diff --git a/drivers/md/md.c b/drivers/md/md.c
index dd59d71ade2f..8d4408baa428 100644
--- a/drivers/md/md.c
+++ b/drivers/md/md.c
@@ -4217,13 +4217,14 @@ action_store(struct mddev *mddev, const char *page, size_t len)
 			set_bit(MD_RECOVERY_FROZEN, &mddev->recovery);
 		else
 			clear_bit(MD_RECOVERY_FROZEN, &mddev->recovery);
-		flush_workqueue(md_misc_wq);
-		if (mddev->sync_thread) {
-			set_bit(MD_RECOVERY_INTR, &mddev->recovery);
-			if (mddev_lock(mddev) == 0) {
+		if (test_bit(MD_RECOVERY_RUNNING, &mddev->recovery) &&
+		    mddev_lock(mddev) == 0) {
+			flush_workqueue(md_misc_wq);
+			if (mddev->sync_thread) {
+				set_bit(MD_RECOVERY_INTR, &mddev->recovery);
 				md_reap_sync_thread(mddev);
-				mddev_unlock(mddev);
 			}
+			mddev_unlock(mddev);
 		}
 	} else if (test_bit(MD_RECOVERY_RUNNING, &mddev->recovery) ||
 		   test_bit(MD_RECOVERY_NEEDED, &mddev->recovery))