diff -ru tar-1.26.orig/gnu/fdutimensat.c tar-1.26/gnu/fdutimensat.c
--- tar-1.26.orig/gnu/fdutimensat.c	2011-04-28 10:03:22 +0200
+++ tar-1.26/gnu/fdutimensat.c	2011-05-12 08:41:47 +0200
@@ -48,8 +48,15 @@
   int result = 1;
   if (0 <= fd)
     result = futimens (fd, ts);
-  if (file && (fd < 0 || (result == -1 && errno == ENOSYS)))
+  if (file && (fd < 0 || (result == -1 && errno == ENOSYS))) {
+
+    /* need to sync here, as changes may not have been flushed to the
+     * disk, and the fd is lost from here on. */
+    if (fd >= 0)
+      fsync (fd);
+
     result = utimensat (dir, file, ts, atflag);
+  }
   if (result == 1)
     {
       errno = EBADF;