diff --git a/pkg/operator/ceph/cluster/watcher.go b/pkg/operator/ceph/cluster/watcher.go
index 6b8f08d40..f9162b11c 100644
--- a/pkg/operator/ceph/cluster/watcher.go
+++ b/pkg/operator/ceph/cluster/watcher.go
@@ -438,10 +438,15 @@ func (c *clientCluster) fenceCephFSVolume(
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to list watchers for cephfs pool/subvoumeName %s/%s. %v", cephFSPV.Spec.CSI.VolumeAttributes["pool"], cephFSPV.Spec.CSI.VolumeAttributes["subvolumeName"], err)
 	}
 	ips, err := cephFSMDSClientMarshal(buf, cephFSPV)
-	if err != nil || ips == nil {
+	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to unmarshal cephfs mds  output. %v", err)
 	}
 
+	if len(ips) == 0 {
+		logger.Infof("no active mds clients found for cephfs volume %q", cephFSPV.Name)
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	err = c.createNetworkFence(ctx, cephFSPV, node, cluster, ips, cephfsDriver)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to create network fence for node %q. %v", node.Name, err)
diff --git a/pkg/operator/ceph/cluster/watcher_test.go b/pkg/operator/ceph/cluster/watcher_test.go
index 6e527b910..29b6d60f8 100644
--- a/pkg/operator/ceph/cluster/watcher_test.go
+++ b/pkg/operator/ceph/cluster/watcher_test.go
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ func TestHandleNodeFailure(t *testing.T) {
 		case command == "ceph" && args[0] == "status":
 			return `{"entity":[{"addr": [{"addr": "10.244.0.12:0", "nonce":3247243972}]}], "client_metadata":{"root":"/"}}`, nil
 		case command == "ceph" && args[0] == "tell":
-			return `[{"entity":{"addr":{"addr":"10.244.0.12:0","nonce":3247243972}}, "client_metadata":{"root":"/"}}]`, nil
+			return `[{"entity":{"addr":{"addr":"10.244.0.12:0","nonce":3247243972}}, "client_metadata":{"root":"/volumes/csi/csi-vol-58469d41-f6c0-4720-b23a-0a0826b842ca"}}]`, nil
 
 		}
 		return "", errors.Errorf("unexpected rbd/ceph command %q", args)
@@ -250,6 +250,7 @@ func TestHandleNodeFailure(t *testing.T) {
 					VolumeHandle: "0001-0009-rook-ceph-0000000000000002-24862838-240d-4215-9183-abfc0e9e4001",
 					VolumeAttributes: map[string]string{
 						"fsName":        "myfs",
+						"subvolumePath": "/volumes/csi/csi-vol-58469d41-f6c0-4720-b23a-0a0826b842ca",
 						"subvolumeName": "csi-vol-58469d41-f6c0-4720-b23a-0a0826b842ca",
 					},
 				},