diff --git a/pkg/nvme/initiator.go b/pkg/nvme/initiator.go
index f387e93c..a9fc3b6f 100644
--- a/pkg/nvme/initiator.go
+++ b/pkg/nvme/initiator.go
@@ -110,14 +110,35 @@ func (i *Initiator) replaceDmDeviceTarget() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (i *Initiator) isCleanUpDmDeviceRequired(upgradeRequired bool) (bool, error) {
+	if !upgradeRequired {
+		return true, nil
+	}
+
+	dmDeviceExists, err := i.isLinearDmDeviceExist()
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to check linear dm device for NVMe initiator %s", i.Name)
+	}
+	if !dmDeviceExists {
+		return false, fmt.Errorf("linear dm device doesn't exist for NVMe initiator %s", i.Name)
+	}
+
+	return false, nil
+}
+
 // Start starts the NVMe initiator with the given transportAddress and transportServiceID
-func (i *Initiator) Start(transportAddress, transportServiceID string, needDmDeviceCleanup bool) (dmDeviceBusy bool, err error) {
+func (i *Initiator) Start(transportAddress, transportServiceID string, upgradeRequired bool) (dmDeviceBusy bool, err error) {
 	defer func() {
 		if err != nil {
 			err = errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to start NVMe initiator %s", i.Name)
 		}
 	}()
 
+	dmDeviceCleanupRequired, err := i.isCleanUpDmDeviceRequired(upgradeRequired)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to check if cleaning up linear device is required for NVMe initiator %s", i.Name)
+	}
+
 	if transportAddress == "" || transportServiceID == "" {
 		return false, fmt.Errorf("invalid TransportAddress %s and TransportServiceID %s for initiator %s start", transportAddress, transportServiceID, i.Name)
 	}
@@ -149,7 +170,7 @@ func (i *Initiator) Start(transportAddress, transportServiceID string, needDmDev
 	}
 
 	i.logger.Infof("Stopping NVMe initiator blindly before starting")
-	dmDeviceBusy, err = i.stopWithoutLock(needDmDeviceCleanup, false, false)
+	dmDeviceBusy, err = i.stopWithoutLock(dmDeviceCleanupRequired, false, false)
 	if err != nil {
 		return dmDeviceBusy, errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to stop the mismatching NVMe initiator %s before starting", i.Name)
 	}
@@ -191,31 +212,40 @@ func (i *Initiator) Start(transportAddress, transportServiceID string, needDmDev
 		return dmDeviceBusy, errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to load device info after starting NVMe initiator %s", i.Name)
 	}
 
-	needMakeEndpoint := true
-	if needDmDeviceCleanup {
-		if dmDeviceBusy {
-			// Endpoint is already created, just replace the target device
-			needMakeEndpoint = false
-			i.logger.Infof("Linear dm device %s is busy, trying the best to replace the target device for NVMe initiator %s", i.Name, i.Name)
-			if err := i.replaceDmDeviceTarget(); err != nil {
-				i.logger.WithError(err).Warnf("Failed to replace the target device for NVMe initiator %s", i.Name)
-			} else {
-				i.logger.Infof("Successfully replaced the target device for NVMe initiator %s", i.Name)
-				dmDeviceBusy = false
-			}
+	makeEndpointRequired := true
+
+	logSuccess := func() {
+		i.logger.Infof("Successfully replaced the target device for NVMe initiator %s", i.Name)
+		dmDeviceBusy = false
+	}
+	logFailure := func(err error) {
+		i.logger.WithError(err).Warnf("Failed to replace the target device for NVMe initiator %s", i.Name)
+	}
+
+	if dmDeviceCleanupRequired || upgradeRequired {
+		i.logger.Infof("Linear dm device %s is busy, attempting to replace the target device for NVMe initiator %s", i.Name, i.Name)
+
+		makeEndpointRequired = false
+
+		if err := i.replaceDmDeviceTarget(); err != nil {
+			logFailure(err)
 		} else {
-			i.logger.Infof("Creating linear dm device for NVMe initiator %s", i.Name)
-			if err := i.createLinearDmDevice(); err != nil {
-				return dmDeviceBusy, errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to create linear dm device for NVMe initiator %s", i.Name)
-			}
+			logSuccess()
 		}
-	} else {
+	}
+
+	if dmDeviceCleanupRequired && !dmDeviceBusy {
+		i.logger.Infof("Creating linear dm device for NVMe initiator %s", i.Name)
+		if err := i.createLinearDmDevice(); err != nil {
+			return dmDeviceBusy, errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to create linear dm device for NVMe initiator %s", i.Name)
+		}
+	} else if !dmDeviceCleanupRequired && !upgradeRequired {
 		i.logger.Infof("Skipping creating linear dm device for NVMe initiator %s", i.Name)
 		i.dev.Export = i.dev.Nvme
 	}
 
