diff -uNr linux-2.4.21/drivers/scsi/scsi_scan.c linux-2.4.21.ghost/drivers/scsi/scsi_scan.c
--- linux-2.4.21/drivers/scsi/scsi_scan.c	2003-08-25 13:00:17.000000000 +0200
+++ linux-2.4.21.ghost/drivers/scsi/scsi_scan.c	2003-08-25 13:03:30.000000000 +0200
@@ -256,6 +256,7 @@
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static int scsi_allow_ghost_devices;
 
 static int scsi_sparselun;
 static int scsi_largelun;
@@ -289,6 +290,9 @@
 MODULE_PARM(max_scsi_sparseluns, "i");
 MODULE_PARM_DESC(max_scsi_sparseluns, "Limit LUNs for scanning sparse LUN devices");
 
+MODULE_PARM(scsi_allow_ghost_devices, "i");
+MODULE_PARM_DESC(scsi_allow_ghost_devices, "allow devices marked as being offline to be accessed anyway (0 = off, else allow ghosts on lun 0 through allow_ghost_devices - 1");
+
 MODULE_PARM(scsi_noreportlun, "i");
 MODULE_PARM_DESC(scsi_noreportlun, "Don't use REPORT_LUNs for scanning SCSI-3 devs");
 
@@ -387,6 +391,21 @@
 
 __setup("max_scsi_sparseluns=", scsi_max_sparseluns_setup);
 
+static int __init scsi_allow_ghost_devices_setup(char *str)
+{
+	unsigned int tmp;
+
+	if (get_option(&str, &tmp) == 1) {
+		scsi_allow_ghost_devices = tmp;
+		return 1;
+	} else {
+		printk("scsi_allow_ghost_devices_setup: usage scsi_allow_ghost_devices=n (0: off else\nallow ghost devices (ghost devices are devices that report themselves as\nbeing offline but which we allow access to anyway) on lun 0 through n - 1.\n");
+		return 0;
+	}
+}
+
+__setup("scsi_allow_ghost_devices=", scsi_allow_ghost_devices_setup);
+
 static int __init scsi_noreplun_setup(char *str)
 {
 	unsigned int tmp;
@@ -1013,8 +1032,11 @@
 
 	SDpnt->removable = (0x80 & scsi_result[1]) >> 7;
 	/* Use the peripheral qualifier field to determine online/offline */
-	if (((scsi_result[0] >> 5) & 7) == 1) 	SDpnt->online = FALSE;
-	else SDpnt->online = TRUE;
+ 	if ((((scsi_result[0] >> 5) & 7) == 1) &&
+ 	    (SDpnt->lun >= scsi_allow_ghost_devices))
+		SDpnt->online = FALSE;
+	else 
+		SDpnt->online = TRUE;
 	SDpnt->lockable = SDpnt->removable;
 	SDpnt->changed = 0;
 	SDpnt->access_count = 0;