diff --git a/drivers/scsi/st.c b/drivers/scsi/st.c
index 900322bad4f3..293074f30906 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/st.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/st.c
@@ -3082,7 +3082,9 @@ static int st_int_ioctl(struct scsi_tape *STp, unsigned int cmd_in, unsigned lon
 			   cmd_in == MTSETDRVBUFFER ||
 			   cmd_in == SET_DENS_AND_BLK) {
 			if (cmdstatp->sense_hdr.sense_key == ILLEGAL_REQUEST &&
-			    !(STp->use_pf & PF_TESTED)) {
+				cmdstatp->sense_hdr.asc == 0x24 &&
+				(STp->device)->scsi_level <= SCSI_2 &&
+				!(STp->use_pf & PF_TESTED)) {
 				/* Try the other possible state of Page Format if not
 				   already tried */
 				STp->use_pf = (STp->use_pf ^ USE_PF) | PF_TESTED;