diff --git a/block.c b/block.c
index e78039bd5a..4c0e7f5439 100644
--- a/block.c
+++ b/block.c
@@ -668,7 +668,7 @@ static int bdrv_open_common(BlockDriverState *bs, const char *filename,
         open_flags |= BDRV_O_RDWR;
     }
 
-    bs->keep_read_only = bs->read_only = !(open_flags & BDRV_O_RDWR);
+    bs->read_only = !(open_flags & BDRV_O_RDWR);
 
     /* Open the image, either directly or using a protocol */
     if (drv->bdrv_file_open) {
@@ -808,6 +808,12 @@ int bdrv_open(BlockDriverState *bs, const char *filename, int flags,
         goto unlink_and_fail;
     }
 
+    if (flags & BDRV_O_RDWR) {
+        flags |= BDRV_O_ALLOW_RDWR;
+    }
+
+    bs->keep_read_only = !(flags & BDRV_O_ALLOW_RDWR);
+
     /* Open the image */
     ret = bdrv_open_common(bs, filename, flags, drv);
     if (ret < 0) {
@@ -837,12 +843,6 @@ int bdrv_open(BlockDriverState *bs, const char *filename, int flags,
             bdrv_close(bs);
             return ret;
         }
-        if (bs->is_temporary) {
-            bs->backing_hd->keep_read_only = !(flags & BDRV_O_RDWR);
-        } else {
-            /* base image inherits from "parent" */
-            bs->backing_hd->keep_read_only = bs->keep_read_only;
-        }
     }
 
     if (!bdrv_key_required(bs)) {
diff --git a/block.h b/block.h
index 2e2be11071..4d919c249f 100644
--- a/block.h
+++ b/block.h
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ typedef struct BlockDevOps {
 #define BDRV_O_COPY_ON_READ 0x0400 /* copy read backing sectors into image */
 #define BDRV_O_INCOMING    0x0800  /* consistency hint for incoming migration */
 #define BDRV_O_CHECK       0x1000  /* open solely for consistency check */
+#define BDRV_O_ALLOW_RDWR  0x2000  /* allow reopen to change from r/o to r/w */
 
 #define BDRV_O_CACHE_MASK  (BDRV_O_NOCACHE | BDRV_O_CACHE_WB | BDRV_O_NO_FLUSH)