diff --git a/pkg/operator/ceph/pool/controller.go b/pkg/operator/ceph/pool/controller.go
index f0214164aecaa..4d4fb4681a891 100644
--- a/pkg/operator/ceph/pool/controller.go
+++ b/pkg/operator/ceph/pool/controller.go
@@ -356,6 +356,14 @@ func createPool(context *clusterd.Context, clusterInfo *cephclient.ClusterInfo,
 		return errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to create pool %q", p.Name)
 	}
 
+	logger.Infof("initializing pool %q", p.Name)
+	args := []string{"pool", "init", p.Name}
+	output, err := cephclient.NewRBDCommand(context, clusterInfo, args).Run()
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to initialize replicated pool %q. %s", p.Name, string(output))
+	}
+	logger.Infof("successfully initialized pool %q", p.Name)
+
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/operator/ceph/pool/controller_test.go b/pkg/operator/ceph/pool/controller_test.go
index c51eaa097db25..91ddf9b71ec9e 100644
--- a/pkg/operator/ceph/pool/controller_test.go
+++ b/pkg/operator/ceph/pool/controller_test.go
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@ func TestCreatePool(t *testing.T) {
 			if command == "ceph" && args[1] == "erasure-code-profile" {
 				return `{"k":"2","m":"1","plugin":"jerasure","technique":"reed_sol_van"}`, nil
 			}
+			if command == "rbd" {
+				assert.Equal(t, []string{"pool", "init", "mypool"}, args[0:3])
+			}
 			return "", nil
 		},
 	}