diff --git a/internal/rbd/nodeserver.go b/internal/rbd/nodeserver.go
index 64798deb5..ddc84cba1 100644
--- a/internal/rbd/nodeserver.go
+++ b/internal/rbd/nodeserver.go
@@ -144,6 +144,7 @@ func healerStageTransaction(ctx context.Context, cr *util.Credentials, volOps *r
 // this function also receive the credentials and secrets args as it differs in its data.
 // The credentials are used directly by functions like voljournal.Connect() and other functions
 // like genVolFromVolumeOptions() make use of secrets.
+// nolint:gocyclo,cyclop // reduce complexity
 func populateRbdVol(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	req *csi.NodeStageVolumeRequest,
@@ -241,8 +242,15 @@ func populateRbdVol(
 		return nil, status.Error(codes.Internal, err.Error())
 	}
 
-	if rv.Mounter == rbdDefaultMounter &&
-		!isKrbdFeatureSupported(ctx, strings.Join(rv.ImageFeatureSet.Names(), ",")) {
+	features := strings.Join(rv.ImageFeatureSet.Names(), ",")
+	isFeatureExist, err := isKrbdFeatureSupported(ctx, features)
+	if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
+		log.ErrorLog(ctx, "failed checking krbd features %q: %v", features, err)
+
+		return nil, status.Error(codes.Internal, err.Error())
+	}
+
+	if rv.Mounter == rbdDefaultMounter && !isFeatureExist {
 		if !parseBoolOption(ctx, req.GetVolumeContext(), tryOtherMounters, false) {
 			log.ErrorLog(ctx, "unsupported krbd Feature, set `tryOtherMounters:true` or fix krbd driver")
 			err = errors.New("unsupported krbd Feature")
diff --git a/internal/rbd/rbd_util.go b/internal/rbd/rbd_util.go
index bc9c16735..2bfebb51e 100644
--- a/internal/rbd/rbd_util.go
+++ b/internal/rbd/rbd_util.go
@@ -328,7 +328,12 @@ func HexStringToInteger(hexString string) (uint, error) {
 
 // isKrbdFeatureSupported checks if a given Image Feature is supported by krbd
 // driver or not.
-func isKrbdFeatureSupported(ctx context.Context, imageFeatures string) bool {
+func isKrbdFeatureSupported(ctx context.Context, imageFeatures string) (bool, error) {
+	// return false when /sys/bus/rbd/supported_features is absent and we are
+	// not in a position to prepare krbd feature attributes, i.e. if kernel <= 3.8
+	if krbdFeatures == 0 {
+		return false, os.ErrNotExist
+	}
 	arr := strings.Split(imageFeatures, ",")
 	log.UsefulLog(ctx, "checking for ImageFeatures: %v", arr)
 	imageFeatureSet := librbd.FeatureSetFromNames(arr)
@@ -343,7 +348,7 @@ func isKrbdFeatureSupported(ctx context.Context, imageFeatures string) bool {
 		}
 	}
 
-	return supported
+	return supported, nil
 }
 
 // Connect an rbdVolume to the Ceph cluster.
diff --git a/internal/rbd/rbd_util_test.go b/internal/rbd/rbd_util_test.go
index 8ab310da0..e373a9e61 100644
--- a/internal/rbd/rbd_util_test.go
+++ b/internal/rbd/rbd_util_test.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package rbd
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"errors"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"strings"
@@ -346,8 +347,13 @@ func TestIsKrbdFeatureSupported(t *testing.T) {
 			if err != nil {
 				t.Errorf("HexStringToInteger(%s) failed", krbdSupportedFeaturesAttr)
 			}
-			supported := isKrbdFeatureSupported(ctx, tc.featureName)
-			if supported != tc.isSupported {
+			// In case /sys/bus/rbd/supported_features is absent and we are
+			// not in a position to prepare krbd feature attributes,
+			// isKrbdFeatureSupported returns error ErrNotExist
+			supported, err := isKrbdFeatureSupported(ctx, tc.featureName)
+			if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
+				t.Errorf("isKrbdFeatureSupported(%s) returned error: %v", tc.featureName, err)
+			} else if supported != tc.isSupported {
 				t.Errorf("isKrbdFeatureSupported(%s) returned supported status, expected: %t, got: %t",
 					tc.featureName, tc.isSupported, supported)
 			}