diff --git a/drivers/md/raid10.c b/drivers/md/raid10.c
index 0c97bf4f686e..4e53792aa520 100644
--- a/drivers/md/raid10.c
+++ b/drivers/md/raid10.c
@@ -917,6 +917,13 @@ static int make_request(struct request_queue *q, struct bio * bio)
 		bio_list_add(&bl, mbio);
 	}
 
+	if (unlikely(!atomic_read(&r10_bio->remaining))) {
+		/* the array is dead */
+		md_write_end(mddev);
+		raid_end_bio_io(r10_bio);
+		return 0;
+	}
+
 	bitmap_startwrite(mddev->bitmap, bio->bi_sector, r10_bio->sectors, 0);
 	spin_lock_irqsave(&conf->device_lock, flags);
 	bio_list_merge(&conf->pending_bio_list, &bl);