diff --git a/tools/vgrename.c b/tools/vgrename.c
index b2366a482..4d115d049 100644
--- a/tools/vgrename.c
+++ b/tools/vgrename.c
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ static int vg_rename_path(struct cmd_context *cmd, const char *old_vg_path,
 {
 	char *dev_dir;
 	struct id id;
-	int consistent = 1;
 	int match = 0;
 	int found_id = 0;
 	struct dm_list *vgids;
@@ -71,25 +70,11 @@ static int vg_rename_path(struct cmd_context *cmd, const char *old_vg_path,
 	} else
 		vgid = NULL;
 
-	if (!lock_vol(cmd, vg_name_old, LCK_VG_WRITE)) {
-		log_error("Can't get lock for %s", vg_name_old);
-		return 0;
-	}
-
-	if (!(vg = vg_read_internal(cmd, vg_name_old, vgid, &consistent)) || !consistent) {
-		log_error("Volume group %s %s%s%snot found.", vg_name_old,
-		vgid ? "(" : "", vgid ? vgid : "", vgid ? ") " : "");
-		unlock_vg(cmd, vg_name_old);
-		return 0;
-	}
-
-	if (!vg_check_status(vg, CLUSTERED | LVM_WRITE)) {
-		unlock_and_release_vg(cmd, vg, vg_name_old);
-		return 0;
-	}
-
-	/* Don't return failure for EXPORTED_VG */
-	vg_check_status(vg, EXPORTED_VG);
+	/* FIXME we used to print an error about EXPORTED, but proceeded
+	   nevertheless. */
+	vg = vg_read_for_update(cmd, vg_name_old, vgid, READ_ALLOW_EXPORTED);
+	if (vg_read_error(vg))
+		return_0;
 
 	if (lvs_in_vg_activated_by_uuid_only(vg)) {
 		unlock_and_release_vg(cmd, vg, vg_name_old);