diff --git a/drivers/md/md.c b/drivers/md/md.c
index 13dd7b276150..fc33082d5ffd 100644
--- a/drivers/md/md.c
+++ b/drivers/md/md.c
@@ -2725,9 +2725,9 @@ array_state_store(mddev_t *mddev, const char *buf, size_t len)
 		break;
 	case read_auto:
 		if (mddev->pers) {
-			if (mddev->ro != 1)
+			if (mddev->ro == 0)
 				err = do_md_stop(mddev, 1, 0);
-			else
+			else if (mddev->ro == 1)
 				err = restart_array(mddev);
 			if (err == 0) {
 				mddev->ro = 2;