diff --git a/drivers/md/md.c b/drivers/md/md.c
index 11567c7999a2..c148b6302154 100644
--- a/drivers/md/md.c
+++ b/drivers/md/md.c
@@ -2136,16 +2136,6 @@ static void sync_sbs(mddev_t * mddev, int nospares)
 	 * with the rest of the array)
 	 */
 	mdk_rdev_t *rdev;
-
-	/* First make sure individual recovery_offsets are correct */
-	list_for_each_entry(rdev, &mddev->disks, same_set) {
-		if (rdev->raid_disk >= 0 &&
-		    mddev->delta_disks >= 0 &&
-		    !test_bit(In_sync, &rdev->flags) &&
-		    mddev->curr_resync_completed > rdev->recovery_offset)
-				rdev->recovery_offset = mddev->curr_resync_completed;
-
-	}	
 	list_for_each_entry(rdev, &mddev->disks, same_set) {
 		if (rdev->sb_events == mddev->events ||
 		    (nospares &&
@@ -2167,12 +2157,27 @@ static void md_update_sb(mddev_t * mddev, int force_change)
 	int sync_req;
 	int nospares = 0;
 
-	mddev->utime = get_seconds();
-	if (mddev->external)
-		return;
 repeat:
+	/* First make sure individual recovery_offsets are correct */
+	list_for_each_entry(rdev, &mddev->disks, same_set) {
+		if (rdev->raid_disk >= 0 &&
+		    mddev->delta_disks >= 0 &&
+		    !test_bit(In_sync, &rdev->flags) &&
+		    mddev->curr_resync_completed > rdev->recovery_offset)
+				rdev->recovery_offset = mddev->curr_resync_completed;
+
+	}	
+	if (mddev->external || !mddev->persistent) {
+		clear_bit(MD_CHANGE_DEVS, &mddev->flags);
+		clear_bit(MD_CHANGE_CLEAN, &mddev->flags);
+		wake_up(&mddev->sb_wait);
+		return;
+	}
+
 	spin_lock_irq(&mddev->write_lock);
 
+	mddev->utime = get_seconds();
+
 	set_bit(MD_CHANGE_PENDING, &mddev->flags);
 	if (test_and_clear_bit(MD_CHANGE_DEVS, &mddev->flags))
 		force_change = 1;
@@ -2221,19 +2226,6 @@ static void md_update_sb(mddev_t * mddev, int force_change)
 		MD_BUG();
 		mddev->events --;
 	}
-
-	/*
-	 * do not write anything to disk if using
-	 * nonpersistent superblocks
-	 */
-	if (!mddev->persistent) {
-		if (!mddev->external)
-			clear_bit(MD_CHANGE_PENDING, &mddev->flags);
-
-		spin_unlock_irq(&mddev->write_lock);
-		wake_up(&mddev->sb_wait);
-		return;
-	}
 	sync_sbs(mddev, nospares);
 	spin_unlock_irq(&mddev->write_lock);
 
diff --git a/drivers/md/raid1.c b/drivers/md/raid1.c
index 73cc74ffc26b..ad83a4dcadc3 100644
--- a/drivers/md/raid1.c
+++ b/drivers/md/raid1.c
@@ -787,8 +787,8 @@ static int make_request(mddev_t *mddev, struct bio * bio)
 	struct bio_list bl;
 	struct page **behind_pages = NULL;
 	const int rw = bio_data_dir(bio);
-	const bool do_sync = (bio->bi_rw & REQ_SYNC);
-	bool do_barriers;
+	const unsigned long do_sync = (bio->bi_rw & REQ_SYNC);
+	unsigned long do_barriers;
 	mdk_rdev_t *blocked_rdev;
 
 	/*
@@ -1120,6 +1120,8 @@ static int raid1_spare_active(mddev_t *mddev)
 {
 	int i;
 	conf_t *conf = mddev->private;
+	int count = 0;
+	unsigned long flags;
 
 	/*
 	 * Find all failed disks within the RAID1 configuration 
@@ -1131,15 +1133,16 @@ static int raid1_spare_active(mddev_t *mddev)
 		if (rdev
 		    && !test_bit(Faulty, &rdev->flags)
 		    && !test_and_set_bit(In_sync, &rdev->flags)) {
-			unsigned long flags;
-			spin_lock_irqsave(&conf->device_lock, flags);
-			mddev->degraded--;
-			spin_unlock_irqrestore(&conf->device_lock, flags);
+			count++;
+			sysfs_notify_dirent(rdev->sysfs_state);
 		}
 	}
+	spin_lock_irqsave(&conf->device_lock, flags);
+	mddev->degraded -= count;
+	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&conf->device_lock, flags);
 
