diff --git a/fs/ntfs/super.c b/fs/ntfs/super.c
index 0ec4d2ddf621..6a107ec0d0f6 100644
--- a/fs/ntfs/super.c
+++ b/fs/ntfs/super.c
@@ -273,7 +273,13 @@ static int ntfs_reconfigure(struct fs_context *fc)
 
 	ntfs_debug("Entering with remount");
 
-	sync_filesystem(sb);
+	err = sync_filesystem(sb);
+	if (err) {
+		ntfs_warning(sb, "Failed to sync the filesystem.");
+		/* A forced remount must still turn the superblock read-only. */
+		if (!(fc->sb_flags & SB_FORCE))
+			return err;
+	}
 
 	/*
 	 * For the read-write compiled driver, if we are remounting read-write,
@@ -336,11 +342,20 @@ static int ntfs_reconfigure(struct fs_context *fc)
 		 * or flush fails the remount, leaving the superblock
 		 * read-write so ntfs_put_super() retries at unmount.
 		 */
-		err = ntfs_sync_volume_dirty_state(vol);
-		if (err) {
-			ntfs_warning(sb,
-				"Failed to update dirty bit in volume information flags.  Run chkdsk.");
-			return err;
+		/*
+		 * A forced remount does not drain writers in progress,
+		 * so one may still be modifying metadata when the flags
+		 * are committed: never clear the dirty bit then; if
+		 * errors have been recorded, the update preserves or
+		 * sets it; otherwise, skip the update entirely.
+		 */
+		if (!(fc->sb_flags & SB_FORCE) || NVolErrors(vol)) {
+			err = ntfs_sync_volume_dirty_state(vol);
+			if (err) {
+				ntfs_warning(sb,
+					"Failed to update dirty bit in volume information flags.  Run chkdsk.");
+				return err;
+			}
 		}
 		if (NInoDirty(NTFS_I(vol->vol_ino))) {
 			/* ntfs_commit_inode() would discard the error. */