diff --git a/drivers/mtd/nand/nand_base.c b/drivers/mtd/nand/nand_base.c
index ddffe76..4d79a8d 100644
--- a/drivers/mtd/nand/nand_base.c
+++ b/drivers/mtd/nand/nand_base.c
@@ -396,7 +396,7 @@ static int nand_default_block_markbad(struct mtd_info *mtd, loff_t ofs)
 {
 	struct nand_chip *chip = mtd->priv;
 	uint8_t buf[2] = { 0, 0 };
-	int block, ret, i = 0;
+	int block, ret = 0, i = 0;
 
 	if (chip->options & NAND_BBT_SCANLASTPAGE)
 		ofs += mtd->erasesize - mtd->writesize;
@@ -409,7 +409,12 @@ static int nand_default_block_markbad(struct mtd_info *mtd, loff_t ofs)
 	/* Do we have a flash based bad block table ? */
 	if (chip->options & NAND_USE_FLASH_BBT)
 		ret = nand_update_bbt(mtd, ofs);
-	else {
+
+	/* Write the bad block marker if we don't have BBT, or driver
+	 * request it (in case the bootloader doesn't support reading it
+	 * or we loose BBT).
+	 */
+	if (!(chip->options & NAND_USE_FLASH_BBT) || chip->options & NAND_WRITE_BB) {
 		nand_get_device(chip, mtd, FL_WRITING);
 
 		/* Write to first two pages and to byte 1 and 6 if necessary.
diff --git a/include/linux/mtd/nand.h b/include/linux/mtd/nand.h
index 102e12c..2efd2f9 100644
--- a/include/linux/mtd/nand.h
+++ b/include/linux/mtd/nand.h
@@ -215,6 +215,8 @@ typedef enum {
 #define NAND_OWN_BUFFERS	0x00040000
 /* Chip may not exist, so silence any errors in scan */
 #define NAND_SCAN_SILENT_NODEV	0x00080000
+/* in case of NAND_USE_FLASH_BBT, write also bad block marker */
+#define NAND_WRITE_BB	0x00100000
 
 /* Options set by nand scan */
 /* Nand scan has allocated controller struct */