diff --git a/drivers/md/dm-cache-metadata.c b/drivers/md/dm-cache-metadata.c
index 1b86e80c89cc..25b8aebdca53 100644
--- a/drivers/md/dm-cache-metadata.c
+++ b/drivers/md/dm-cache-metadata.c
@@ -1813,3 +1813,12 @@ out:
 
 	return r;
 }
+
+int dm_cache_metadata_clean_when_opened(struct dm_cache_metadata *cmd, bool *result)
+{
+	READ_LOCK(cmd);
+	*result = cmd->clean_when_opened;
+	READ_UNLOCK(cmd);
+
+	return 0;
+}
diff --git a/drivers/md/dm-cache-metadata.h b/drivers/md/dm-cache-metadata.h
index 2f107e7c67d0..91f8706b41fd 100644
--- a/drivers/md/dm-cache-metadata.h
+++ b/drivers/md/dm-cache-metadata.h
@@ -141,6 +141,11 @@ void dm_cache_metadata_set_read_only(struct dm_cache_metadata *cmd);
 void dm_cache_metadata_set_read_write(struct dm_cache_metadata *cmd);
 int dm_cache_metadata_abort(struct dm_cache_metadata *cmd);
 
+/*
+ * Query method.  Was the metadata cleanly shut down when opened?
+ */
+int dm_cache_metadata_clean_when_opened(struct dm_cache_metadata *cmd, bool *result);
+
 /*----------------------------------------------------------------*/
 
 #endif /* DM_CACHE_METADATA_H */
diff --git a/drivers/md/dm-cache-target.c b/drivers/md/dm-cache-target.c
index e479ac22b97c..f8200c154805 100644
--- a/drivers/md/dm-cache-target.c
+++ b/drivers/md/dm-cache-target.c
@@ -2952,6 +2952,9 @@ static dm_cblock_t get_cache_dev_size(struct cache *cache)
 
 static bool can_resume(struct cache *cache)
 {
+	bool clean_when_opened;
+	int r;
+
 	/*
 	 * Disallow retrying the resume operation for devices that failed the
 	 * first resume attempt, as the failure leaves the policy object partially
@@ -2968,6 +2971,20 @@ static bool can_resume(struct cache *cache)
 		return false;
 	}
 
+	if (passthrough_mode(cache)) {
+		r = dm_cache_metadata_clean_when_opened(cache->cmd, &clean_when_opened);
+		if (r) {
+			DMERR("%s: failed to query metadata flags", cache_device_name(cache));
+			return false;
+		}
+
+		if (!clean_when_opened) {
+			DMERR("%s: unable to resume into passthrough mode after unclean shutdown",
+			      cache_device_name(cache));
+			return false;
+		}
+	}
+
 	return true;
 }
 
@@ -3533,7 +3550,7 @@ static void cache_io_hints(struct dm_target *ti, struct queue_limits *limits)
 
 static struct target_type cache_target = {
 	.name = "cache",
-	.version = {2, 3, 0},
+	.version = {2, 4, 0},
 	.module = THIS_MODULE,
 	.ctr = cache_ctr,
 	.dtr = cache_dtr,