diff --git a/storage/innobase/dict/dict0boot.cc b/storage/innobase/dict/dict0boot.cc
index 573357b54ee..0dff05567d7 100644
--- a/storage/innobase/dict/dict0boot.cc
+++ b/storage/innobase/dict/dict0boot.cc
@@ -458,12 +458,22 @@ dict_boot(void)
 	if (err == DB_SUCCESS) {
 		if (srv_read_only_mode && !ibuf_is_empty()) {
 
-			ib_logf(IB_LOG_LEVEL_ERROR,
-				"Change buffer must be empty when --innodb-read-only "
-				"is set!");
+			if (srv_force_recovery < SRV_FORCE_NO_IBUF_MERGE) {
+				ib_logf(IB_LOG_LEVEL_ERROR,
+					"Change buffer must be empty when --innodb-read-only "
+					"is set! "
+					"You can try to recover the database with innodb_force_recovery=5");
 
-			err = DB_ERROR;
-		} else {
+				err = DB_ERROR;
+			} else {
+				ib_logf(IB_LOG_LEVEL_WARN,
+					"Change buffer not empty when --innodb-read-only "
+					"is set! but srv_force_recovery = %d, ignoring.",
+					srv_force_recovery);
+			}
+		}
+
+		if (err == DB_SUCCESS) {
 			/* Load definitions of other indexes on system tables */
 
 			dict_load_sys_table(dict_sys->sys_tables);
diff --git a/storage/xtradb/dict/dict0boot.cc b/storage/xtradb/dict/dict0boot.cc
index 0a21264e23d..59f210fcab9 100644
--- a/storage/xtradb/dict/dict0boot.cc
+++ b/storage/xtradb/dict/dict0boot.cc
@@ -464,12 +464,22 @@ dict_boot(void)
 	if (err == DB_SUCCESS) {
 		if (srv_read_only_mode && !ibuf_is_empty()) {
 
-			ib_logf(IB_LOG_LEVEL_ERROR,
-				"Change buffer must be empty when --innodb-read-only "
-				"is set!");
+			if (srv_force_recovery < SRV_FORCE_NO_IBUF_MERGE) {
+				ib_logf(IB_LOG_LEVEL_ERROR,
+					"Change buffer must be empty when --innodb-read-only "
+					"is set!"
+					"You can try to recover the database with innodb_force_recovery=5");
 
-			err = DB_ERROR;
-		} else {
+				err = DB_ERROR;
+			} else {
+				ib_logf(IB_LOG_LEVEL_WARN,
+					"Change buffer not empty when --innodb-read-only "
+					"is set! but srv_force_recovery = %d, ignoring.",
+					srv_force_recovery);
+			}
+		}
+
+		if (err == DB_SUCCESS) {
 			/* Load definitions of other indexes on system tables */
 
 			dict_load_sys_table(dict_sys->sys_tables);