return sprintf(page, "%d\n", mddev->raid_disks);
 }
 
-static struct md_sysfs_entry md_raid_disks = __ATTR_RO(raid_disks);
+static int update_raid_disks(mddev_t *mddev, int raid_disks);
+
+static ssize_t
+raid_disks_store(mddev_t *mddev, const char *buf, size_t len)
+{
+       /* can only set raid_disks if array is not yet active */
+       char *e;
+       int rv = 0;
+       unsigned long n = simple_strtoul(buf, &e, 10);
+
+       if (!*buf || (*e && *e != '\n'))
+               return -EINVAL;
+
+       if (mddev->pers)
+               rv = update_raid_disks(mddev, n);
+       else
+               mddev->raid_disks = n;
+       return rv ? rv : len;
+}
+static struct md_sysfs_entry md_raid_disks =
+__ATTR(raid_disks, 0644, raid_disks_show, raid_disks_store);
 
 static ssize_t
 chunk_size_show(mddev_t *mddev, char *page)
        return rv;
 }
 
+static int update_raid_disks(mddev_t *mddev, int raid_disks)
+{
+       int rv;
+       /* change the number of raid disks */
+       if (mddev->pers->reshape == NULL)
+               return -EINVAL;
+       if (raid_disks <= 0 ||
+           raid_disks >= mddev->max_disks)
+               return -EINVAL;
+       if (mddev->sync_thread)
+               return -EBUSY;
+       rv = mddev->pers->reshape(mddev, raid_disks);
+       if (!rv) {
+               struct block_device *bdev;
+
+               bdev = bdget_disk(mddev->gendisk, 0);
+               if (bdev) {
+                       down(&bdev->bd_inode->i_sem);
+                       i_size_write(bdev->bd_inode, mddev->array_size << 10);
+                       up(&bdev->bd_inode->i_sem);
+                       bdput(bdev);
+               }
+       }
+       return rv;
+}
+
+
 /*
  * update_array_info is used to change the configuration of an
  * on-line array.
        if (mddev->size != info->size)
                rv = update_size(mddev, info->size);
 
-       if (mddev->raid_disks    != info->raid_disks) {
-               /* change the number of raid disks */
-               if (mddev->pers->reshape == NULL)
-                       return -EINVAL;
-               if (info->raid_disks <= 0 ||
-                   info->raid_disks >= mddev->max_disks)
-                       return -EINVAL;
-               if (mddev->sync_thread)
-                       return -EBUSY;
-               rv = mddev->pers->reshape(mddev, info->raid_disks);
-               if (!rv) {
-                       struct block_device *bdev;
-
-                       bdev = bdget_disk(mddev->gendisk, 0);
-                       if (bdev) {
-                               down(&bdev->bd_inode->i_sem);
-                               i_size_write(bdev->bd_inode, mddev->array_size << 10);
-                               up(&bdev->bd_inode->i_sem);
-                               bdput(bdev);
-                       }
-               }
-       }
+       if (mddev->raid_disks    != info->raid_disks)
+               rv = update_raid_disks(mddev, info->raid_disks);
+
        if ((state ^ info->state) & (1<<MD_SB_BITMAP_PRESENT)) {
                if (mddev->pers->quiesce == NULL)
                        return -EINVAL;