diff --git a/priv/riak_kv.schema b/priv/riak_kv.schema
index ebb1d57e9..940638a12 100644
--- a/priv/riak_kv.schema
+++ b/priv/riak_kv.schema
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@
   {commented, disabled}
 ]}.
 
-%% @doc Frequency to prompt exchange per vnode
+%% @doc Frequency to prompt exchange per vnode (milliseconds)
 %% The number of milliseconds which the vnode must wait between self-pokes to
 %% maybe prompt the next exchange. Default is 8 minutes - check all partitions
 %% when n=3 once every hour (in each direction).  A cycle of exchanges will
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@
   hidden
 ]}.
 
-%% @doc Frequency to prompt rebuild check per vnode
+%% @doc Frequency to prompt rebuild check per vnode (milliseconds)
 %% The number of milliseconds which the vnode must wait between self-pokes to
 %% maybe prompt the next rebuild. Default is 60 minutes.
 %% When a node is being re-introduced to a cluster following a long delay, then
@@ -173,6 +173,20 @@
   hidden
 ]}.
 
+%% @doc Block vnode for tree rebuild (milliseconds)
+%% When rebuilding a vnode's tree cache, the vnode can be blocked while the
+%% snapshot is taken - to eliminate race conditions that might otherwise cause
+%% a segment to be miscalculated.  By default the vnode block is always
+%% released within 1000ms i.e. should a process crash or there be a delay in
+%% the expected release, the block will still be released after this delay, and
+%% the risk of miscalculation will be accepted in preference to having a longer
+%% block
+{mapping, "tictacaae_rebuild_blocktime", "riak_kv.tictacaae_rebuild_blocktime", [
+  {datatype, integer},
+  {default, 1000},
+  hidden
+]}.
+
 %% @doc Max number of leaf IDs per exchange
 %% To control the length of time for each exchange, only a subset of the
 %% conflicting leaves will be compared on each exchange.  If there are issues
diff --git a/src/riak_kv_vnode.erl b/src/riak_kv_vnode.erl
index 491421475..09e04f27f 100644
--- a/src/riak_kv_vnode.erl
+++ b/src/riak_kv_vnode.erl
@@ -239,6 +239,8 @@
 -define(REAPER_BATCH_SIZE, 1024).
 -define(ERASER_BATCH_SIZE, 1024).
 
+-define(INIT_REBUILD_BLOCKTIME, 1000).
+
 %% Erlang's if Bool -> thing; true -> thang end. syntax hurts my
 %% brain. It scans as if true -> thing; true -> thang end. So, here is
 %% a macro, ?ELSE to use in if statements. You're welcome.
@@ -438,21 +440,35 @@ queue_tictactreerebuild(AAECntrl, Partition, OnlyIfBroken, State) ->
         fun() ->
             ?LOG_INFO("Starting tree rebuild for partition=~w", [Partition]),
             SW = os:timestamp(),
-            case when_loading_complete(AAECntrl,
-                                        Preflists,
-                                        fun preflistfun/2,
-                                        OnlyIfBroken) of
+            BlockRequest = self(),
+            BlockTimeMS =
+                application:get_env(
+                    riak_kv,
+                    tictacaae_rebuild_blocktime,
+                    ?INIT_REBUILD_BLOCKTIME
+                ),
+            {blocked, VnodePid} =
+                riak_core_vnode_master:sync_command(
+                    {Partition, node()},
+                    {block_vnode, BlockRequest, BlockTimeMS},
+                    riak_kv_vnode_master,
+                    infinity),
+            case when_loading_complete(
+                    AAECntrl, Preflists, fun preflistfun/2, OnlyIfBroken) of
                 {ok, StoreFold, FinishFun} ->
+                    VnodePid ! {release_vnode, BlockRequest},
                     Output = StoreFold(),
                     FinishFun(Output),
                     Duration =
                         timer:now_diff(os:timestamp(), SW) div (1000 * 1000),
-                    ?LOG_INFO("Tree rebuild complete for partition=~w" ++
-                                " in duration=~w seconds", 
-                                [Partition, Duration]);
+                    ?LOG_INFO(
+                        "Tree rebuild complete for partition=~w"
+                        " in duration=~w seconds",
+                        [Partition, Duration]);
                 skipped ->
-                    ?LOG_INFO("Tree rebuild skipped for partition=~w",
-                                [Partition])
+                    VnodePid ! {release_vnode, BlockRequest},
+                    ?LOG_INFO(
+                        "Tree rebuild skipped for partition=~w", [Partition])
             end,
             ok
         end,
@@ -1484,6 +1500,26 @@ handle_command({reset_hashtree_tokens, MinToken, MaxToken}, _Sender, State) ->
     end,
     {reply, ok, State};
 
+handle_command({block_vnode, BlockRequest, BlockTimeMS}, Sender, State) ->
+    riak_core_vnode:reply(Sender, {blocked, self()}),
+    SW = os:timestamp(),
+    receive
+        {release_vnode, BlockRequest} ->
+            LockedTime = timer:now_diff(os:timestamp(), SW),
+            ?LOG_INFO(
+                "Vnode block released for ~w request ~w after"
+                "block_time=~w microseconds",
+                [Sender, BlockRequest, LockedTime]),
+            {noreply, State}
+    after
+        BlockTimeMS ->
+            ?LOG_WARNING(
+                "Vnode block request timed out after ~w for ~w request ~w",
+                [BlockTimeMS, Sender, BlockRequest]
+            ),
+            {noreply, State}
+    end;
+
 handle_command(Req, Sender, State) ->
     handle_request(riak_kv_requests:request_type(Req), Req, Sender, State).
 
@@ -2637,6 +2673,12 @@ handle_info({aae_pong, QueueTime}, State) ->
             ok
     end,
     {ok, State};
+handle_info({release_vnode, BlockRequest}, State) ->
+    ?LOG_WARNING(
+        "Vnode block release request ~w received outside of block",
+        [BlockRequest]
+    ),
+    {ok, State};
 handle_info({Ref, ok}, State) ->
     ?LOG_INFO("Ignoring ok returned after timeout for Ref ~p", [Ref]),
     {ok, State}.