diff --git a/WHATS_NEW b/WHATS_NEW
index 2645b535c..3b02d7dff 100644
--- a/WHATS_NEW
+++ b/WHATS_NEW
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 Version 2.02.67 -
 ===============================
+  Avoid selecting names under /dev/block if there is an alternative.
   Update clustered log kernel module name to log-userspace for 2.6.31 onwards.
   Activate only first head of Replicator for vgchange -ay.
   Add Replicators' LVs to dtree for activation.
diff --git a/lib/device/dev-cache.c b/lib/device/dev-cache.c
index 45c0e8f82..f6c8a467e 100644
--- a/lib/device/dev-cache.c
+++ b/lib/device/dev-cache.c
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ static struct {
 	struct dm_hash_table *names;
 	struct btree *devices;
 	struct dm_regex *preferred_names_matcher;
+	const char *dev_dir;
 
 	int has_scanned;
 	struct dm_list dirs;
@@ -155,6 +156,7 @@ static int _compare_paths(const char *path0, const char *path1)
 	char p0[PATH_MAX], p1[PATH_MAX];
 	char *s0, *s1;
 	struct stat stat0, stat1;
+	size_t devdir_len;
 
 	/*
 	 * FIXME Better to compare patterns one-at-a-time against all names.
@@ -179,6 +181,19 @@ static int _compare_paths(const char *path0, const char *path1)
 	 * Built-in rules.
 	 */
 
+	/*
+	 * Anything beats /dev/block.
+	 */
+	devdir_len = strlen(_cache.dev_dir);
+	if (!strncmp(path0, _cache.dev_dir, devdir_len) &&
+	    !strncmp(path1, _cache.dev_dir, devdir_len)) {
+		if (!strncmp(path0 + devdir_len, "block/", 6)) {
+			if (strncmp(path1 + devdir_len, "block/", 6))
+				return 1;
+		} else if (!strncmp(path1 + devdir_len, "block/", 6))
+			return 0;
+	}
+
 	/* Return the path with fewer slashes */
 	for (p = path0; p++; p = (const char *) strchr(p, '/'))
 		slash0++;
@@ -545,6 +560,11 @@ int dev_cache_init(struct cmd_context *cmd)
 		goto bad;
 	}
 
+	if (!(_cache.dev_dir = _strdup(cmd->dev_dir))) {
+		log_error("strdup dev_dir failed.");
+		goto bad;
+	}
+
 	dm_list_init(&_cache.dirs);
 	dm_list_init(&_cache.files);