diff --git a/pkg/operator/ceph/cluster/cluster.go b/pkg/operator/ceph/cluster/cluster.go
index 3970e6763941..7ba602234d7b 100755
--- a/pkg/operator/ceph/cluster/cluster.go
+++ b/pkg/operator/ceph/cluster/cluster.go
@@ -168,7 +168,11 @@ func (c *ClusterController) initializeCluster(cluster *cluster) error {
 
 	clusterInfo, _, _, err := mon.LoadClusterInfo(c.context, c.OpManagerCtx, cluster.Namespace)
 	if err != nil {
-		logger.Infof("clusterInfo not yet found, must be a new cluster")
+		if errors.Is(err, mon.ClusterInfoNoClusterNoSecret) {
+			logger.Info("clusterInfo not yet found, must be a new cluster.")
+		} else {
+			return errors.Wrap(err, "failed to load cluster info")
+		}
 	} else {
 		clusterInfo.OwnerInfo = cluster.ownerInfo
 		clusterInfo.SetName(c.namespacedName.Name)
diff --git a/pkg/operator/ceph/cluster/mon/config.go b/pkg/operator/ceph/cluster/mon/config.go
index 831dc6411b91..56c9d23ac26f 100644
--- a/pkg/operator/ceph/cluster/mon/config.go
+++ b/pkg/operator/ceph/cluster/mon/config.go
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ func CreateOrLoadClusterInfo(clusterdContext *clusterd.Context, context context.
 
 		clusterInfo, err = createNamedClusterInfo(clusterdContext, namespace)
 		if err != nil {
-			return nil, maxMonID, monMapping, errors.Wrap(err, "failed to create mon secrets")
+			return nil, maxMonID, monMapping, errors.Wrap(err, "failed to create initial cluster info")
 		}
 		clusterInfo.Context = context
 
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ func CreateOrLoadClusterInfo(clusterdContext *clusterd.Context, context context.
 	if clusterInfo.CephCred.Secret == adminSecretNameKey {
 		secret, err := clusterdContext.Clientset.CoreV1().Secrets(namespace).Get(context, OperatorCreds, metav1.GetOptions{})
 		if err != nil {
-			return clusterInfo, maxMonID, monMapping, err
+			return nil, maxMonID, monMapping, err
 		}
 		// Populate external credential
 		clusterInfo.CephCred.Username = string(secret.Data["userID"])
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ func CreateOrLoadClusterInfo(clusterdContext *clusterd.Context, context context.
 	}
 
 	if err := ValidateCephCSIConnectionSecrets(clusterdContext, namespace); err != nil {
-		return clusterInfo, maxMonID, monMapping, err
+		return nil, maxMonID, monMapping, err
 	}
 
 	return clusterInfo, maxMonID, monMapping, nil