diff --git a/cmd/format-xl.go b/cmd/format-xl.go
index 58f4fc0f4..40ecd9eca 100644
--- a/cmd/format-xl.go
+++ b/cmd/format-xl.go
@@ -621,23 +621,28 @@ func formatXLV3Check(reference *formatXLV3, format *formatXLV3) error {
 	return fmt.Errorf("Disk ID %s not found in any disk sets %s", this, format.XL.Sets)
 }
 
-// Initializes meta volume on all input storage disks.
-func initFormatXLMetaVolume(storageDisks []StorageAPI, formats []*formatXLV3) error {
-	// This happens for the first time, but keep this here since this
-	// is the only place where it can be made expensive optimizing all
-	// other calls. Create minio meta volume, if it doesn't exist yet.
+// Initializes meta volume only on local storage disks.
+func initXLMetaVolumesInLocalDisks(storageDisks []StorageAPI, formats []*formatXLV3) error {
+
+	// Compute the local disks eligible for meta volumes (re)initialization
+	var disksToInit []StorageAPI
+	for index := range storageDisks {
+		if formats[index] == nil || storageDisks[index] == nil || storageDisks[index].Hostname() != "" {
+			// Ignore create meta volume on disks which are not found or not local.
+			continue
+		}
+		disksToInit = append(disksToInit, storageDisks[index])
+	}
 
 	// Initialize errs to collect errors inside go-routine.
-	g := errgroup.WithNErrs(len(storageDisks))
+	g := errgroup.WithNErrs(len(disksToInit))
 
 	// Initialize all disks in parallel.
-	for index := range storageDisks {
+	for index := range disksToInit {
+		// Initialize a new index variable in each loop so each
+		// goroutine will return its own instance of index variable.
 		index := index
 		g.Go(func() error {
-			if formats[index] == nil || storageDisks[index] == nil {
-				// Ignore create meta volume on disks which are not found.
-				return nil
-			}
 			return makeFormatXLMetaVolumes(storageDisks[index])
 		}, index)
 	}
@@ -821,13 +826,7 @@ func ecDrivesNoConfig(drivesPerSet int) int {
 // Make XL backend meta volumes.
 func makeFormatXLMetaVolumes(disk StorageAPI) error {
 	// Attempt to create MinIO internal buckets.
-	err := disk.MakeVolBulk(minioMetaBucket, minioMetaTmpBucket, minioMetaMultipartBucket, minioMetaBackgroundOpsBucket)
-	if err != nil {
-		if !IsErrIgnored(err, initMetaVolIgnoredErrs...) {
-			return err
-		}
-	}
-	return nil
+	return disk.MakeVolBulk(minioMetaBucket, minioMetaTmpBucket, minioMetaMultipartBucket, minioMetaBackgroundOpsBucket)
 }
 
 var initMetaVolIgnoredErrs = append(baseIgnoredErrs, errVolumeExists)
diff --git a/cmd/format-xl_test.go b/cmd/format-xl_test.go
index efc713964..0a5b0070e 100644
--- a/cmd/format-xl_test.go
+++ b/cmd/format-xl_test.go
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ func TestFixFormatV3(t *testing.T) {
 		formats[j] = newFormat
 	}
 
-	if err = initFormatXLMetaVolume(storageDisks, formats); err != nil {
+	if err = initXLMetaVolumesInLocalDisks(storageDisks, formats); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
diff --git a/cmd/prepare-storage.go b/cmd/prepare-storage.go
index f7885a2e9..b862826cd 100644
--- a/cmd/prepare-storage.go
+++ b/cmd/prepare-storage.go
@@ -267,12 +267,6 @@ func connectLoadInitFormats(retryCount int, firstDisk bool, endpoints Endpoints,
 		return format, nil
 	}
 
-	// The first will always recreate some directories inside .minio.sys
-	// such as, tmp, multipart and background-ops
-	if firstDisk {
-		initFormatXLMetaVolume(storageDisks, formatConfigs)
-	}
-
 	// Return error when quorum unformatted disks - indicating we are
 	// waiting for first server to be online.
 	if quorumUnformattedDisks(sErrs) && !firstDisk {
@@ -331,6 +325,10 @@ func connectLoadInitFormats(retryCount int, firstDisk bool, endpoints Endpoints,
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	// The will always recreate some directories inside .minio.sys of
+	// the local disk such as tmp, multipart and background-ops
+	initXLMetaVolumesInLocalDisks(storageDisks, formatConfigs)
+
 	return format, nil
 }