diff --git a/fs/bcachefs/bcachefs.h b/fs/bcachefs/bcachefs.h
index 5304b6762179..069a3c416bc5 100644
--- a/fs/bcachefs/bcachefs.h
+++ b/fs/bcachefs/bcachefs.h
@@ -479,6 +479,7 @@ struct bch_dev {
 enum {
 	/* startup: */
 	BCH_FS_ALLOC_READ_DONE,
+	BCH_FS_ALLOC_CLEAN,
 	BCH_FS_ALLOCATOR_STARTED,
 	BCH_FS_ALLOCATOR_RUNNING,
 	BCH_FS_INITIAL_GC_DONE,
diff --git a/fs/bcachefs/super.c b/fs/bcachefs/super.c
index 84fb2f51e48a..6b5ab579a25c 100644
--- a/fs/bcachefs/super.c
+++ b/fs/bcachefs/super.c
@@ -192,8 +192,12 @@ static void __bch2_fs_read_only(struct bch_fs *c)
 	 */
 	bch2_journal_flush_all_pins(&c->journal);
 
+	/*
+	 * If the allocator threads didn't all start up, the btree updates to
+	 * write out alloc info aren't going to work:
+	 */
 	if (!test_bit(BCH_FS_ALLOCATOR_RUNNING, &c->flags))
-		goto allocator_not_running;
+		goto nowrote_alloc;
 
 	do {
 		wrote = false;
@@ -205,7 +209,7 @@ static void __bch2_fs_read_only(struct bch_fs *c)
 			bch2_fs_inconsistent(c, "error writing out alloc info %i", ret);
 
 		if (ret)
-			break;
+			goto nowrote_alloc;
 
 		for_each_member_device(ca, c, i)
 			bch2_dev_allocator_quiesce(c, ca);
@@ -224,7 +228,9 @@ static void __bch2_fs_read_only(struct bch_fs *c)
 
 		clean_passes = wrote ? 0 : clean_passes + 1;
 	} while (clean_passes < 2);
-allocator_not_running:
+
+	set_bit(BCH_FS_ALLOC_CLEAN, &c->flags);
+nowrote_alloc:
 	for_each_member_device(ca, c, i)
 		bch2_dev_allocator_stop(ca);
 
@@ -306,6 +312,7 @@ void bch2_fs_read_only(struct bch_fs *c)
 	    !test_bit(BCH_FS_ERROR, &c->flags) &&
 	    !test_bit(BCH_FS_EMERGENCY_RO, &c->flags) &&
 	    test_bit(BCH_FS_STARTED, &c->flags) &&
+	    test_bit(BCH_FS_ALLOC_CLEAN, &c->flags) &&
 	    !c->opts.norecovery)
 		bch2_fs_mark_clean(c);
 
@@ -394,6 +401,8 @@ static int __bch2_fs_read_write(struct bch_fs *c, bool early)
 	if (ret)
 		goto err;
 
+	clear_bit(BCH_FS_ALLOC_CLEAN, &c->flags);
+
 	for_each_rw_member(ca, c, i)
 		bch2_dev_allocator_add(c, ca);
 	bch2_recalc_capacity(c);