diff --git a/drivers/md/md.c b/drivers/md/md.c
index b572e1e386c..8beb19c3bb4 100644
--- a/drivers/md/md.c
+++ b/drivers/md/md.c
@@ -7560,14 +7560,14 @@ void md_check_recovery(struct mddev *mddev)
 		 * any transients in the value of "sync_action".
 		 */
 		set_bit(MD_RECOVERY_RUNNING, &mddev->recovery);
-		clear_bit(MD_RECOVERY_NEEDED, &mddev->recovery);
 		/* Clear some bits that don't mean anything, but
 		 * might be left set
 		 */
 		clear_bit(MD_RECOVERY_INTR, &mddev->recovery);
 		clear_bit(MD_RECOVERY_DONE, &mddev->recovery);
 
-		if (test_bit(MD_RECOVERY_FROZEN, &mddev->recovery))
+		if (!test_and_clear_bit(MD_RECOVERY_NEEDED, &mddev->recovery) ||
+		    test_bit(MD_RECOVERY_FROZEN, &mddev->recovery))
 			goto unlock;
 		/* no recovery is running.
 		 * remove any failed drives, then