diff --git a/nbd/server.c b/nbd/server.c
index 7af0ddffb2..98327088cb 100644
--- a/nbd/server.c
+++ b/nbd/server.c
@@ -2456,8 +2456,11 @@ void nbd_export_bitmap(NBDExport *exp, const char *bitmap,
         return;
     }
 
-    if (bdrv_dirty_bitmap_enabled(bm)) {
-        error_setg(errp, "Bitmap '%s' is enabled", bitmap);
+    if ((exp->nbdflags & NBD_FLAG_READ_ONLY) && bdrv_is_writable(bs) &&
+        bdrv_dirty_bitmap_enabled(bm)) {
+        error_setg(errp,
+                   "Enabled bitmap '%s' incompatible with readonly export",
+                   bitmap);
         return;
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/qemu-iotests/223 b/tests/qemu-iotests/223
index a4016091b2..f200e313c0 100755
--- a/tests/qemu-iotests/223
+++ b/tests/qemu-iotests/223
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@ echo "=== Create partially sparse image, then add dirty bitmaps ==="
 echo
 
 # Two bitmaps, to contrast granularity issues
+# Also note that b will be disabled, while b2 is left enabled, to
+# check for read-only interactions
 _make_test_img -o cluster_size=4k 4M
 $QEMU_IO -c 'w -P 0x11 1M 2M' "$TEST_IMG" | _filter_qemu_io
 run_qemu <<EOF
@@ -134,9 +136,11 @@ _send_qemu_cmd $QEMU_HANDLE '{"execute":"x-nbd-server-add-bitmap",
 _send_qemu_cmd $QEMU_HANDLE '{"execute":"nbd-server-add",
   "arguments":{"device":"n", "name":"n2"}}' "return"
 _send_qemu_cmd $QEMU_HANDLE '{"execute":"x-nbd-server-add-bitmap",
-  "arguments":{"name":"n2", "bitmap":"b2"}}' "error" # Attempt enabled bitmap
-_send_qemu_cmd $QEMU_HANDLE '{"execute":"block-dirty-bitmap-disable",
-  "arguments":{"node":"n", "name":"b2"}}' "return"
+  "arguments":{"name":"n2", "bitmap":"b2"}}' "error" # Enabled vs. read-only
+_send_qemu_cmd $QEMU_HANDLE '{"execute":"nbd-server-remove",
+  "arguments":{"name":"n2"}}' "return"
+_send_qemu_cmd $QEMU_HANDLE '{"execute":"nbd-server-add",
+  "arguments":{"device":"n", "name":"n2", "writable":true}}' "return"
 _send_qemu_cmd $QEMU_HANDLE '{"execute":"x-nbd-server-add-bitmap",
   "arguments":{"name":"n2", "bitmap":"b2"}}' "return"
 
diff --git a/tests/qemu-iotests/223.out b/tests/qemu-iotests/223.out
index 8a4d63a4fc..7d147291d4 100644
--- a/tests/qemu-iotests/223.out
+++ b/tests/qemu-iotests/223.out
@@ -35,7 +35,8 @@ wrote 2097152/2097152 bytes at offset 2097152
 {"error": {"class": "GenericError", "desc": "NBD server already has export named 'n'"}}
 {"return": {}}
 {"return": {}}
-{"error": {"class": "GenericError", "desc": "Bitmap 'b2' is enabled"}}
+{"error": {"class": "GenericError", "desc": "Enabled bitmap 'b2' incompatible with readonly export"}}
+{"return": {}}
 {"return": {}}
 {"return": {}}