diff --git a/lib/activate/activate.c b/lib/activate/activate.c
index 9a852463d..fd2d250fc 100644
--- a/lib/activate/activate.c
+++ b/lib/activate/activate.c
@@ -277,9 +277,13 @@ int _load(struct logical_volume *lv, int task)
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (!(lv->status & LVM_WRITE) && !dm_task_set_ro(dmt))
-		log_error("Failed to set %s read-only during activation.",
-			   lv->name);
+	if (!((lv->status & LVM_WRITE) && (lv->vg->status & LVM_WRITE))) {
+	    	if (!dm_task_set_ro(dmt))
+			log_error("Failed to set %s read-only during "
+				  "activation.", lv->name);
+		else 
+			log_very_verbose("Activating %s read-only", lv->name);
+	}
 
 
 	if (!(r = dm_task_run(dmt)))
diff --git a/tools/lvchange.c b/tools/lvchange.c
index eac4b9c23..abb1470c1 100644
--- a/tools/lvchange.c
+++ b/tools/lvchange.c
@@ -47,10 +47,10 @@ static int lvchange_single(struct logical_volume *lv)
 	int doit = 0;
 	int archived = 0;
 
-	if ((lv->vg->status & PARTIAL_VG) && 
+	if (!(lv->vg->status & LVM_WRITE) && 
 	    (arg_count(contiguous_ARG) || arg_count(permission_ARG) ||
 	     arg_count(readahead_ARG))) {
-		log_error("Only -a permitted with partial volume group \"%s\"",
+		log_error("Only -a permitted with read-only volume group \"%s\"",
 			  lv->vg->name);
 		return EINVALID_CMD_LINE;
 	}