diff --git a/Manage.c b/Manage.c
index 9139f96..edf5798 100644
--- a/Manage.c
+++ b/Manage.c
@@ -1177,11 +1177,7 @@ int Manage_remove(struct supertype *tst, int fd, struct mddev_dev *dv,
 		/* device has been removed and we don't know
 		 * the major:minor number
 		 */
-		int n = write(sysfd, "remove", 6);
-		if (n != 6)
-			err = -1;
-		else
-			err = 0;
+		err = sys_hot_remove_disk(sysfd);
 	} else {
 		err = hot_remove_disk(fd, rdev);
 		if (err && errno == ENODEV) {
diff --git a/mdadm.h b/mdadm.h
index 5bcfb86..b855d24 100644
--- a/mdadm.h
+++ b/mdadm.h
@@ -1477,6 +1477,7 @@ extern int add_disk(int mdfd, struct supertype *st,
 extern int remove_disk(int mdfd, struct supertype *st,
 		       struct mdinfo *sra, struct mdinfo *info);
 extern int hot_remove_disk(int mdfd, unsigned long dev);
+extern int sys_hot_remove_disk(int statefd);
 extern int set_array_info(int mdfd, struct supertype *st, struct mdinfo *info);
 unsigned long long min_recovery_start(struct mdinfo *array);
 
diff --git a/util.c b/util.c
index d09a7e2..b718531 100644
--- a/util.c
+++ b/util.c
@@ -1813,6 +1813,18 @@ int hot_remove_disk(int mdfd, unsigned long dev)
 	return ret;
 }
 
+int sys_hot_remove_disk(int statefd)
+{
+	int cnt = 5;
+	int ret;
+
+	while ((ret = write(statefd, "remove", 6)) == -1 &&
+	       errno == EBUSY &&
+	       cnt-- > 0)
+		usleep(10000);
+	return ret == 6 ? 0 : -1;
+}
+
 int set_array_info(int mdfd, struct supertype *st, struct mdinfo *info)
 {
 	/* Initialise kernel's knowledge of array.