diff --git a/monitor.c b/monitor.c
index d1f7c9e..f46f7b1 100644
--- a/monitor.c
+++ b/monitor.c
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ static int read_and_act(struct active_array *a)
 	a->curr_action = read_action(a->action_fd);
 	for (mdi = a->info.devs; mdi ; mdi = mdi->next) {
 		mdi->next_state = 0;
-		if (mdi->state_fd > 0)
+		if (mdi->state_fd >= 0)
 			mdi->curr_state = read_dev_state(mdi->state_fd);
 	}
 
@@ -307,16 +307,16 @@ static int read_and_act(struct active_array *a)
 	if (a->next_action != bad_action)
 		write_attr(sync_actions[a->next_action], a->action_fd);
 	for (mdi = a->info.devs; mdi ; mdi = mdi->next) {
-		if (mdi->next_state == DS_REMOVE && mdi->state_fd > 0) {
-			int remove_err;
+		if (mdi->next_state == DS_REMOVE && mdi->state_fd >= 0) {
+			int remove_result;
 
 			write_attr("-blocked", mdi->state_fd);
 			/* the kernel may not be able to immediately remove the
 			 * disk, we can simply wait until the next event to try
 			 * again.
 			 */
-			remove_err = write_attr("remove", mdi->state_fd);
-			if (!remove_err) {
+			remove_result = write_attr("remove", mdi->state_fd);
+			if (remove_result > 0) {
 				close(mdi->state_fd);
 				mdi->state_fd = -1;
 			}
diff --git a/super-ddf.c b/super-ddf.c
index 9dbadfb..66fdb80 100644
--- a/super-ddf.c
+++ b/super-ddf.c
@@ -2664,8 +2664,8 @@ static void ddf_set_disk(struct active_array *a, int n, int state)
 		pd = find_phys(ddf, vc->phys_refnum[i]);
 		if (pd < 0)
 			continue;
-		st = ddf->phys->entries[pd].state;
-		if ((state & (DDF_Online|DDF_Failed|DDF_Rebuilding))
+		st = __be16_to_cpu(ddf->phys->entries[pd].state);
+		if ((st & (DDF_Online|DDF_Failed|DDF_Rebuilding))
 		    == DDF_Online)
 			working++;
 	}