diff --git a/common/Kconfig b/common/Kconfig
index bc7cb0f..57418ca 100644
--- a/common/Kconfig
+++ b/common/Kconfig
@@ -937,6 +937,14 @@
 	  See Documentation/devicetree/bindings/barebox/barebox,state.rst
 	  for more information.
 
+config STATE_BACKWARD_COMPATIBLE
+	bool "backward compatible 'direct storage backend'"
+	depends on STATE
+	help
+	  With this option enabled the 'direct' storage backend keeps backward
+	  compatibility with older revisions of the state framework. Newer
+	  revisions expect an additional 'meta header' and fail otherwise.
+
 config BOOTCHOOSER
 	bool "bootchooser infrastructure"
 	depends on !SHELL_NONE
diff --git a/common/state/backend_bucket_direct.c b/common/state/backend_bucket_direct.c
index 4465ed0..958696e 100644
--- a/common/state/backend_bucket_direct.c
+++ b/common/state/backend_bucket_direct.c
@@ -69,6 +69,11 @@
 	if (meta.magic == direct_magic) {
 		read_len = meta.written_length;
 	} else {
+		if (!IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_STATE_BACKWARD_COMPATIBLE)) {
+			dev_err(direct->dev, "No meta data header found\n");
+			dev_dbg(direct->dev, "Enable backward compatibility or increase stride size\n");
+			return -EINVAL;
+		}
 		read_len = direct->max_size;
 		ret = lseek(direct->fd, direct->offset, SEEK_SET);
 		if (ret < 0) {
@@ -103,21 +108,26 @@
 	int ret;
 	struct state_backend_storage_bucket_direct_meta meta;
 
-	if (len > direct->max_size - sizeof(meta))
-		return -E2BIG;
-
 	ret = lseek(direct->fd, direct->offset, SEEK_SET);
 	if (ret < 0) {
 		dev_err(direct->dev, "Failed to seek file, %d\n", ret);
 		return ret;
 	}
 
-	meta.magic = direct_magic;
-	meta.written_length = len;
-	ret = write_full(direct->fd, &meta, sizeof(meta));
-	if (ret < 0) {
-		dev_err(direct->dev, "Failed to write metadata to file, %d\n", ret);
-		return ret;
+	/* write the meta data only if there is head room */
+	if (len <= direct->max_size - sizeof(meta)) {
+		meta.magic = direct_magic;
+		meta.written_length = len;
+		ret = write_full(direct->fd, &meta, sizeof(meta));
+		if (ret < 0) {
+			dev_err(direct->dev, "Failed to write metadata to file, %d\n", ret);
+			return ret;
+		}
+	} else {
+		if (!IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_STATE_BACKWARD_COMPATIBLE)) {
+			dev_dbg(direct->dev, "Too small stride size: must skip metadata! Increase stride size\n");
+			return -EINVAL;
+		}
 	}
 
 	ret = write_full(direct->fd, buf, len);