diff --git a/lib/cache/lvmcache.c b/lib/cache/lvmcache.c
index cad8247c7..d8df4c796 100644
--- a/lib/cache/lvmcache.c
+++ b/lib/cache/lvmcache.c
@@ -996,6 +996,22 @@ int lvmcache_label_rescan_vg_rw(struct cmd_context *cmd, const char *vgname, con
 	return _label_rescan_vg(cmd, vgname, vgid, 1);
 }
 
+int lvmcache_label_reopen_vg_rw(struct cmd_context *cmd, const char *vgname, const char *vgid)
+{
+	struct lvmcache_vginfo *vginfo;
+	struct lvmcache_info *info;
+
+	if (!(vginfo = lvmcache_vginfo_from_vgname(vgname, vgid)))
+		return_0;
+
+	dm_list_iterate_items(info, &vginfo->infos) {
+		if (!label_scan_reopen_rw(info->dev))
+			return_0;
+	}
+
+	return 1;
+}
+
 /*
  * Uses label_scan to populate lvmcache with 'vginfo' struct for each VG
  * and associated 'info' structs for those VGs.  Only VG summary information
diff --git a/lib/cache/lvmcache.h b/lib/cache/lvmcache.h
index 6cef4d102..1ee99b534 100644
--- a/lib/cache/lvmcache.h
+++ b/lib/cache/lvmcache.h
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ void lvmcache_destroy(struct cmd_context *cmd, int retain_orphans, int reset);
 int lvmcache_label_scan(struct cmd_context *cmd);
 int lvmcache_label_rescan_vg(struct cmd_context *cmd, const char *vgname, const char *vgid);
 int lvmcache_label_rescan_vg_rw(struct cmd_context *cmd, const char *vgname, const char *vgid);
+int lvmcache_label_reopen_vg_rw(struct cmd_context *cmd, const char *vgname, const char *vgid);
 
 /* Add/delete a device */
 struct lvmcache_info *lvmcache_add(struct cmd_context *cmd, struct labeller *labeller, const char *pvid,
diff --git a/lib/label/label.c b/lib/label/label.c
index afe342629..0090fd0a5 100644
--- a/lib/label/label.c
+++ b/lib/label/label.c
@@ -1447,6 +1447,69 @@ int label_scan_open_rw(struct device *dev)
 	return label_scan_open(dev);
 }
 
+int label_scan_reopen_rw(struct device *dev)
+{
+	int flags = 0;
+	int prev_fd = dev->bcache_fd;
+	int fd;
+
+	if (!(dev->flags & DEV_IN_BCACHE)) {
+		if ((dev->bcache_fd != -1) || (dev->bcache_di != -1)) {
+			/* shouldn't happen */
+			log_debug("Reopen writeable %s uncached fd %d di %d",
+				  dev_name(dev), dev->bcache_fd, dev->bcache_di);
+			return 0;
+		}
+		goto do_open;
+	}
+
+	if ((dev->flags & DEV_BCACHE_WRITE))
+		return 1;
+
+	if (dev->bcache_fd == -1) {
+		log_error("Failed to open writable %s index %d fd none",
+			  dev_name(dev), dev->bcache_di);
+		return 0;
+	}
+	if (dev->bcache_di == -1) {
+		log_error("Failed to open writeable %s index none fd %d",
+			  dev_name(dev), dev->bcache_fd);
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+ do_open:
+	flags |= O_DIRECT;
+	flags |= O_NOATIME;
+	flags |= O_RDWR;
+
+	fd = open(dev_name(dev), flags, 0777);
+	if (fd < 0) {
+		log_error("Failed to open rw %s errno %d di %d fd %d.",
+			  dev_name(dev), errno, dev->bcache_di, dev->bcache_fd);
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	if (!bcache_change_fd(dev->bcache_di, fd)) {
+		log_error("Failed to change to rw fd %s di %d fd %d.",
+			  dev_name(dev), dev->bcache_di, fd);
+		close(fd);
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	if (close(dev->bcache_fd))
+		log_debug("reopen writeable %s close prev errno %d di %d fd %d.",
+			  dev_name(dev), errno, dev->bcache_di, dev->bcache_fd);
+
+	dev->flags |= DEV_IN_BCACHE;
+	dev->flags |= DEV_BCACHE_WRITE;
+	dev->bcache_fd = fd;
+
+	log_debug("reopen writable %s di %d prev %d fd %d",
+		  dev_name(dev), dev->bcache_di, prev_fd, fd);
+
+	return 1;
+}
+
 bool dev_read_bytes(struct device *dev, uint64_t start, size_t len, void *data)
 {
 	if (!scan_bcache) {
diff --git a/lib/label/label.h b/lib/label/label.h
index 9a4b630bb..25913bb6d 100644
--- a/lib/label/label.h
+++ b/lib/label/label.h
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@ int label_scan_setup_bcache(void);
 int label_scan_open(struct device *dev);
 int label_scan_open_excl(struct device *dev);
 int label_scan_open_rw(struct device *dev);
+int label_scan_reopen_rw(struct device *dev);
 
 int label_scan_for_pvid(struct cmd_context *cmd, char *pvid, struct device **dev_out);
 
diff --git a/lib/metadata/metadata.c b/lib/metadata/metadata.c
index d4a069cd0..5639377e5 100644
--- a/lib/metadata/metadata.c
+++ b/lib/metadata/metadata.c
@@ -4688,6 +4688,15 @@ static struct volume_group *_vg_read(struct cmd_context *cmd,
 
 	log_debug_metadata("Reading VG %s %s", vgname ?: "<no name>", vgid ?: "<no vgid>");
 
+	/*
+	 * Devices are generally open readonly from scanning, and we need to
+	 * reopen them rw to update metadata.  We want to reopen them rw before
+	 * before rescanning and/or writing.  Reopening rw preserves the existing
+	 * bcache blocks for the devs.
+	 */
+	if (writing)
+		lvmcache_label_reopen_vg_rw(cmd, vgname, vgid);
+
 	/*
 	 * Rescan the devices that are associated with this vg in lvmcache.
 	 * This repeats what was done by the command's initial label scan,