diff --git a/internal/csi-addons/rbd/replication.go b/internal/csi-addons/rbd/replication.go
index 045203cc4..a949a383c 100644
--- a/internal/csi-addons/rbd/replication.go
+++ b/internal/csi-addons/rbd/replication.go
@@ -74,6 +74,12 @@ const (
 	// (optional) StartTime is the time the snapshot schedule
 	// begins, can be specified using the ISO 8601 time format.
 	schedulingStartTimeKey = "schedulingStartTime"
+
+	// flattenModeKey to get the flattenMode from the parameters.
+	// (optional) flattenMode decides how to handle images with parent.
+	// (default) If set to "never", the image with parent will not be flattened.
+	// If set to "force", the image with parent will be flattened.
+	flattenModeKey = "flattenMode"
 )
 
 // ReplicationServer struct of rbd CSI driver with supported methods of Replication
@@ -115,6 +121,27 @@ func getForceOption(ctx context.Context, parameters map[string]string) (bool, er
 	return force, nil
 }
 
+// getFlattenMode gets flatten mode from the input GRPC request parameters.
+// flattenMode is the key to check the mode in the parameters.
+func getFlattenMode(ctx context.Context, parameters map[string]string) (corerbd.FlattenMode, error) {
+	val, ok := parameters[flattenModeKey]
+	if !ok {
+		log.DebugLog(ctx, "%q is not set in parameters, setting to default (%v)",
+			flattenModeKey, corerbd.FlattenModeNever)
+
+		return corerbd.FlattenModeNever, nil
+	}
+
+	mode := corerbd.FlattenMode(val)
+	switch mode {
+	case corerbd.FlattenModeForce, corerbd.FlattenModeNever:
+		return mode, nil
+	}
+	log.ErrorLog(ctx, "%q=%q is not supported", flattenModeKey, val)
+
+	return mode, status.Errorf(codes.InvalidArgument, "%q=%q is not supported", flattenModeKey, val)
+}
+
 // getMirroringMode gets the mirroring mode from the input GRPC request parameters.
 // mirroringMode is the key to check the mode in the parameters.
 func getMirroringMode(ctx context.Context, parameters map[string]string) (librbd.ImageMirrorMode, error) {
@@ -265,6 +292,11 @@ func (rs *ReplicationServer) EnableVolumeReplication(ctx context.Context,
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	// extract the flatten mode
+	flattenMode, err := getFlattenMode(ctx, req.GetParameters())
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 
 	mirroringInfo, err := rbdVol.GetImageMirroringInfo()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -274,6 +306,12 @@ func (rs *ReplicationServer) EnableVolumeReplication(ctx context.Context,
 	}
 
 	if mirroringInfo.State != librbd.MirrorImageEnabled {
+		err = rbdVol.HandleParentImageExistence(ctx, flattenMode)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.ErrorLog(ctx, err.Error())
+
+			return nil, getGRPCError(err)
+		}
 		err = rbdVol.EnableImageMirroring(mirroringMode)
 		if err != nil {
 			log.ErrorLog(ctx, err.Error())
@@ -777,6 +815,7 @@ func getGRPCError(err error) error {
 
 	errorStatusMap := map[error]codes.Code{
 		corerbd.ErrInvalidArgument:    codes.InvalidArgument,
+		corerbd.ErrFlattenInProgress:  codes.Aborted,
 		corerbd.ErrAborted:            codes.Aborted,
 		corerbd.ErrFailedPrecondition: codes.FailedPrecondition,
 		corerbd.ErrUnavailable:        codes.Unavailable,
diff --git a/internal/csi-addons/rbd/replication_test.go b/internal/csi-addons/rbd/replication_test.go
index c00a7168d..c678c6377 100644
--- a/internal/csi-addons/rbd/replication_test.go
+++ b/internal/csi-addons/rbd/replication_test.go
@@ -641,3 +641,69 @@ func Test_timestampFromString(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func Test_getFlattenMode(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	type args struct {
+		ctx        context.Context
+		parameters map[string]string
+	}
+	tests := []struct {
+		name    string
+		args    args
+		want    corerbd.FlattenMode
+		wantErr bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "flattenMode option not set",
+			args: args{
+				ctx:        context.TODO(),
+				parameters: map[string]string{},
+			},
+			want: corerbd.FlattenModeNever,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "flattenMode option set to never",
+			args: args{
+				ctx: context.TODO(),
+				parameters: map[string]string{
+					flattenModeKey: string(corerbd.FlattenModeNever),
+				},
+			},
+			want: corerbd.FlattenModeNever,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "flattenMode option set to force",
+			args: args{
+				ctx: context.TODO(),
+				parameters: map[string]string{
+					flattenModeKey: string(corerbd.FlattenModeForce),
+				},
+			},
+			want: corerbd.FlattenModeForce,
+		},
+
+		{
+			name: "flattenMode option set to invalid value",
+			args: args{
+				ctx: context.TODO(),
+				parameters: map[string]string{
+					flattenModeKey: "invalid123",
+				},
+			},
+			wantErr: true,
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+			got, err := getFlattenMode(tt.args.ctx, tt.args.parameters)
+			if (err != nil) != tt.wantErr {
+				t.Errorf("getFlattenMode() error = %v, wantErr %v", err, tt.wantErr)
+			}
+			if !tt.wantErr && !reflect.DeepEqual(got, tt.want) {
+				t.Errorf("getFlattenMode() = %v, want %v", got, tt.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/rbd/controllerserver.go b/internal/rbd/controllerserver.go
index 3b6c58d06..71f0492c4 100644
--- a/internal/rbd/controllerserver.go
+++ b/internal/rbd/controllerserver.go
@@ -1020,21 +1020,11 @@ func cleanupRBDImage(ctx context.Context,
 
