diff --git a/include/spdk_internal/bdev.h b/include/spdk_internal/bdev.h
index a621b5f99..8c41cdc54 100644
--- a/include/spdk_internal/bdev.h
+++ b/include/spdk_internal/bdev.h
@@ -224,8 +224,6 @@ struct spdk_bdev {
 
 	bool bdev_opened;
 
-	bool bdev_opened_for_write;
-
 	/**
 	 * Pointer to the module that has claimed this bdev for purposes of creating virtual
 	 *  bdevs on top of it.  Set to NULL if the bdev has not been claimed.
diff --git a/lib/bdev/bdev.c b/lib/bdev/bdev.c
index 3ca8e3cb6..2b696fedc 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/bdev.c
+++ b/lib/bdev/bdev.c
@@ -1481,7 +1481,6 @@ _spdk_bdev_register(struct spdk_bdev *bdev)
 
 	TAILQ_INIT(&bdev->open_descs);
 	bdev->bdev_opened = false;
-	bdev->bdev_opened_for_write = false;
 
 	TAILQ_INIT(&bdev->vbdevs);
 	TAILQ_INIT(&bdev->base_bdevs);
@@ -1605,8 +1604,8 @@ spdk_bdev_open(struct spdk_bdev *bdev, bool write, spdk_bdev_remove_cb_t remove_
 
 	pthread_mutex_lock(&bdev->mutex);
 
-	if (write && (bdev->bdev_opened_for_write || bdev->claim_module)) {
-		SPDK_ERRLOG("failed, %s already opened for write or claimed\n", bdev->name);
+	if (write && bdev->claim_module) {
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("failed, %s already claimed\n", bdev->name);
 		free(desc);
 		pthread_mutex_unlock(&bdev->mutex);
 		return -EPERM;
@@ -1614,10 +1613,6 @@ spdk_bdev_open(struct spdk_bdev *bdev, bool write, spdk_bdev_remove_cb_t remove_
 
 	TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&bdev->open_descs, desc, link);
 
-	if (write) {
-		bdev->bdev_opened_for_write = true;
-	}
-
 	bdev->bdev_opened = true;
 
 	desc->bdev = bdev;
@@ -1639,11 +1634,6 @@ spdk_bdev_close(struct spdk_bdev_desc *desc)
 
 	pthread_mutex_lock(&bdev->mutex);
 
-	if (desc->write) {
-		assert(bdev->bdev_opened_for_write);
-		bdev->bdev_opened_for_write = false;
-	}
-
 	bdev->bdev_opened = false;
 
 	TAILQ_REMOVE(&bdev->open_descs, desc, link);
@@ -1669,13 +1659,7 @@ spdk_bdev_module_claim_bdev(struct spdk_bdev *bdev, struct spdk_bdev_desc *desc,
 		return -EPERM;
 	}
 
-	if ((!desc || !desc->write) && bdev->bdev_opened_for_write) {
-		SPDK_ERRLOG("bdev %s already opened with write access\n", bdev->name);
-		return -EPERM;
-	}
-
 	if (desc && !desc->write) {
-		bdev->bdev_opened_for_write = true;
 		desc->write = true;
 	}
 
diff --git a/lib/bdev/rpc/bdev_rpc.c b/lib/bdev/rpc/bdev_rpc.c
index 8ff9b8eff..4232785e5 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/rpc/bdev_rpc.c
+++ b/lib/bdev/rpc/bdev_rpc.c
@@ -54,8 +54,8 @@ spdk_rpc_dump_bdev_info(struct spdk_json_write_ctx *w,
 	spdk_json_write_name(w, "num_blocks");
 	spdk_json_write_uint64(w, spdk_bdev_get_num_blocks(bdev));
 
-	spdk_json_write_name(w, "bdev_opened_for_write");
-	spdk_json_write_bool(w, bdev->bdev_opened_for_write);
+	spdk_json_write_name(w, "claimed");
+	spdk_json_write_bool(w, (bdev->claim_module != NULL));
 
 	spdk_json_write_name(w, "supported_io_types");
 	spdk_json_write_object_begin(w);
diff --git a/test/lib/bdev/blockdev.sh b/test/lib/bdev/blockdev.sh
index 67a2f8553..480975a93 100755
--- a/test/lib/bdev/blockdev.sh
+++ b/test/lib/bdev/blockdev.sh
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ fi
 timing_exit nbd
 
 timing_enter bdev_svc
-bdevs=$(discover_bdevs $rootdir $testdir/bdev.conf | jq -r '.[] | select(.bdev_opened_for_write == false)')
+bdevs=$(discover_bdevs $rootdir $testdir/bdev.conf | jq -r '.[] | select(.claimed == false)')
 timing_exit bdev_svc
 
 if [ -d /usr/src/fio ] && [ $SPDK_RUN_ASAN -eq 0 ]; then