diff --git a/fsutils/mksmartfs/mksmartfs.c b/fsutils/mksmartfs/mksmartfs.c
index 44b68eb1d..d5f8276ed 100644
--- a/fsutils/mksmartfs/mksmartfs.c
+++ b/fsutils/mksmartfs/mksmartfs.c
@@ -74,6 +74,61 @@
  * Public Functions
  ****************************************************************************/
 
+/****************************************************************************
+ * Name: issmartfs
+ *
+ * Description:
+ *   Check a SMART (Sector Mapped Allocation for Really Tiny) Flash file
+ *   system image on the specified block device (must be a SMART device).
+ *
+ * Inputs:
+ *   pathname - the full path to a registered block driver
+ *
+ * Return:
+ *   Zero (OK) on success; -1 (ERROR) on failure with errno set appropriately:
+ *
+ *   EINVAL - NULL block driver string
+ *   ENOENT - 'pathname' does not refer to anything in the filesystem.
+ *   ENOTBLK - 'pathname' does not refer to a block driver
+ *   EFTYPE - the block driver hasn't been formated yet
+ *
+ ****************************************************************************/
+
+int issmartfs(FAR const char *pathname)
+{
+  struct smart_format_s fmt;
+  int ret, fd;
+
+  /* Find the inode of the block driver identified by 'source' */
+
+  fd = open(pathname, O_RDONLY);
+  if (fd < 0)
+    {
+      return ERROR;
+    }
+
+  /* Get the format information so we know the block have been formatted */
+
+  ret = ioctl(fd, BIOC_GETFORMAT, (unsigned long)&fmt);
+  if (ret < 0)
+    {
+      goto out;
+    }
+
+  if (!(fmt.flags & SMART_FMT_ISFORMATTED))
+    {
+      set_errno(EFTYPE);
+      ret = ERROR;
+      goto out;
+    }
+
+out:
+  /* Close the driver */
+
+  close(fd);
+  return ret;
+}
+
 /****************************************************************************
  * Name: mksmartfs
  *
diff --git a/include/fsutils/mksmartfs.h b/include/fsutils/mksmartfs.h
index 10ea9955d..0df47cf4c 100644
--- a/include/fsutils/mksmartfs.h
+++ b/include/fsutils/mksmartfs.h
@@ -56,6 +56,28 @@ extern "C"
 #define EXTERN extern
 #endif
 
+/****************************************************************************
+ * Name: issmartfs
+ *
+ * Description:
+ *   Check a SMART (Sector Mapped Allocation for Really Tiny) Flash file
+ *   system image on the specified block device (must be a SMART device).
+ *
+ * Inputs:
+ *   pathname - the full path to a registered block driver
+ *
+ * Return:
+ *   Zero (OK) on success; -1 (ERROR) on failure with errno set appropriately:
+ *
+ *   EINVAL - NULL block driver string
+ *   ENOENT - 'pathname' does not refer to anything in the filesystem.
+ *   ENOTBLK - 'pathname' does not refer to a block driver
+ *   EFTYPE - the block driver hasn't been formated yet
+ *
+ ****************************************************************************/
+
+int issmartfs(FAR const char *pathname);
+
 /****************************************************************************
  * Name: mksmartfs
  *
diff --git a/nshlib/nsh_fscmds.c b/nshlib/nsh_fscmds.c
index 0af480ea8..e45408d80 100644
--- a/nshlib/nsh_fscmds.c
+++ b/nshlib/nsh_fscmds.c
@@ -1449,8 +1449,9 @@ errout_with_fmt:
 int cmd_mksmartfs(FAR struct nsh_vtbl_s *vtbl, int argc, char **argv)
 {
   char *fullpath = NULL;
-  int ret = ERROR;
+  int ret = OK;
   uint16_t  sectorsize = 0;
+  int force = 0;
   int opt;
 #ifdef CONFIG_SMARTFS_MULTI_ROOT_DIRS
   int nrootdirs = 1;
@@ -1459,10 +1460,14 @@ int cmd_mksmartfs(FAR struct nsh_vtbl_s *vtbl, int argc, char **argv)
   /* Process any options */
 
   optind = 0;
-  while ((opt = getopt(argc, argv, "s:")) != -1)
+  while ((opt = getopt(argc, argv, "fs:")) != -1)
     {
       switch (opt)
         {
+          case 'f':
+            force = 1;
+            break;
+
           case 's':
             sectorsize = atoi(optarg);
             if (sectorsize < 256 || sectorsize > 16384)
@@ -1504,6 +1509,7 @@ int cmd_mksmartfs(FAR struct nsh_vtbl_s *vtbl, int argc, char **argv)
         }
       else
 #endif
+      if (force || issmartfs(fullpath) != OK)
         {
 #ifdef CONFIG_SMARTFS_MULTI_ROOT_DIRS
           ret = mksmartfs(fullpath, sectorsize, nrootdirs);