diff --git a/include/spdk/blob.h b/include/spdk/blob.h
index 21f4961b5..57f626123 100644
--- a/include/spdk/blob.h
+++ b/include/spdk/blob.h
@@ -245,7 +245,11 @@ void spdk_bs_open_blob(struct spdk_blob_store *bs, spdk_blob_id blobid,
  * spdk_blob_sync_md() is called. */
 int spdk_blob_resize(struct spdk_blob *blob, size_t sz);
 
-/* Set blob as read only */
+/* Set blob as read only.
+ *
+ * These changes do not take effect until
+ * spdk_blob_sync_md() is called. */
+
 void spdk_blob_set_read_only(struct spdk_blob *blob);
 
 /* Sync a blob */
diff --git a/lib/blob/blobstore.c b/lib/blob/blobstore.c
index 29310c90f..83687a0c8 100644
--- a/lib/blob/blobstore.c
+++ b/lib/blob/blobstore.c
@@ -3125,8 +3125,6 @@ void spdk_blob_set_read_only(struct spdk_blob *b)
 {
 	struct spdk_blob_data *blob = __blob_to_data(b);
 
-	blob->data_ro = true;
-	blob->md_ro = true;
 	blob->data_ro_flags |= SPDK_BLOB_READ_ONLY;
 
 	blob->state = SPDK_BLOB_STATE_DIRTY;
@@ -3138,6 +3136,13 @@ void spdk_blob_set_read_only(struct spdk_blob *b)
 static void
 _spdk_blob_sync_md_cpl(spdk_bs_sequence_t *seq, void *cb_arg, int bserrno)
 {
+	struct spdk_blob_data *blob = __blob_to_data(cb_arg);
+
+	if (bserrno == 0 && (blob->data_ro_flags & SPDK_BLOB_READ_ONLY)) {
+		blob->data_ro = true;
+		blob->md_ro = true;
+	}
+
 	spdk_bs_sequence_finish(seq, bserrno);
 }
 
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/blob/blob.c/blob_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/blob/blob.c/blob_ut.c
index dca8b1e81..118fa0cf6 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/blob/blob.c/blob_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/blob/blob.c/blob_ut.c
@@ -557,7 +557,13 @@ blob_read_only(void)
 	spdk_blob_set_read_only(blob);
 
 	blob_data = __blob_to_data(blob);
+	CU_ASSERT(blob_data->data_ro == false);
+	CU_ASSERT(blob_data->md_ro == false);
+
+	spdk_blob_sync_md(blob, bs_op_complete, NULL);
+
 	CU_ASSERT(blob_data->data_ro == true);
+	CU_ASSERT(blob_data->md_ro == true);
 	CU_ASSERT(blob_data->data_ro_flags & SPDK_BLOB_READ_ONLY);
 
 	spdk_blob_close(blob, blob_op_complete, NULL);
@@ -570,6 +576,7 @@ blob_read_only(void)
 
 	blob_data = __blob_to_data(blob);
 	CU_ASSERT(blob_data->data_ro == true);
+	CU_ASSERT(blob_data->md_ro == true);
 	CU_ASSERT(blob_data->data_ro_flags & SPDK_BLOB_READ_ONLY);
 
 	spdk_blob_close(blob, blob_op_complete, NULL);
@@ -578,6 +585,31 @@ blob_read_only(void)
 	spdk_bs_unload(g_bs, bs_op_complete, NULL);
 	CU_ASSERT(g_bserrno == 0);
 	g_bs = NULL;
+	g_blob = NULL;
+	g_blobid = 0;
+
+	/* Load an existing blob store */
+	dev = init_dev();
+	strncpy(opts.bstype.bstype, "TESTTYPE", SPDK_BLOBSTORE_TYPE_LENGTH);
+	spdk_bs_load(dev, &opts, bs_op_with_handle_complete, NULL);
+	CU_ASSERT(g_bserrno == 0);
+	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(g_bs != NULL);
+
+	spdk_bs_open_blob(g_bs, blobid, blob_op_with_handle_complete, NULL);
+	CU_ASSERT(g_bserrno == 0);
+	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(g_blob != NULL);
+	blob = g_blob;
+
+	blob_data = __blob_to_data(blob);
+	CU_ASSERT(blob_data->data_ro == true);
+	CU_ASSERT(blob_data->md_ro == true);
+	CU_ASSERT(blob_data->data_ro_flags & SPDK_BLOB_READ_ONLY);
+
+	spdk_blob_close(blob, blob_op_complete, NULL);
+	CU_ASSERT(g_bserrno == 0);
+
+	spdk_bs_unload(g_bs, bs_op_complete, NULL);
+	CU_ASSERT(g_bserrno == 0);
 
 }