diff --git a/pkg/daemon/ceph/osd/volume.go b/pkg/daemon/ceph/osd/volume.go
index 34cc1f3b7..8c635b1a5 100644
--- a/pkg/daemon/ceph/osd/volume.go
+++ b/pkg/daemon/ceph/osd/volume.go
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/rook/rook/pkg/clusterd"
 	"github.com/rook/rook/pkg/daemon/ceph/client"
+	"github.com/rook/rook/pkg/operator/ceph/cluster/osd"
 	oposd "github.com/rook/rook/pkg/operator/ceph/cluster/osd"
 	cephver "github.com/rook/rook/pkg/operator/ceph/version"
 	"github.com/rook/rook/pkg/util/display"
@@ -56,6 +57,7 @@ var (
 	// The "ceph-volume raw" command is available since Ceph 14.2.8 as well as partition support in ceph-volume
 	cephVolumeRawModeMinCephVersion = cephver.CephVersion{Major: 14, Minor: 2, Extra: 8}
 	isEncrypted                     = os.Getenv(oposd.EncryptedDeviceEnvVarName) == "true"
+	isOnPVC                         = os.Getenv(osd.PVCBackedOSDVarName) == "true"
 )
 
 type osdInfoBlock struct {
@@ -810,13 +812,22 @@ func GetCephVolumeRawOSDs(context *clusterd.Context, clusterInfo *client.Cluster
 		osdID := osdInfo.OsdID
 
 		if osdInfo.CephFsid != cephfsid {
-			logger.Infof("skipping osd.%d: %s running on a different ceph cluster %q", osdID, osdInfo.OsdUUID, osdInfo.CephFsid)
+			message := fmt.Sprintf("osd.%d: %q belonging to a different ceph cluster %q", osdID, osdInfo.OsdUUID, osdInfo.CephFsid)
+			// We must return an error since the caller only checks the length of osds
+			if isOnPVC {
+				return nil, errors.Errorf("%s", message)
+			}
+			logger.Infof("skipping %s", message)
 			continue
 		}
 		osdFSID = osdInfo.OsdUUID
 
 		if len(osdFSID) == 0 {
-			logger.Infof("Skipping osd.%d as no instances are running on ceph cluster %q", osdID, cephfsid)
+			message := fmt.Sprintf("no instance of osd.%d is running on ceph cluster %q (incomplete prepare? consider wiping the disks)", osdID, cephfsid)
+			if isOnPVC {
+				return nil, errors.Errorf("%s", message)
+			}
+			logger.Infof("skipping since %s", message)
 			continue
 		}
 
diff --git a/pkg/operator/ceph/cluster/osd/envs.go b/pkg/operator/ceph/cluster/osd/envs.go
index 31ef8895d..b0a8f0b5d 100644
--- a/pkg/operator/ceph/cluster/osd/envs.go
+++ b/pkg/operator/ceph/cluster/osd/envs.go
@@ -37,10 +37,11 @@ const (
 	PVCNameEnvVarName         = "ROOK_PVC_NAME"
 	// CephVolumeEncryptedKeyEnvVarName is the env variable used by ceph-volume to encrypt the OSD (raw mode)
 	// Hardcoded in ceph-volume do NOT touch
-	CephVolumeEncryptedKeyEnvVarName    = "CEPH_VOLUME_DMCRYPT_SECRET"
-	osdMetadataDeviceEnvVarName         = "ROOK_METADATA_DEVICE"
-	osdWalDeviceEnvVarName              = "ROOK_WAL_DEVICE"
-	pvcBackedOSDVarName                 = "ROOK_PVC_BACKED_OSD"
+	CephVolumeEncryptedKeyEnvVarName = "CEPH_VOLUME_DMCRYPT_SECRET"
+	osdMetadataDeviceEnvVarName      = "ROOK_METADATA_DEVICE"
+	osdWalDeviceEnvVarName           = "ROOK_WAL_DEVICE"
+	// PVCBackedOSDVarName indicates whether the OSD is on PVC ("true") or not ("false")
+	PVCBackedOSDVarName                 = "ROOK_PVC_BACKED_OSD"
 	blockPathVarName                    = "ROOK_BLOCK_PATH"
 	cvModeVarName                       = "ROOK_CV_MODE"
 	lvBackedPVVarName                   = "ROOK_LV_BACKED_PV"
@@ -143,7 +144,7 @@ func metadataDeviceEnvVar(metadataDevice string) v1.EnvVar {
 }
 
 func pvcBackedOSDEnvVar(pvcBacked string) v1.EnvVar {
-	return v1.EnvVar{Name: pvcBackedOSDVarName, Value: pvcBacked}
+	return v1.EnvVar{Name: PVCBackedOSDVarName, Value: pvcBacked}
 }
 
 func setDebugLogLevelEnvVar(debug bool) v1.EnvVar {