rdev->data_offset = 0;
        rdev->sb_size = MD_SB_BYTES;
 
+       if (sb->state & (1<<MD_SB_BITMAP_PRESENT)) {
+               if (sb->level != 1 && sb->level != 4
+                   && sb->level != 5 && sb->level != 6
+                   && sb->level != 10) {
+                       /* FIXME use a better test */
+                       printk(KERN_WARNING
+                              "md: bitmaps not supported for this level.\n");
+                       goto abort;
+               }
+       }
+
        if (sb->level == LEVEL_MULTIPATH)
                rdev->desc_nr = -1;
        else
                mddev->max_disks = MD_SB_DISKS;
 
                if (sb->state & (1<<MD_SB_BITMAP_PRESENT) &&
-                   mddev->bitmap_file == NULL) {
-                       if (mddev->level != 1 && mddev->level != 4
-                           && mddev->level != 5 && mddev->level != 6
-                           && mddev->level != 10) {
-                               /* FIXME use a better test */
-                               printk(KERN_WARNING "md: bitmaps not supported for this level.\n");
-                               return -EINVAL;
-                       }
+                   mddev->bitmap_file == NULL)
                        mddev->bitmap_offset = mddev->default_bitmap_offset;
-               }
 
        } else if (mddev->pers == NULL) {
                /* Insist on good event counter while assembling */
                       bdevname(rdev->bdev,b));
                return -EINVAL;
        }
+       if ((le32_to_cpu(sb->feature_map) & MD_FEATURE_BITMAP_OFFSET)) {
+               if (sb->level != cpu_to_le32(1) &&
+                   sb->level != cpu_to_le32(4) &&
+                   sb->level != cpu_to_le32(5) &&
+                   sb->level != cpu_to_le32(6) &&
+                   sb->level != cpu_to_le32(10)) {
+                       printk(KERN_WARNING
+                              "md: bitmaps not supported for this level.\n");
+                       return -EINVAL;
+               }
+       }
+
        rdev->preferred_minor = 0xffff;
        rdev->data_offset = le64_to_cpu(sb->data_offset);
        atomic_set(&rdev->corrected_errors, le32_to_cpu(sb->cnt_corrected_read));
                mddev->max_disks =  (4096-256)/2;
 
                if ((le32_to_cpu(sb->feature_map) & MD_FEATURE_BITMAP_OFFSET) &&
-                   mddev->bitmap_file == NULL ) {
-                       if (mddev->level != 1 && mddev->level != 5 && mddev->level != 6
-                           && mddev->level != 10) {
-                               printk(KERN_WARNING "md: bitmaps not supported for this level.\n");
-                               return -EINVAL;
-                       }
+                   mddev->bitmap_file == NULL )
                        mddev->bitmap_offset = (__s32)le32_to_cpu(sb->bitmap_offset);
-               }
+
                if ((le32_to_cpu(sb->feature_map) & MD_FEATURE_RESHAPE_ACTIVE)) {
                        mddev->reshape_position = le64_to_cpu(sb->reshape_position);
                        mddev->delta_disks = le32_to_cpu(sb->delta_disks);