diff --git a/cmd/erasure-server-pool-decom.go b/cmd/erasure-server-pool-decom.go
index 384fd9ebb..763b29ada 100644
--- a/cmd/erasure-server-pool-decom.go
+++ b/cmd/erasure-server-pool-decom.go
@@ -160,6 +160,9 @@ func (ps PoolStatus) Clone() PoolStatus {
 type poolMeta struct {
 	Version int          `msg:"v"`
 	Pools   []PoolStatus `msg:"pls"`
+
+	// Value should not be saved when we have not loaded anything yet.
+	dontSave bool `msg:"-"`
 }
 
 // A decommission resumable tells us if decommission is worth
@@ -308,6 +311,10 @@ func (p *poolMeta) Decommission(idx int, pi poolSpaceInfo) error {
 }
 
 func (p poolMeta) IsSuspended(idx int) bool {
+	if idx >= len(p.Pools) {
+		// We don't really know if the pool is suspended or not, since it doesn't exist.
+		return false
+	}
 	return p.Pools[idx].Decommission != nil
 }
 
@@ -445,6 +452,9 @@ func (p *poolMeta) updateAfter(ctx context.Context, idx int, pools []*erasureSet
 }
 
 func (p poolMeta) save(ctx context.Context, pools []*erasureSets) error {
+	if p.dontSave {
+		return nil
+	}
 	data := make([]byte, 4, p.Msgsize()+4)
 
 	// Initialize the header.
@@ -499,36 +509,17 @@ func (z *erasureServerPools) Init(ctx context.Context) error {
 
 	// if no update is needed return right away.
 	if !update {
+		z.poolMetaMutex.Lock()
 		z.poolMeta = meta
+		z.poolMetaMutex.Unlock()
 	} else {
-		newMeta := poolMeta{} // to update write poolMeta fresh.
-		// looks like new pool was added we need to update,
-		// or this is a fresh installation (or an existing
-		// installation with pool removed)
-		newMeta.Version = poolMetaVersion
-		for idx, pool := range z.serverPools {
-			var skip bool
-			for _, currentPool := range meta.Pools {
-				// Preserve any current pool status.
-				if currentPool.CmdLine == pool.endpoints.CmdLine {
-					newMeta.Pools = append(newMeta.Pools, currentPool)
-					skip = true
-					break
-				}
-			}
-			if skip {
-				continue
-			}
-			newMeta.Pools = append(newMeta.Pools, PoolStatus{
-				CmdLine:    pool.endpoints.CmdLine,
-				ID:         idx,
-				LastUpdate: UTCNow(),
-			})
-		}
+		newMeta := newPoolMeta(z, meta)
 		if err = newMeta.save(ctx, z.serverPools); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
+		z.poolMetaMutex.Lock()
 		z.poolMeta = newMeta
+		z.poolMetaMutex.Unlock()
 	}
 
 	pools := meta.returnResumablePools()
@@ -568,6 +559,34 @@ func (z *erasureServerPools) Init(ctx context.Context) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func newPoolMeta(z *erasureServerPools, prevMeta poolMeta) poolMeta {
+	newMeta := poolMeta{} // to update write poolMeta fresh.
+	// looks like new pool was added we need to update,
+	// or this is a fresh installation (or an existing
+	// installation with pool removed)
+	newMeta.Version = poolMetaVersion
+	for idx, pool := range z.serverPools {
+		var skip bool
+		for _, currentPool := range prevMeta.Pools {
+			// Preserve any current pool status.
+			if currentPool.CmdLine == pool.endpoints.CmdLine {
+				newMeta.Pools = append(newMeta.Pools, currentPool)
+				skip = true
+				break
+			}
+		}
+		if skip {
+			continue
+		}
+		newMeta.Pools = append(newMeta.Pools, PoolStatus{
+			CmdLine:    pool.endpoints.CmdLine,
+			ID:         idx,
+			LastUpdate: UTCNow(),
+		})
+	}
+	return newMeta
+}
+
 func (z *erasureServerPools) IsDecommissionRunning() bool {
 	z.poolMetaMutex.RLock()
 	defer z.poolMetaMutex.RUnlock()
@@ -1003,8 +1022,15 @@ func (m *decomMetrics) log(d decomMetric, poolIdx int, paths ...string) func(err
 
 func (z *erasureServerPools) decommissionInBackground(ctx context.Context, idx int) error {
 	pool := z.serverPools[idx]
-	for _, bucket := range z.poolMeta.PendingBuckets(idx) {
-		if z.poolMeta.isBucketDecommissioned(idx, bucket.String()) {
+	z.poolMetaMutex.RLock()
+	pending := z.poolMeta.PendingBuckets(idx)
+	z.poolMetaMutex.RUnlock()
+
+	for _, bucket := range pending {
+		z.poolMetaMutex.RLock()
+		isDecommissioned := z.poolMeta.isBucketDecommissioned(idx, bucket.String())
+		z.poolMetaMutex.RUnlock()
+		if isDecommissioned {
 			if serverDebugLog {
 				console.Debugln("decommission: already done, moving on", bucket)
 			}
diff --git a/cmd/erasure-server-pool.go b/cmd/erasure-server-pool.go
index e6b9f3903..bba8e60da 100644
--- a/cmd/erasure-server-pool.go
+++ b/cmd/erasure-server-pool.go
@@ -143,6 +143,12 @@ func newErasureServerPools(ctx context.Context, endpointServerPools EndpointServ
 
 	z.decommissionCancelers = make([]context.CancelFunc, len(z.serverPools))
 
+	// Initialize the pool meta, but set it to not save.
+	// When z.Init below has loaded the poolmeta will be initialized,
+	// and allowed to save.
+	z.poolMeta = newPoolMeta(z, poolMeta{})
+	z.poolMeta.dontSave = true
+
 	// initialize the object layer.
 	setObjectLayer(z)