running inside Docker, make our nodes manually,
             # because udev will not be working. kpartx cannot run in
diff --git a/diskimage_builder/block_device/tests/test_mbr.py b/diskimage_builder/block_device/tests/test_mbr.py
index 953dc1799..606b943ed 100644
--- a/diskimage_builder/block_device/tests/test_mbr.py
+++ b/diskimage_builder/block_device/tests/test_mbr.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 
 import fixtures
 import logging
+import mock
 import os
 import subprocess
 
@@ -62,11 +63,17 @@ class TestMBR(tb.TestBase):
         logger.info("Running command: %s", self.partx_args)
         return subprocess.check_output(self.partx_args).decode("ascii")
 
-    def test_one_ext_partition(self):
+    @mock.patch('os.fsync', wraps=os.fsync)
+    def test_one_ext_partition(self, mock_os_fsync):
         """Creates one partition and check correctness with partx."""
 
         with MBR(self.image_path, TestMBR.disk_size_1G, 1024 * 1024) as mbr:
             mbr.add_partition(False, False, TestMBR.disk_size_10M, 0x83)
+
+        # the exit handler of MBR should have synced the raw device
+        # before exit
+        mock_os_fsync.assert_called()
+
         output = self._run_partx(self.image_path)
         self.assertEqual(
             "1 2048 2097151 0xf 0x0 dos\n"