diff --git a/drivers/md/raid10.c b/drivers/md/raid10.c
index 5de42d87bf4ed23d17a8762609140f01c536779b..6c486d839c99d1f875ce9f99f54b0dcfaf6188aa 100644
--- a/drivers/md/raid10.c
+++ b/drivers/md/raid10.c
@@ -537,7 +537,8 @@ static int read_balance(conf_t *conf, r10bio_t *r10_bio)
 	current_distance = abs(r10_bio->devs[slot].addr -
 			       conf->mirrors[disk].head_position);
 
-	/* Find the disk whose head is closest */
+	/* Find the disk whose head is closest,
+	 * or - for far > 1 - find the closest to partition beginning */
 
 	for (nslot = slot; nslot < conf->copies; nslot++) {
 		int ndisk = r10_bio->devs[nslot].devnum;
@@ -557,8 +558,13 @@ static int read_balance(conf_t *conf, r10bio_t *r10_bio)
 			slot = nslot;
 			break;
 		}
-		new_distance = abs(r10_bio->devs[nslot].addr -
-				   conf->mirrors[ndisk].head_position);
+
+		/* for far > 1 always use the lowest address */
+		if (conf->far_copies > 1)
+			new_distance = r10_bio->devs[nslot].addr;
+		else
+			new_distance = abs(r10_bio->devs[nslot].addr -
+					   conf->mirrors[ndisk].head_position);
 		if (new_distance < current_distance) {
 			current_distance = new_distance;
 			disk = ndisk;