diff --git a/components/fatfs/test_apps/.build-test-rules.yml b/components/fatfs/test_apps/.build-test-rules.yml
index 88e45eb621..25c58d1f47 100644
--- a/components/fatfs/test_apps/.build-test-rules.yml
+++ b/components/fatfs/test_apps/.build-test-rules.yml
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ components/fatfs/test_apps/flash_ro:
 
 components/fatfs/test_apps/flash_wl:
   disable_test:
-    - if: IDF_TARGET not in ["esp32", "esp32c3"]
+    - if: IDF_TARGET not in ["esp32", "esp32c3", "linux"]
       reason: only one target per arch needed
   depends_components:
     - esp_partition
diff --git a/components/fatfs/test_apps/flash_wl/main/Kconfig.projbuild b/components/fatfs/test_apps/flash_wl/main/Kconfig.projbuild
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c729251312
--- /dev/null
+++ b/components/fatfs/test_apps/flash_wl/main/Kconfig.projbuild
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+menu "Test configuration"
+    config SPI_WL_TEST_ERASE_PARTITION
+        bool "Erase partition"
+        default y if IDF_TARGET_LINUX
+        help
+            Erase the partition before each format operation.
+            This will destroy the flash fairly quickly in CI, but is necessary to
+            ensure that the test is not affected by previous test runs.
+            Run with caution.
+endmenu
diff --git a/components/fatfs/test_apps/flash_wl/main/test_fatfs_flash_wl.c b/components/fatfs/test_apps/flash_wl/main/test_fatfs_flash_wl.c
index 66c9f6930d..f193839e14 100644
--- a/components/fatfs/test_apps/flash_wl/main/test_fatfs_flash_wl.c
+++ b/components/fatfs/test_apps/flash_wl/main/test_fatfs_flash_wl.c
@@ -46,8 +46,20 @@ static void test_teardown(void)
     TEST_ESP_OK(esp_vfs_fat_spiflash_unmount_rw_wl("/spiflash", s_test_wl_handle));
 }
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_SPI_WL_TEST_ERASE_PARTITION
+static void corrupt_wl_data(void)
+{
+    const esp_partition_t* part = esp_partition_find_first(ESP_PARTITION_TYPE_DATA, ESP_PARTITION_SUBTYPE_DATA_FAT, NULL);
+    TEST_ASSERT_NOT_NULL(part);
+    TEST_ESP_OK(esp_partition_erase_range(part, 0, part->size));
+}
+#endif
+
 TEST_CASE("(WL) can format partition", "[fatfs][wear_levelling][timeout=120]")
 {
+#ifdef CONFIG_SPI_WL_TEST_ERASE_PARTITION
+    corrupt_wl_data();
+#endif
     TEST_ESP_OK(esp_vfs_fat_spiflash_format_rw_wl("/spiflash", NULL));
     test_setup();
     vfs_fat_spiflash_ctx_t* ctx = get_vfs_fat_spiflash_ctx(s_test_wl_handle);
@@ -58,6 +70,9 @@ TEST_CASE("(WL) can format partition", "[fatfs][wear_levelling][timeout=120]")
 
 TEST_CASE("(WL) can format partition with config", "[fatfs][wear_levelling][timeout=120]")
 {
+#ifdef CONFIG_SPI_WL_TEST_ERASE_PARTITION
+    corrupt_wl_data();
+#endif
     esp_vfs_fat_mount_config_t format_config = {
         .format_if_mount_failed = true,
         .max_files = 5,
diff --git a/components/fatfs/vfs/vfs_fat_spiflash.c b/components/fatfs/vfs/vfs_fat_spiflash.c
index 1ca18938bb..2057f194cf 100644
--- a/components/fatfs/vfs/vfs_fat_spiflash.c
+++ b/components/fatfs/vfs/vfs_fat_spiflash.c
@@ -242,7 +242,8 @@ esp_err_t esp_vfs_fat_spiflash_format_cfg_rw_wl(const char* base_path, const cha
         assert(found);
         if (s_ctx[id]->flags & FORMATTED_DURING_LAST_MOUNT) {
             ESP_LOGD(TAG, "partition was formatted during mounting, skipping another format");
-            return ESP_OK;
+            ret = ESP_OK;
+            goto mount_back;
         }
     } else {
         partition_was_mounted = true;