diff --git a/drivers/md/md.c b/drivers/md/md.c
index 3f6203a4c7ea0dd730b80a6b441b99e8a4da3216..308e87b417e05a74e4429bac63e1eb2e7af43885 100644
--- a/drivers/md/md.c
+++ b/drivers/md/md.c
@@ -7619,6 +7619,8 @@ static int remove_and_add_spares(struct mddev *mddev)
 			}
 		}
 	}
+	if (removed)
+		set_bit(MD_CHANGE_DEVS, &mddev->flags);
 	return spares;
 }
 
@@ -7632,9 +7634,11 @@ static void reap_sync_thread(struct mddev *mddev)
 	    !test_bit(MD_RECOVERY_REQUESTED, &mddev->recovery)) {
 		/* success...*/
 		/* activate any spares */
-		if (mddev->pers->spare_active(mddev))
+		if (mddev->pers->spare_active(mddev)) {
 			sysfs_notify(&mddev->kobj, NULL,
 				     "degraded");
+			set_bit(MD_CHANGE_DEVS, &mddev->flags);
+		}
 	}
 	if (test_bit(MD_RECOVERY_RESHAPE, &mddev->recovery) &&
 	    mddev->pers->finish_reshape)