diff --git a/server/src/storage.rs b/server/src/storage.rs
index 2d62cee2e..a61d999dc 100644
--- a/server/src/storage.rs
+++ b/server/src/storage.rs
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ pub use object_storage::{ObjectStorage, ObjectStorageProvider};
 pub use s3::{S3Config, S3};
 pub use store_metadata::StorageMetadata;
 
-use self::store_metadata::{put_staging_metadata, startup_check, EnvChange};
+use self::store_metadata::{put_staging_metadata, EnvChange};
 
 /// local sync interval to move data.records to /tmp dir of that stream.
 /// 60 sec is a reasonable value.
@@ -124,7 +124,15 @@ impl ObjectStoreFormat {
 }
 
 pub async fn resolve_parseable_metadata() -> Result<(), ObjectStorageError> {
-    let check = startup_check().await?;
+    let staging_metadata = store_metadata::get_staging_metadata()?;
+    let storage = CONFIG.storage().get_object_store();
+    let remote_metadata = storage.get_metadata().await?;
+
+    let check = store_metadata::check_metadata_conflict(
+        staging_metadata.as_ref(),
+        remote_metadata.as_ref(),
+    );
+
     const MISMATCH: &str = "Could not start the server because metadata file found in staging directory does not match one in the storage";
     let err: Option<&str> = match check {
         EnvChange::None => None,
@@ -134,11 +142,15 @@ pub async fn resolve_parseable_metadata() -> Result<(), ObjectStorageError> {
             Some("Could not start the server because metadata not found in storage")
         }
         EnvChange::NewStaging => {
-            Some("Could not start the server becuase metadata not found in staging")
+            put_staging_metadata(remote_metadata.as_ref().expect("remote metadata exists"))?;
+
+            // allow new staging directories
+            return Ok(());
         }
         EnvChange::CreateBoth => {
-            create_staging_metadata()?;
-            create_remote_metadata().await?;
+            let metadata = StorageMetadata::new();
+            create_remote_metadata(&metadata).await?;
+            create_staging_metadata(&metadata)?;
             None
         }
     };
@@ -156,15 +168,14 @@ pub async fn resolve_parseable_metadata() -> Result<(), ObjectStorageError> {
     }
 }
 
-async fn create_remote_metadata() -> Result<(), ObjectStorageError> {
+async fn create_remote_metadata(metadata: &StorageMetadata) -> Result<(), ObjectStorageError> {
     let client = CONFIG.storage().get_object_store();
-    client.put_metadata(&StorageMetadata::new()).await
+    client.put_metadata(metadata).await
 }
 
-fn create_staging_metadata() -> std::io::Result<()> {
+fn create_staging_metadata(metadata: &StorageMetadata) -> std::io::Result<()> {
     create_dir_all(CONFIG.staging_dir())?;
-    let metadata = StorageMetadata::new();
-    put_staging_metadata(&metadata)
+    put_staging_metadata(metadata)
 }
 
 lazy_static! {
diff --git a/server/src/storage/store_metadata.rs b/server/src/storage/store_metadata.rs
index 0ed7faaa8..ec3dd3822 100644
--- a/server/src/storage/store_metadata.rs
+++ b/server/src/storage/store_metadata.rs
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ use std::io;
 
 use crate::{option::CONFIG, utils::uid};
 
-use super::{object_storage::PARSEABLE_METADATA_FILE_NAME, ObjectStorageError};
+use super::object_storage::PARSEABLE_METADATA_FILE_NAME;
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub struct StorageMetadata {
@@ -61,17 +61,9 @@ impl StorageMetadata {
     }
 }
 
-pub async fn startup_check() -> Result<EnvChange, ObjectStorageError> {
-    let staging_metadata = get_staging_metadata()?;
-    let storage = CONFIG.storage().get_object_store();
-    let remote_metadata = storage.get_metadata().await?;
-
-    Ok(check_metadata_conflict(staging_metadata, remote_metadata))
-}
-
-fn check_metadata_conflict(
-    staging_metadata: Option<StorageMetadata>,
-    remote_metadata: Option<StorageMetadata>,
+pub fn check_metadata_conflict(
+    staging_metadata: Option<&StorageMetadata>,
+    remote_metadata: Option<&StorageMetadata>,
 ) -> EnvChange {
     match (staging_metadata, remote_metadata) {
         (Some(staging), Some(remote)) if staging.mode == remote.mode => {
@@ -100,7 +92,7 @@ pub enum EnvChange {
     CreateBoth,
 }
 
-fn get_staging_metadata() -> io::Result<Option<StorageMetadata>> {
+pub fn get_staging_metadata() -> io::Result<Option<StorageMetadata>> {
     let path = CONFIG.staging_dir().join(PARSEABLE_METADATA_FILE_NAME);
     let bytes = match fs::read(path) {
         Ok(bytes) => bytes,