diff --git a/drivers/md/raid5.c b/drivers/md/raid5.c
index cdbc7eba5c54..e57ce3295292 100644
--- a/drivers/md/raid5.c
+++ b/drivers/md/raid5.c
@@ -4956,7 +4956,8 @@ static void handle_stripe(struct stripe_head *sh)
 		goto finish;
 
 	if (s.handle_bad_blocks ||
-	    test_bit(MD_SB_CHANGE_PENDING, &conf->mddev->sb_flags)) {
+	    (md_is_rdwr(conf->mddev) &&
+	     test_bit(MD_SB_CHANGE_PENDING, &conf->mddev->sb_flags))) {
 		set_bit(STRIPE_HANDLE, &sh->state);
 		goto finish;
 	}
@@ -6768,7 +6769,8 @@ static void raid5d(struct md_thread *thread)
 		int batch_size, released;
 		unsigned int offset;
 
-		if (test_bit(MD_SB_CHANGE_PENDING, &mddev->sb_flags))
+		if (md_is_rdwr(mddev) &&
+		    test_bit(MD_SB_CHANGE_PENDING, &mddev->sb_flags))
 			break;
 
 		released = release_stripe_list(conf, conf->temp_inactive_list);