diff --git a/Incremental.c b/Incremental.c
index a94d5fa..833eac7 100644
--- a/Incremental.c
+++ b/Incremental.c
@@ -950,7 +950,6 @@ static int array_try_spare(char *devname, int *dfdp, struct dev_policy *pol,
 			char devname[20];
 			devlist.next = NULL;
 			devlist.used = 0;
-			devlist.re_add = 0;
 			devlist.writemostly = 0;
 			devlist.devname = devname;
 			sprintf(devname, "%d:%d", major(stb.st_rdev),
diff --git a/Manage.c b/Manage.c
index a7d6a1e..a596363 100644
--- a/Manage.c
+++ b/Manage.c
@@ -524,7 +524,7 @@ int Manage_subdevs(char *devname, int fd,
 			if (next != dv)
 				continue;
 		} else if (strcmp(dv->devname, "missing") == 0) {
-			if (dv->disposition != 'a' || dv->re_add == 0) {
+			if (dv->disposition != 'A') {
 				pr_err("'missing' only meaningful "
 					"with --re-add\n");
 				goto abort;
@@ -610,6 +610,7 @@ int Manage_subdevs(char *devname, int fd,
 				dv->devname, dv->disposition);
 			goto abort;
 		case 'a':
+		case 'A':
 			/* add the device */
 			if (subarray) {
 				pr_err("Cannot add disks to a"
@@ -724,8 +725,7 @@ int Manage_subdevs(char *devname, int fd,
 					break;
 				}
 				/* FIXME this is a bad test to be using */
-				if (!tst->sb &&
-				    dv->re_add) {
+				if (!tst->sb && dv->disposition == 'A') {
 					/* we are re-adding a device to a
 					 * completely dead array - have to depend
 					 * on kernel to check
@@ -857,7 +857,7 @@ int Manage_subdevs(char *devname, int fd,
 					}
 					continue;
 				}
-				if (dv->re_add) {
+				if (dv->disposition == 'A') {
 					if (tfd >= 0)
 						close(tfd);
 					pr_err("--re-add for %s to %s is not possible\n",
@@ -943,7 +943,7 @@ int Manage_subdevs(char *devname, int fd,
 					close(dfd);
 					goto abort;
 				}
-			} else if (dv->re_add) {
+			} else if (dv->disposition == 'A') {
 				/*  this had better be raid1.
 				 * As we are "--re-add"ing we must find a spare slot
 				 * to fill.
@@ -1269,7 +1269,6 @@ int move_spare(char *from_devname, char *to_devname, dev_t devid)
 
 	devlist.next = NULL;
 	devlist.used = 0;
-	devlist.re_add = 0;
 	devlist.writemostly = 0;
 	devlist.devname = devname;
 	sprintf(devname, "%d:%d", major(devid), minor(devid));
diff --git a/mdadm.c b/mdadm.c
index fa3da9f..1ab8267 100644
--- a/mdadm.c
+++ b/mdadm.c
@@ -117,7 +117,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	int spare_sharing = 1;
 	struct supertype *ss = NULL;
 	int writemostly = 0;
-	int re_add = 0;
 	char *shortopt = short_options;
 	int dosyslog = 0;
 	int rebuild_map = 0;
@@ -326,7 +325,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 					dv->devname = optarg;
 					dv->disposition = devmode;
 					dv->writemostly = writemostly;
-					dv->re_add = re_add;
 					dv->used = 0;
 					dv->next = NULL;
 					*devlistend = dv;
@@ -382,7 +380,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 			dv->devname = optarg;
 			dv->disposition = devmode;
 			dv->writemostly = writemostly;
-			dv->re_add = re_add;
 			dv->used = 0;
 			dv->next = NULL;
 			*devlistend = dv;
@@ -785,7 +782,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 		case O(MANAGE,'U'):
 			/* update=devicesize is allowed with --re-add */
-			if (devmode != 'a' || re_add != 1) {
+			if (devmode != 'A') {
 				pr_err("--update in Manage mode only"
 					" allowed with --re-add.\n");
 				exit(1);
@@ -912,11 +909,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		case O(MANAGE,'a'):
 		case O(MANAGE,Add): /* add a drive */
 			devmode = 'a';
-			re_add = 0;
 			continue;
 		case O(MANAGE,ReAdd):
-			devmode = 'a';
-			re_add = 1;
+			devmode = 'A';
 			continue;
 		case O(MANAGE,'r'): /* remove a drive */
 		case O(MANAGE,Remove):
diff --git a/mdadm.h b/mdadm.h
index e92b768..ff44312 100644
--- a/mdadm.h
+++ b/mdadm.h
@@ -377,11 +377,11 @@ struct mddev_ident {
 /* List of device names - wildcards expanded */
 struct mddev_dev {
 	char *devname;
-	int disposition;	/* 'a' for add, 'r' for remove, 'f' for fail.
+	int disposition;	/* 'a' for add, 'r' for remove, 'f' for fail,
+				 * 'A' for re_add.
 				 * Not set for names read from .config
 				 */
 	char writemostly;	/* 1 for 'set writemostly', 2 for 'clear writemostly' */
-	char re_add;
 	char used;		/* set when used */
 	struct mddev_dev *next;
 };