diff --git a/Assemble.c b/Assemble.c
index a52dc50..a16cafe 100644
--- a/Assemble.c
+++ b/Assemble.c
@@ -777,7 +777,7 @@ int Assemble(struct supertype *st, char *mddev,
 		 * as they don't make sense
 		 */
 		if (content->array.level != -4)
-			if (!(devices[j].i.disk.state & (1<<MD_DISK_SYNC))) {
+			if (!(devices[j].i.disk.state & (1<<MD_DISK_ACTIVE))) {
 				if (!(devices[j].i.disk.state
 				      & (1<<MD_DISK_FAULTY)))
 					sparecnt++;
diff --git a/md_p.h b/md_p.h
index a9f0204..4594a36 100644
--- a/md_p.h
+++ b/md_p.h
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@
  * Device "operational" state bits
  */
 #define MD_DISK_FAULTY		0 /* disk is faulty / operational */
-#define MD_DISK_ACTIVE		1 /* disk is running or spare disk */
+#define MD_DISK_ACTIVE		1 /* disk is running but may not be in sync */
 #define MD_DISK_SYNC		2 /* disk is in sync with the raid set */
 #define MD_DISK_REMOVED		3 /* disk is in sync with the raid set */
 
diff --git a/super-ddf.c b/super-ddf.c
index 06858e2..80df570 100644
--- a/super-ddf.c
+++ b/super-ddf.c
@@ -1366,7 +1366,7 @@ static void getinfo_super_ddf(struct supertype *st, struct mdinfo *info)
 		info->disk.raid_disk = -1;
 //		info->disk.raid_disk = find refnum in the table and use index;
 	}
-	info->disk.state = (1 << MD_DISK_SYNC);
+	info->disk.state = (1 << MD_DISK_SYNC) | (1 << MD_DISK_ACTIVE);
 
 
 	info->reshape_active = 0;
diff --git a/super1.c b/super1.c
index a64876e..667154d 100644
--- a/super1.c
+++ b/super1.c
@@ -594,7 +594,7 @@ static void getinfo_super1(struct supertype *st, struct mdinfo *info)
 	info->disk.raid_disk = -1;
 	switch(role) {
 	case 0xFFFF:
-		info->disk.state = 2; /* spare: ACTIVE, not sync, not faulty */
+		info->disk.state = 0; /* spare: not active, not sync, not faulty */
 		break;
 	case 0xFFFE:
 		info->disk.state = 1; /* faulty */