+diff --git a/mkfs.ubifs/mkfs.ubifs.c b/mkfs.ubifs/mkfs.ubifs.c
+index f77e5e6..e002be5 100644
+--- a/mkfs.ubifs/mkfs.ubifs.c
++++ b/mkfs.ubifs/mkfs.ubifs.c
+@@ -324,6 +324,22 @@ static int in_path(const char *dir_name, const char *file_name)
+ return ret;
+ }
+
++/*
++ * same_device - determine if a file is on the same blockdevice as a directory.
++ * @dir_name: directory path name
++ * @file_name: file path name
++ */
++static int same_device(const char *dir_name, const char *file_name)
++{
++ struct stat stat1, stat2;
++
++ if (stat(dir_name, &stat1) == -1)
++ return -1;
++ if (stat(file_name, &stat2) == -1)
++ return -1;
++ return stat1.st_dev == stat2.st_dev;
++}
++
+ /**
+ * calc_min_log_lebs - calculate the minimum number of log LEBs needed.
+ * @max_bud_bytes: journal size (buds only)
+@@ -376,7 +392,7 @@ static int validate_options(void)
+
+ if (!output)
+ return err_msg("no output file or UBI volume specified");
+- if (root && in_path(root, output))
++ if (root && same_device(root, output) && in_path(root, output))
+ return err_msg("output file cannot be in the UBIFS root "
+ "directory");
+ if (!is_power_of_2(c->min_io_size))