diff --git a/drivers/mtd/ubi/cdev.c b/drivers/mtd/ubi/cdev.c
index 3410ea8109f80d0c8ac28d9a1a418df53494ac50..f5c715c32dcd2c010a880767fea96d41f41b76ec 100644
--- a/drivers/mtd/ubi/cdev.c
+++ b/drivers/mtd/ubi/cdev.c
@@ -61,13 +61,13 @@ static int get_exclusive(struct ubi_device *ubi, struct ubi_volume_desc *desc)
 	struct ubi_volume *vol = desc->vol;
 
 	spin_lock(&vol->ubi->volumes_lock);
-	users = vol->readers + vol->writers + vol->exclusive;
+	users = vol->readers + vol->writers + vol->exclusive + vol->metaonly;
 	ubi_assert(users > 0);
 	if (users > 1) {
 		ubi_err(ubi, "%d users for volume %d", users, vol->vol_id);
 		err = -EBUSY;
 	} else {
-		vol->readers = vol->writers = 0;
+		vol->readers = vol->writers = vol->metaonly = 0;
 		vol->exclusive = 1;
 		err = desc->mode;
 		desc->mode = UBI_EXCLUSIVE;
@@ -87,13 +87,15 @@ static void revoke_exclusive(struct ubi_volume_desc *desc, int mode)
 	struct ubi_volume *vol = desc->vol;
 
 	spin_lock(&vol->ubi->volumes_lock);
-	ubi_assert(vol->readers == 0 && vol->writers == 0);
+	ubi_assert(vol->readers == 0 && vol->writers == 0 && vol->metaonly == 0);
 	ubi_assert(vol->exclusive == 1 && desc->mode == UBI_EXCLUSIVE);
 	vol->exclusive = 0;
 	if (mode == UBI_READONLY)
 		vol->readers = 1;
 	else if (mode == UBI_READWRITE)
 		vol->writers = 1;
+	else if (mode == UBI_METAONLY)
+		vol->metaonly = 1;
 	else
 		vol->exclusive = 1;
 	spin_unlock(&vol->ubi->volumes_lock);
diff --git a/drivers/mtd/ubi/kapi.c b/drivers/mtd/ubi/kapi.c
index f3bab669f6bb5d8f9e799864bdfe0c681ddba2e5..589c423fac2dd53a15bbfe94062c7734ef1a344a 100644
--- a/drivers/mtd/ubi/kapi.c
+++ b/drivers/mtd/ubi/kapi.c
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ struct ubi_volume_desc *ubi_open_volume(int ubi_num, int vol_id, int mode)
 		return ERR_PTR(-EINVAL);
 
 	if (mode != UBI_READONLY && mode != UBI_READWRITE &&
-	    mode != UBI_EXCLUSIVE)
+	    mode != UBI_EXCLUSIVE && mode != UBI_METAONLY)
 		return ERR_PTR(-EINVAL);
 
 	/*
@@ -182,10 +182,17 @@ struct ubi_volume_desc *ubi_open_volume(int ubi_num, int vol_id, int mode)
 		break;
 
 	case UBI_EXCLUSIVE:
-		if (vol->exclusive || vol->writers || vol->readers)
+		if (vol->exclusive || vol->writers || vol->readers ||
+		    vol->metaonly)
 			goto out_unlock;
 		vol->exclusive = 1;
 		break;
+
+	case UBI_METAONLY:
+		if (vol->metaonly || vol->exclusive)
+			goto out_unlock;
+		vol->metaonly = 1;
+		break;
 	}
 	get_device(&vol->dev);
 	vol->ref_count += 1;
@@ -343,6 +350,10 @@ void ubi_close_volume(struct ubi_volume_desc *desc)
 		break;
 	case UBI_EXCLUSIVE:
 		vol->exclusive = 0;
+		break;
+	case UBI_METAONLY:
+		vol->metaonly = 0;
+		break;
 	}
 	vol->ref_count -= 1;
 	spin_unlock(&ubi->volumes_lock);
diff --git a/drivers/mtd/ubi/ubi.h b/drivers/mtd/ubi/ubi.h
index f80ffaba9058ed4f5afdc8344c8d06176b6589c8..20cabc060b6162784581b6ddc86cbacb2dd6e270 100644
--- a/drivers/mtd/ubi/ubi.h
+++ b/drivers/mtd/ubi/ubi.h
@@ -261,6 +261,7 @@ struct ubi_fm_pool {
  * @readers: number of users holding this volume in read-only mode
  * @writers: number of users holding this volume in read-write mode
  * @exclusive: whether somebody holds this volume in exclusive mode
+ * @metaonly: whether somebody is altering only meta data of this volume
  *
  * @reserved_pebs: how many physical eraseblocks are reserved for this volume
  * @vol_type: volume type (%UBI_DYNAMIC_VOLUME or %UBI_STATIC_VOLUME)
@@ -309,6 +310,7 @@ struct ubi_volume {
 	int readers;
 	int writers;
 	int exclusive;
+	int metaonly;
 
 	int reserved_pebs;
 	int vol_type;
@@ -339,7 +341,8 @@ struct ubi_volume {
 /**
  * struct ubi_volume_desc - UBI volume descriptor returned when it is opened.
  * @vol: reference to the corresponding volume description object
- * @mode: open mode (%UBI_READONLY, %UBI_READWRITE, or %UBI_EXCLUSIVE)
+ * @mode: open mode (%UBI_READONLY, %UBI_READWRITE, %UBI_EXCLUSIVE
+ * or %UBI_METAONLY)
  */
 struct ubi_volume_desc {
 	struct ubi_volume *vol;
@@ -390,7 +393,8 @@ struct ubi_debug_info {
  * @volumes_lock: protects @volumes, @rsvd_pebs, @avail_pebs, beb_rsvd_pebs,
  *                @beb_rsvd_level, @bad_peb_count, @good_peb_count, @vol_count,
  *                @vol->readers, @vol->writers, @vol->exclusive,
- *                @vol->ref_count, @vol->mapping and @vol->eba_tbl.
+ *                @vol->metaonly, @vol->ref_count, @vol->mapping and
+ *                @vol->eba_tbl.
  * @ref_count: count of references on the UBI device
  * @image_seq: image sequence number recorded on EC headers
  *
diff --git a/include/linux/mtd/ubi.h b/include/linux/mtd/ubi.h
index c3918a0684fe2ffc9a268eadd7e8ae473498cb37..8fa2753316e8ca771bd69bb8bf9c150e0454cd7b 100644
--- a/include/linux/mtd/ubi.h
+++ b/include/linux/mtd/ubi.h
@@ -34,11 +34,14 @@
  * UBI_READONLY: read-only mode
  * UBI_READWRITE: read-write mode
  * UBI_EXCLUSIVE: exclusive mode
+ * UBI_METAONLY: modify only the volume meta-data,
+ *  i.e. the data stored in the volume table, but not in any of volume LEBs.
  */
 enum {
 	UBI_READONLY = 1,
 	UBI_READWRITE,
-	UBI_EXCLUSIVE
+	UBI_EXCLUSIVE,
+	UBI_METAONLY
 };
 
 /**