diff --git a/src/target/target.c b/src/target/target.c
index 75c41d381..286933f45 100644
--- a/src/target/target.c
+++ b/src/target/target.c
@@ -478,9 +478,14 @@ int target_resume(struct target *target, int current, uint32_t address, int hand
 	 * themselves.  We want flash drivers and infrastructure to
 	 * be able to rely on (non-invalidated) cached state.
 	 *
+	 * For now we require that algorithms provided by OpenOCD are
+	 * used only by code which properly maintains that  cached state.
+	 * state
+	 *
 	 * REVISIT do the same for NAND ; maybe other flash flavors too...
 	 */
-	nor_resume(target);
+		if (!target->running_alg)
+		nor_resume(target);
 	return retval;
 }
 
@@ -659,10 +664,12 @@ int target_run_algorithm(struct target *target,
 		goto done;
 	}
 
+	target->running_alg = true;
 	retval = target->type->run_algorithm(target,
 			num_mem_params, mem_params,
 			num_reg_params, reg_param,
 			entry_point, exit_point, timeout_ms, arch_info);
+	target->running_alg = false;
 
 done:
 	return retval;
diff --git a/src/target/target.h b/src/target/target.h
index 7400b7e19..562724ba6 100644
--- a/src/target/target.h
+++ b/src/target/target.h
@@ -117,6 +117,14 @@ struct target
 	 */
 	bool examined;
 
+	/** true iff the  target is currently running a downloaded
+	 *  "algorithm" instetad of arbitrary user code.  OpenOCD code
+	 *  invoking algorithms is trusted to maintain correctness of
+	 *  any cached state (e.g. for flash status), which arbitrary
+	 *  code will have no reason to know about.
+	 */
+	bool running_alg;
+
 	struct target_event_action *event_action;
 
 	int reset_halt;						/* attempt resetting the CPU into the halted mode? */