diff --git a/drivers/md/linear.c b/drivers/md/linear.c
index 6ba3227e29b2..7ffb20ec1a46 100644
--- a/drivers/md/linear.c
+++ b/drivers/md/linear.c
@@ -223,7 +223,8 @@ static int linear_add(struct mddev *mddev, struct md_rdev *rdev)
 	 * oldconf until no one uses it anymore.
 	 */
 	mddev_suspend(mddev);
-	oldconf = rcu_dereference(mddev->private);
+	oldconf = rcu_dereference_protected(mddev->private,
+			lockdep_is_held(&mddev->reconfig_mutex));
 	mddev->raid_disks++;
 	WARN_ONCE(mddev->raid_disks != newconf->raid_disks,
 		"copied raid_disks doesn't match mddev->raid_disks");