diff --git a/drivers/md/raid1.c b/drivers/md/raid1.c
index 650991bddd8e93d50f544f61bc0a461adfb0bac9..ea2a58d28871acd030c03eafbbf86824ca2a7751 100644
--- a/drivers/md/raid1.c
+++ b/drivers/md/raid1.c
@@ -1972,7 +1972,8 @@ static int run(mddev_t *mddev)
 		    !test_bit(In_sync, &disk->rdev->flags)) {
 			disk->head_position = 0;
 			mddev->degraded++;
-			conf->fullsync = 1;
+			if (disk->rdev)
+				conf->fullsync = 1;
 		}
 	}
 	if (mddev->degraded == conf->raid_disks) {