diff --git a/[refs] b/[refs]
index 91bf7f8ee025..7cd2f41ce965 100644
--- a/[refs]
+++ b/[refs]
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
 ---
-refs/heads/master: ca38805945edf5d1f5444b283eed95bb954772e8
+refs/heads/master: a17184a911195c274104df98a79bec10f57e735d
diff --git a/trunk/drivers/md/md.c b/trunk/drivers/md/md.c
index 39757566f39b..08e0f8d672c3 100644
--- a/trunk/drivers/md/md.c
+++ b/trunk/drivers/md/md.c
@@ -4647,9 +4647,10 @@ static int md_ioctl(struct inode *inode, struct file *file,
 	 */
 	/* if we are not initialised yet, only ADD_NEW_DISK, STOP_ARRAY,
 	 * RUN_ARRAY, and GET_ and SET_BITMAP_FILE are allowed */
-	if (!mddev->raid_disks && cmd != ADD_NEW_DISK && cmd != STOP_ARRAY
-			&& cmd != RUN_ARRAY && cmd != SET_BITMAP_FILE
-	    		&& cmd != GET_BITMAP_FILE) {
+	if ((!mddev->raid_disks && !mddev->external)
+	    && cmd != ADD_NEW_DISK && cmd != STOP_ARRAY
+	    && cmd != RUN_ARRAY && cmd != SET_BITMAP_FILE
+	    && cmd != GET_BITMAP_FILE) {
 		err = -ENODEV;
 		goto abort_unlock;
 	}