diff --git a/fs/xfs/linux-2.6/xfs_super.c b/fs/xfs/linux-2.6/xfs_super.c
index 9bdef9d51900..4754f342a5d3 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/linux-2.6/xfs_super.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/linux-2.6/xfs_super.c
@@ -314,6 +314,13 @@ xfs_mountfs_check_barriers(xfs_mount_t *mp)
 		return;
 	}
 
+	if (xfs_readonly_buftarg(mp->m_ddev_targp)) {
+		xfs_fs_cmn_err(CE_NOTE, mp,
+		  "Disabling barriers, underlying device is readonly");
+		mp->m_flags &= ~XFS_MOUNT_BARRIER;
+		return;
+	}
+
 	error = xfs_barrier_test(mp);
 	if (error) {
 		xfs_fs_cmn_err(CE_NOTE, mp,
diff --git a/fs/xfs/xfs_vfsops.c b/fs/xfs/xfs_vfsops.c
index 6c96391f3f1a..b427d220a169 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/xfs_vfsops.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/xfs_vfsops.c
@@ -515,7 +515,7 @@ xfs_mount(
 	if (error)
 		goto error2;
 
-	if ((mp->m_flags & XFS_MOUNT_BARRIER) && !(vfsp->vfs_flag & VFS_RDONLY))
+	if (mp->m_flags & XFS_MOUNT_BARRIER)
 		xfs_mountfs_check_barriers(mp);
 
 	error = XFS_IOINIT(vfsp, args, flags);