diff --git a/sbin/fsck_ffs/main.c b/sbin/fsck_ffs/main.c
index 7e796298376f..454031b127aa 100644
--- a/sbin/fsck_ffs/main.c
+++ b/sbin/fsck_ffs/main.c
@@ -231,6 +231,7 @@ checkfilesys(char *filesys)
 	struct group *grp;
 	struct iovec *iov;
 	char errmsg[255];
+	int ofsmodified;
 	int iovlen;
 	int cylno;
 	intmax_t blks, files;
@@ -425,10 +426,15 @@ checkfilesys(char *filesys)
 		}
 		/*
 		 * Write the superblock so we don't try to recover the
-		 * journal on another pass.
+		 * journal on another pass. If this is the only change
+		 * to the filesystem, we do not want it to be called
+		 * out as modified.
 		 */
 		sblock.fs_mtime = time(NULL);
 		sbdirty();
+		ofsmodified = fsmodified;
+		flush(fswritefd, &sblk);
+		fsmodified = ofsmodified;
 	}
 
 	/*