diff --git a/drivers/mtd/mtdchar.c b/drivers/mtd/mtdchar.c
index 975aed94f06c..48832f9b215c 100644
--- a/drivers/mtd/mtdchar.c
+++ b/drivers/mtd/mtdchar.c
@@ -354,9 +354,6 @@ static int mtdchar_writeoob(struct file *file, struct mtd_info *mtd,
 	uint32_t retlen;
 	int ret = 0;
 
-	if (!(file->f_mode & FMODE_WRITE))
-		return -EPERM;
-
 	if (length > 4096)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
@@ -641,6 +638,48 @@ static int mtdchar_ioctl(struct file *file, u_int cmd, u_long arg)
 
 	pr_debug("MTD_ioctl\n");
 
+	/*
+	 * Check the file mode to require "dangerous" commands to have write
+	 * permissions.
+	 */
+	switch (cmd) {
+	/* "safe" commands */
+	case MEMGETREGIONCOUNT:
+	case MEMGETREGIONINFO:
+	case MEMGETINFO:
+	case MEMREADOOB:
+	case MEMREADOOB64:
+	case MEMLOCK:
+	case MEMUNLOCK:
+	case MEMISLOCKED:
+	case MEMGETOOBSEL:
+	case MEMGETBADBLOCK:
+	case MEMSETBADBLOCK:
+	case OTPSELECT:
+	case OTPGETREGIONCOUNT:
+	case OTPGETREGIONINFO:
+	case OTPLOCK:
+	case ECCGETLAYOUT:
+	case ECCGETSTATS:
+	case MTDFILEMODE:
+	case BLKPG:
+	case BLKRRPART:
+		break;
+
+	/* "dangerous" commands */
+	case MEMERASE:
+	case MEMERASE64:
+	case MEMWRITEOOB:
+	case MEMWRITEOOB64:
+	case MEMWRITE:
+		if (!(file->f_mode & FMODE_WRITE))
+			return -EPERM;
+		break;
+
+	default:
+		return -ENOTTY;
+	}
+
 	switch (cmd) {
 	case MEMGETREGIONCOUNT:
 		if (copy_to_user(argp, &(mtd->numeraseregions), sizeof(int)))
@@ -688,9 +727,6 @@ static int mtdchar_ioctl(struct file *file, u_int cmd, u_long arg)
 	{
 		struct erase_info *erase;
 
-		if(!(file->f_mode & FMODE_WRITE))
-			return -EPERM;
-
 		erase=kzalloc(sizeof(struct erase_info),GFP_KERNEL);
 		if (!erase)
 			ret = -ENOMEM;
@@ -983,9 +1019,6 @@ static int mtdchar_ioctl(struct file *file, u_int cmd, u_long arg)
 		ret = 0;
 		break;
 	}
-
-	default:
-		ret = -ENOTTY;
 	}
 
 	return ret;
@@ -1029,6 +1062,11 @@ static long mtdchar_compat_ioctl(struct file *file, unsigned int cmd,
 		struct mtd_oob_buf32 buf;
 		struct mtd_oob_buf32 __user *buf_user = argp;
 
+		if (!(file->f_mode & FMODE_WRITE)) {
+			ret = -EPERM;
+			break;
+		}
+
 		if (copy_from_user(&buf, argp, sizeof(buf)))
 			ret = -EFAULT;
 		else