diff --git a/pkg/bkctl/bookie/set_readonly_state.go b/pkg/bkctl/bookie/set_readonly_state.go
index 1180d7b4..36c67195 100644
--- a/pkg/bkctl/bookie/set_readonly_state.go
+++ b/pkg/bkctl/bookie/set_readonly_state.go
@@ -50,18 +50,20 @@ func setReadonlyStateCmd(vc *cmdutils.VerbCmd) {
 		desc.ToString(),
 		desc.ExampleToString())
 
+	force := vc.Command.Flags().BoolP("force", "f", false, "force to set readonly state")
+
 	vc.SetRunFuncWithNameArg(func() error {
-		return doSetReadonlyState(vc)
+		return doSetReadonlyState(vc, *force)
 	}, "the readonly state is boolean")
 }
 
-func doSetReadonlyState(vc *cmdutils.VerbCmd) error {
+func doSetReadonlyState(vc *cmdutils.VerbCmd, force bool) error {
 	admin := cmdutils.NewBookieClient()
 	readonly, err := strconv.ParseBool(vc.NameArg)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	err = admin.Bookie().SetReadonlyState(readonly)
+	err = admin.Bookie().SetReadonlyState(readonly, force)
 	if err == nil {
 		cmdutils.PrintJSON(vc.Command.OutOrStdout(), "Successfully set the readonly state of a bookie")
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/bookkeeper/bookie.go b/pkg/bookkeeper/bookie.go
index 1569a95a..59685947 100644
--- a/pkg/bookkeeper/bookie.go
+++ b/pkg/bookkeeper/bookie.go
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ type Bookie interface {
 	State() (*bkdata.State, error)
 
 	// SetReadonlyState sets the readonly state of a bookie
-	SetReadonlyState(bool) error
+	SetReadonlyState(bool, bool) error
 }
 
 type bookie struct {
@@ -61,12 +61,16 @@ func (c *bookieClient) Bookie() Bookie {
 	}
 }
 
-func (b *bookie) SetReadonlyState(readonly bool) error {
+func (b *bookie) SetReadonlyState(readonly bool, force bool) error {
 	endpoint := b.bk.endpoint(b.basePath, "/state/readonly")
 	request := bkdata.ReadonlyState{
 		ReadOnly: readonly,
 	}
-	return b.bk.Client.Put(endpoint, &request)
+	params := map[string]string{}
+	if readonly && force {
+		params["force"] = "true"
+	}
+	return b.bk.Client.PutWithQueryParams(endpoint, &request, nil, params)
 }
 
 func (b *bookie) LastLogMark() (map[string]string, error) {