 	print_conf(conf);
-	return 0;
+	return count;
 }
 
 
@@ -1640,7 +1643,7 @@ static void raid1d(mddev_t *mddev)
 			 * We already have a nr_pending reference on these rdevs.
 			 */
 			int i;
-			const bool do_sync = (r1_bio->master_bio->bi_rw & REQ_SYNC);
+			const unsigned long do_sync = (r1_bio->master_bio->bi_rw & REQ_SYNC);
 			clear_bit(R1BIO_BarrierRetry, &r1_bio->state);
 			clear_bit(R1BIO_Barrier, &r1_bio->state);
 			for (i=0; i < conf->raid_disks; i++)
@@ -1696,7 +1699,7 @@ static void raid1d(mddev_t *mddev)
 				       (unsigned long long)r1_bio->sector);
 				raid_end_bio_io(r1_bio);
 			} else {
-				const bool do_sync = r1_bio->master_bio->bi_rw & REQ_SYNC;
+				const unsigned long do_sync = r1_bio->master_bio->bi_rw & REQ_SYNC;
 				r1_bio->bios[r1_bio->read_disk] =
 					mddev->ro ? IO_BLOCKED : NULL;
 				r1_bio->read_disk = disk;
diff --git a/drivers/md/raid10.c b/drivers/md/raid10.c
index a88aeb5198c7..84718383124d 100644
--- a/drivers/md/raid10.c
+++ b/drivers/md/raid10.c
@@ -799,7 +799,7 @@ static int make_request(mddev_t *mddev, struct bio * bio)
 	int i;
 	int chunk_sects = conf->chunk_mask + 1;
 	const int rw = bio_data_dir(bio);
-	const bool do_sync = (bio->bi_rw & REQ_SYNC);
+	const unsigned long do_sync = (bio->bi_rw & REQ_SYNC);
 	struct bio_list bl;
 	unsigned long flags;
 	mdk_rdev_t *blocked_rdev;
@@ -1116,6 +1116,8 @@ static int raid10_spare_active(mddev_t *mddev)
 	int i;
 	conf_t *conf = mddev->private;
 	mirror_info_t *tmp;
+	int count = 0;
+	unsigned long flags;
 
 	/*
 	 * Find all non-in_sync disks within the RAID10 configuration
@@ -1126,15 +1128,16 @@ static int raid10_spare_active(mddev_t *mddev)
 		if (tmp->rdev
 		    && !test_bit(Faulty, &tmp->rdev->flags)
 		    && !test_and_set_bit(In_sync, &tmp->rdev->flags)) {
-			unsigned long flags;
-			spin_lock_irqsave(&conf->device_lock, flags);
-			mddev->degraded--;
-			spin_unlock_irqrestore(&conf->device_lock, flags);
+			count++;
+			sysfs_notify_dirent(tmp->rdev->sysfs_state);
 		}
 	}
+	spin_lock_irqsave(&conf->device_lock, flags);
+	mddev->degraded -= count;
+	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&conf->device_lock, flags);
 
 	print_conf(conf);
-	return 0;
+	return count;
 }
 
 
@@ -1734,7 +1737,7 @@ static void raid10d(mddev_t *mddev)
 				raid_end_bio_io(r10_bio);
 				bio_put(bio);
 			} else {
-				const bool do_sync = (r10_bio->master_bio->bi_rw & REQ_SYNC);
+				const unsigned long do_sync = (r10_bio->master_bio->bi_rw & REQ_SYNC);
 				bio_put(bio);
 				rdev = conf->mirrors[mirror].rdev;
 				if (printk_ratelimit())
diff --git a/drivers/md/raid5.c b/drivers/md/raid5.c
index 866d4b5a144c..69b0a169e43d 100644
--- a/drivers/md/raid5.c
+++ b/drivers/md/raid5.c
@@ -5330,6 +5330,8 @@ static int raid5_spare_active(mddev_t *mddev)
 	int i;
 	raid5_conf_t *conf = mddev->private;
 	struct disk_info *tmp;
+	int count = 0;
+	unsigned long flags;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < conf->raid_disks; i++) {
 		tmp = conf->disks + i;
@@ -5337,14 +5339,15 @@ static int raid5_spare_active(mddev_t *mddev)
 		    && tmp->rdev->recovery_offset == MaxSector
 		    && !test_bit(Faulty, &tmp->rdev->flags)
 		    && !test_and_set_bit(In_sync, &tmp->rdev->flags)) {
-			unsigned long flags;
-			spin_lock_irqsave(&conf->device_lock, flags);
-			mddev->degraded--;
-			spin_unlock_irqrestore(&conf->device_lock, flags);
+			count++;
+			sysfs_notify_dirent(tmp->rdev->sysfs_state);
 		}
 	}
+	spin_lock_irqsave(&conf->device_lock, flags);
+	mddev->degraded -= count;
+	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&conf->device_lock, flags);
 	print_raid5_conf(conf);
-	return 0;
+	return count;
 }
 
 static int raid5_remove_disk(mddev_t *mddev, int number)