diff --git a/cmd/erasure-server-pool-decom.go b/cmd/erasure-server-pool-decom.go
index 1a82e1005..fda8401c6 100644
--- a/cmd/erasure-server-pool-decom.go
+++ b/cmd/erasure-server-pool-decom.go
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// Copyright (c) 2015-2023 MinIO, Inc.
+// Copyright (c) 2015-2024 MinIO, Inc.
 //
 // This file is part of MinIO Object Storage stack
 //
@@ -490,14 +490,11 @@ const (
 // in 'pool.bin', this is eventually used for decommissioning the pool.
 func (z *erasureServerPools) Init(ctx context.Context) error {
 	// Load rebalance metadata if present
-	err := z.loadRebalanceMeta(ctx)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to load rebalance data: %w", err)
+	if err := z.loadRebalanceMeta(ctx); err == nil {
+		// Start rebalance routine if we can reload rebalance metadata.
+		z.StartRebalance()
 	}
 
-	// Start rebalance routine
-	z.StartRebalance()
-
 	meta := poolMeta{}
 	if err := meta.load(ctx, z.serverPools[0], z.serverPools); err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/cmd/erasure-server-pool-rebalance.go b/cmd/erasure-server-pool-rebalance.go
index 749cf4605..38d68de0e 100644
--- a/cmd/erasure-server-pool-rebalance.go
+++ b/cmd/erasure-server-pool-rebalance.go
@@ -110,19 +110,14 @@ var errRebalanceNotStarted = errors.New("rebalance not started")
 
 func (z *erasureServerPools) loadRebalanceMeta(ctx context.Context) error {
 	r := &rebalanceMeta{}
-	err := r.load(ctx, z.serverPools[0])
-	if err != nil {
-		if errors.Is(err, errConfigNotFound) {
-			return nil
-		}
-		return err
+	if err := r.load(ctx, z.serverPools[0]); err == nil {
+		z.rebalMu.Lock()
+		z.rebalMeta = r
+		z.updateRebalanceStats(ctx)
+		z.rebalMu.Unlock()
+	} else if !errors.Is(err, errConfigNotFound) {
+		rebalanceLogIf(ctx, fmt.Errorf("failed to load rebalance metadata, continue to restart rebalance as needed: %w", err))
 	}
-
-	z.rebalMu.Lock()
-	z.rebalMeta = r
-	z.updateRebalanceStats(ctx)
-	z.rebalMu.Unlock()
-
 	return nil
 }