Index: includes/cache.inc
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/includes/cache.inc,v
retrieving revision 1.5.2.4
diff -u -p -r1.5.2.4 cache.inc
--- includes/cache.inc	27 Jun 2007 03:35:48 -0000	1.5.2.4
+++ includes/cache.inc	28 Jan 2008 23:07:34 -0000
@@ -16,9 +16,10 @@ function cache_get($key, $table = 'cache
   // Garbage collection necessary when enforcing a minimum cache lifetime
   $cache_flush = variable_get('cache_flush', 0);
   if ($cache_flush && ($cache_flush + variable_get('cache_lifetime', 0) <= time())) {
+    // Reset the variable immediately to prevent a meltdown in heavy load situations.
+    variable_set('cache_flush', 0);
     // Time to flush old cache data
     db_query("DELETE FROM {". $table ."} WHERE expire != %d AND expire <= %d", CACHE_PERMANENT, $cache_flush);
-    variable_set('cache_flush', 0);
   }
 
   $cache = db_fetch_object(db_query("SELECT data, created, headers, expire FROM {". $table ."} WHERE cid = '%s'", $key));