diff --git a/drivers/nvme/host/core.c b/drivers/nvme/host/core.c
index 1322c678f4eb..74b7393dbe85 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/host/core.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/host/core.c
@@ -2468,9 +2468,26 @@ static int nvme_update_ns_info_block(struct nvme_ns *ns,
 	if (!nvme_update_disk_info(ns, id, nvm, &lim))
 		capacity = 0;
 
+	/*
+	 * A failed zone info query leaves zi zero-initialized, so skip the
+	 * zoned limits update instead of configuring the queue from it.
+	 * During a revalidation that keeps the zone geometry the queue was
+	 * last validated with; on a first scan the namespace is registered
+	 * without zoned limits, so that it is still available as a handle
+	 * for admin commands.
+	 */
 	if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_BLK_DEV_ZONED) &&
-	    ns->head->ids.csi == NVME_CSI_ZNS)
-		nvme_update_zone_info(ns, &lim, &zi);
+	    ns->head->ids.csi == NVME_CSI_ZNS) {
+		if (zi.zone_size)
+			nvme_update_zone_info(ns, &lim, &zi);
+		else
+			dev_warn(ns->ctrl->device,
+				 "zone info query failed for nsid %u, %s\n",
+				 ns->head->ns_id,
+				 blk_queue_is_zoned(ns->disk->queue) ?
+				 "keeping the previous zone limits" :
+				 "not enabling zoned mode");
+	}
 
 	if ((ns->ctrl->vwc & NVME_CTRL_VWC_PRESENT) && !info->no_vwc)
 		lim.features |= BLK_FEAT_WRITE_CACHE | BLK_FEAT_FUA;