diff --git a/drivers/md/dm-cache-metadata.c b/drivers/md/dm-cache-metadata.c
index 57158c02d096..1b86e80c89cc 100644
--- a/drivers/md/dm-cache-metadata.c
+++ b/drivers/md/dm-cache-metadata.c
@@ -1714,17 +1714,6 @@ int dm_cache_write_hints(struct dm_cache_metadata *cmd, struct dm_cache_policy *
 	return r;
 }
 
-int dm_cache_metadata_all_clean(struct dm_cache_metadata *cmd, bool *result)
-{
-	int r;
-
-	READ_LOCK(cmd);
-	r = blocks_are_unmapped_or_clean(cmd, 0, cmd->cache_blocks, result);
-	READ_UNLOCK(cmd);
-
-	return r;
-}
-
 void dm_cache_metadata_set_read_only(struct dm_cache_metadata *cmd)
 {
 	WRITE_LOCK_VOID(cmd);
diff --git a/drivers/md/dm-cache-metadata.h b/drivers/md/dm-cache-metadata.h
index 5f77890207fe..2f107e7c67d0 100644
--- a/drivers/md/dm-cache-metadata.h
+++ b/drivers/md/dm-cache-metadata.h
@@ -135,11 +135,6 @@ int dm_cache_get_metadata_dev_size(struct dm_cache_metadata *cmd,
  */
 int dm_cache_write_hints(struct dm_cache_metadata *cmd, struct dm_cache_policy *p);
 
-/*
- * Query method.  Are all the blocks in the cache clean?
- */
-int dm_cache_metadata_all_clean(struct dm_cache_metadata *cmd, bool *result);
-
 int dm_cache_metadata_needs_check(struct dm_cache_metadata *cmd, bool *result);
 int dm_cache_metadata_set_needs_check(struct dm_cache_metadata *cmd);
 void dm_cache_metadata_set_read_only(struct dm_cache_metadata *cmd);
diff --git a/drivers/md/dm-cache-target.c b/drivers/md/dm-cache-target.c
index 32d22c7b9a07..e479ac22b97c 100644
--- a/drivers/md/dm-cache-target.c
+++ b/drivers/md/dm-cache-target.c
@@ -2499,23 +2499,8 @@ static int cache_create(struct cache_args *ca, struct cache **result)
 		goto bad;
 	}
 
-	if (passthrough_mode(cache)) {
-		bool all_clean;
-
-		r = dm_cache_metadata_all_clean(cache->cmd, &all_clean);
-		if (r) {
-			*error = "dm_cache_metadata_all_clean() failed";
-			goto bad;
-		}
-
-		if (!all_clean) {
-			*error = "Cannot enter passthrough mode unless all blocks are clean";
-			r = -EINVAL;
-			goto bad;
-		}
-
+	if (passthrough_mode(cache))
 		policy_allow_migrations(cache->policy, false);
-	}
 
 	spin_lock_init(&cache->lock);
 	bio_list_init(&cache->deferred_bios);
@@ -2842,6 +2827,12 @@ static int load_mapping(void *context, dm_oblock_t oblock, dm_cblock_t cblock,
 	struct cache *cache = context;
 
 	if (dirty) {
+		if (passthrough_mode(cache)) {
+			DMERR("%s: cannot enter passthrough mode unless all blocks are clean",
+			      cache_device_name(cache));
+			return -EBUSY;
+		}
+
 		set_bit(from_cblock(cblock), cache->dirty_bitset);
 		atomic_inc(&cache->nr_dirty);
 	} else
@@ -3075,7 +3066,7 @@ static int cache_preresume(struct dm_target *ti)
 					   load_filtered_mapping, cache);
 		if (r) {
 			DMERR("%s: could not load cache mappings", cache_device_name(cache));
-			if (r != -EFBIG)
+			if (r != -EFBIG && r != -EBUSY)
 				metadata_operation_failed(cache, "dm_cache_load_mappings", r);
 			return r;
 		}