diff --git a/drivers/md/md.c b/drivers/md/md.c
index 22c9efd86b0d..f389d8abe137 100644
--- a/drivers/md/md.c
+++ b/drivers/md/md.c
@@ -2599,8 +2599,10 @@ state_store(struct md_rdev *rdev, const char *buf, size_t len)
 
 			if (err == 0) {
 				md_kick_rdev_from_array(rdev);
-				if (mddev->pers)
-					md_update_sb(mddev, 1);
+				if (mddev->pers) {
+					set_bit(MD_CHANGE_DEVS, &mddev->flags);
+					md_wakeup_thread(mddev->thread);
+				}
 				md_new_event(mddev);
 			}
 		}
@@ -6175,7 +6177,11 @@ static int hot_remove_disk(struct mddev *mddev, dev_t dev)
 		md_cluster_ops->remove_disk(mddev, rdev);
 
 	md_kick_rdev_from_array(rdev);
-	md_update_sb(mddev, 1);
+	set_bit(MD_CHANGE_DEVS, &mddev->flags);
+	if (mddev->thread)
+		md_wakeup_thread(mddev->thread);
+	else
+		md_update_sb(mddev, 1);
 	md_new_event(mddev);
 
 	return 0;
@@ -6240,7 +6246,9 @@ static int hot_add_disk(struct mddev *mddev, dev_t dev)
 
 	rdev->raid_disk = -1;
 
-	md_update_sb(mddev, 1);
+	set_bit(MD_CHANGE_DEVS, &mddev->flags);
+	if (!mddev->thread)
+		md_update_sb(mddev, 1);
 	/*
 	 * Kick recovery, maybe this spare has to be added to the
 	 * array immediately.