 	// delete the temporary rbd image created as part of volume clone during
 	// create volume
-	tempClone := rbdVol.generateTempClone()
-	err = tempClone.deleteImage(ctx)
+	err = rbdVol.DeleteTempImage(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
-		if errors.Is(err, ErrImageNotFound) {
-			err = tempClone.ensureImageCleanup(ctx)
-			if err != nil {
-				return nil, status.Error(codes.Internal, err.Error())
-			}
-		} else {
-			// return error if it is not ErrImageNotFound
-			log.ErrorLog(ctx, "failed to delete rbd image: %s with error: %v",
-				tempClone, err)
+		log.ErrorLog(ctx, "failed to delete temporary rbd image: %v", err)
 
-			return nil, status.Error(codes.Internal, err.Error())
-		}
+		return nil, status.Error(codes.Internal, err.Error())
 	}
 
 	// Deleting rbd image
diff --git a/internal/rbd/mirror.go b/internal/rbd/mirror.go
index 4f6507614..106a9eb77 100644
--- a/internal/rbd/mirror.go
+++ b/internal/rbd/mirror.go
@@ -25,6 +25,69 @@ import (
 	librbd "github.com/ceph/go-ceph/rbd"
 )
 
+// FlattenMode is used to indicate the flatten mode for an RBD image.
+type FlattenMode string
+
+const (
+	// FlattenModeNever indicates that the image should never be flattened.
+	FlattenModeNever FlattenMode = "never"
+	// FlattenModeForce indicates that the image with the parent must be flattened.
+	FlattenModeForce FlattenMode = "force"
+)
+
+// HandleParentImageExistence checks the image's parent.
+// if the parent image does not exist and is not in trash, it returns nil.
+// if the flattenMode is FlattenModeForce, it flattens the image itself.
+// if the parent image is in trash, it returns an error.
+// if the parent image exists and is not enabled for mirroring, it returns an error.
+func (rv *rbdVolume) HandleParentImageExistence(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	flattenMode FlattenMode,
+) error {
+	if rv.ParentName == "" && !rv.ParentInTrash {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	if flattenMode == FlattenModeForce {
+		// Delete temp image that exists for volume datasource since
+		// it is no longer required when the live image is flattened.
+		err := rv.DeleteTempImage(ctx)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to delete temporary rbd image: %w", err)
+		}
+
+		err = rv.flattenRbdImage(ctx, true, 0, 0)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
+	if rv.ParentInTrash {
+		return fmt.Errorf("%w: failed to enable mirroring on image %q:"+
+			" parent is in trash",
+			ErrFailedPrecondition, rv)
+	}
+
+	parent, err := rv.getParent()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	parentMirroringInfo, err := parent.GetImageMirroringInfo()
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf(
+			"failed to get mirroring info of parent %q of image %q: %w",
+			parent, rv, err)
+	}
+
+	if parentMirroringInfo.State != librbd.MirrorImageEnabled {
+		return fmt.Errorf("%w: failed to enable mirroring on image %q: "+
+			"parent image %q is not enabled for mirroring",
+			ErrFailedPrecondition, rv, parent)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 // EnableImageMirroring enables mirroring on an image.
 func (ri *rbdImage) EnableImageMirroring(mode librbd.ImageMirrorMode) error {
 	image, err := ri.open()
diff --git a/internal/rbd/rbd_util.go b/internal/rbd/rbd_util.go
index ee955d745..b84f64344 100644
--- a/internal/rbd/rbd_util.go
+++ b/internal/rbd/rbd_util.go
@@ -703,6 +703,22 @@ func (ri *rbdImage) trashRemoveImage(ctx context.Context) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// DeleteTempImage deletes the temporary image created for volume datasource.
+func (rv *rbdVolume) DeleteTempImage(ctx context.Context) error {
+	tempClone := rv.generateTempClone()
+	err := tempClone.deleteImage(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, ErrImageNotFound) {
+			return tempClone.ensureImageCleanup(ctx)
+		} else {
+			// return error if it is not ErrImageNotFound
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (ri *rbdImage) getCloneDepth(ctx context.Context) (uint, error) {
 	var depth uint
 	vol := rbdVolume{}