diff --git a/drivers/md/dm-raid.c b/drivers/md/dm-raid.c
index e2d7a73c0f874..47c4b1b6e532a 100644
--- a/drivers/md/dm-raid.c
+++ b/drivers/md/dm-raid.c
@@ -3719,6 +3719,7 @@ static int raid_message(struct dm_target *ti, unsigned int argc, char **argv,
 {
 	struct raid_set *rs = ti->private;
 	struct mddev *mddev = &rs->md;
+	int ret = 0;
 
 	if (!mddev->pers || !mddev->pers->sync_request)
 		return -EINVAL;
@@ -3726,17 +3727,24 @@ static int raid_message(struct dm_target *ti, unsigned int argc, char **argv,
 	if (test_bit(RT_FLAG_RS_SUSPENDED, &rs->runtime_flags))
 		return -EBUSY;
 
-	if (!strcasecmp(argv[0], "frozen"))
-		set_bit(MD_RECOVERY_FROZEN, &mddev->recovery);
-	else
-		clear_bit(MD_RECOVERY_FROZEN, &mddev->recovery);
+	if (!strcasecmp(argv[0], "frozen")) {
+		ret = mddev_lock(mddev);
+		if (ret)
+			return ret;
 
-	if (!strcasecmp(argv[0], "idle") || !strcasecmp(argv[0], "frozen")) {
-		if (mddev->sync_thread) {
-			set_bit(MD_RECOVERY_INTR, &mddev->recovery);
-			md_reap_sync_thread(mddev);
-		}
-	} else if (decipher_sync_action(mddev, mddev->recovery) != st_idle)
+		md_frozen_sync_thread(mddev);
+		mddev_unlock(mddev);
+	} else if (!strcasecmp(argv[0], "idle")) {
+		ret = mddev_lock(mddev);
+		if (ret)
+			return ret;
+
+		md_idle_sync_thread(mddev);
+		mddev_unlock(mddev);
+	}
+
+	clear_bit(MD_RECOVERY_FROZEN, &mddev->recovery);
+	if (decipher_sync_action(mddev, mddev->recovery) != st_idle)
 		return -EBUSY;
 	else if (!strcasecmp(argv[0], "resync"))
 		; /* MD_RECOVERY_NEEDED set below */