-	if needMakeEndpoint {
-		i.logger.Infof("Creating endpoint %v", i.Endpoint)
+	if makeEndpointRequired {
+		i.logger.Infof("Creating endpoint for NVMe initiator %s", i.Endpoint)
 		if err := i.makeEndpoint(); err != nil {
 			return dmDeviceBusy, err
 		}
@@ -226,7 +256,7 @@ func (i *Initiator) Start(transportAddress, transportServiceID string, needDmDev
 	return dmDeviceBusy, nil
 }
 
-func (i *Initiator) Stop(needDmDeviceCleanup, deferDmDeviceCleanup, errOnBusyDmDevice bool) (bool, error) {
+func (i *Initiator) Stop(dmDeviceCleanupRequired, deferDmDeviceCleanup, errOnBusyDmDevice bool) (bool, error) {
 	if i.hostProc != "" {
 		lock := nsfilelock.NewLockWithTimeout(util.GetHostNamespacePath(i.hostProc), LockFile, LockTimeout)
 		if err := lock.Lock(); err != nil {
@@ -235,7 +265,7 @@ func (i *Initiator) Stop(needDmDeviceCleanup, deferDmDeviceCleanup, errOnBusyDmD
 		defer lock.Unlock()
 	}
 
-	return i.stopWithoutLock(needDmDeviceCleanup, deferDmDeviceCleanup, errOnBusyDmDevice)
+	return i.stopWithoutLock(dmDeviceCleanupRequired, deferDmDeviceCleanup, errOnBusyDmDevice)
 }
 
 func (i *Initiator) removeDmDeviceAndEndpoint(deferDmDeviceCleanup, errOnBusyDmDevice bool) (bool, error) {
@@ -254,9 +284,9 @@ func (i *Initiator) removeDmDeviceAndEndpoint(deferDmDeviceCleanup, errOnBusyDmD
 	return false, nil
 }
 
-func (i *Initiator) stopWithoutLock(needDmDeviceCleanup, deferDmDeviceCleanup, errOnBusyDmDevice bool) (bool, error) {
+func (i *Initiator) stopWithoutLock(dmDeviceCleanupRequired, deferDmDeviceCleanup, errOnBusyDmDevice bool) (bool, error) {
 	dmDeviceBusy := false
-	if needDmDeviceCleanup {
+	if dmDeviceCleanupRequired {
 		var err error
 		dmDeviceBusy, err = i.removeDmDeviceAndEndpoint(deferDmDeviceCleanup, errOnBusyDmDevice)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -501,6 +531,17 @@ func (i *Initiator) reloadLinearDmDevice() error {
 	return util.DmsetupReload(i.Name, table, i.executor)
 }
 
+func (i *Initiator) isLinearDmDeviceExist() (bool, error) {
+	dmDevPath := getDmDevicePath(i.Name)
+	if _, err := os.Stat(dmDevPath); err != nil {
+		if os.IsNotExist(err) {
+			return false, nil
+		}
+		return false, err
+	}
+	return true, nil
+}
+
 func getDmDevicePath(name string) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("/dev/mapper/%s", name)
 }