diff --git a/src/Interpreters/InterpreterSystemQuery.cpp b/src/Interpreters/InterpreterSystemQuery.cpp
index 123ff6ba2ca..df0c5635af9 100644
--- a/src/Interpreters/InterpreterSystemQuery.cpp
+++ b/src/Interpreters/InterpreterSystemQuery.cpp
@@ -56,7 +56,6 @@ namespace ErrorCodes
     extern const int NOT_IMPLEMENTED;
     extern const int TIMEOUT_EXCEEDED;
     extern const int TABLE_WAS_NOT_DROPPED;
-    extern const int NO_ZOOKEEPER;
 }
 
 
@@ -472,12 +471,6 @@ void InterpreterSystemQuery::restoreReplica()
 {
     getContext()->checkAccess(AccessType::SYSTEM_RESTORE_REPLICA, table_id);
 
-    const zkutil::ZooKeeperPtr & zookeeper = getContext()->getZooKeeper();
-
-    if (zookeeper->expired())
-        throw Exception(ErrorCodes::NO_ZOOKEEPER,
-            "Cannot restore table metadata because ZooKeeper session has expired");
-
     const StoragePtr table_ptr = DatabaseCatalog::instance().getTable(table_id, getContext());
 
     auto * const table_replicated_ptr = dynamic_cast<StorageReplicatedMergeTree *>(table_ptr.get());
@@ -485,24 +478,7 @@ void InterpreterSystemQuery::restoreReplica()
     if (table_replicated_ptr == nullptr)
         throw Exception(ErrorCodes::BAD_ARGUMENTS, table_is_not_replicated.data(), table_id.getNameForLogs());
 
-    auto & table_replicated = *table_replicated_ptr;
-
-    StorageReplicatedMergeTree::Status status;
-    table_replicated.getStatus(status);
-
-    if (!status.is_readonly)
-        throw Exception(ErrorCodes::BAD_ARGUMENTS, "Replica must be readonly");
-
-    const String replica_name = table_replicated.getReplicaName();
-    const String& zk_root_path = status.zookeeper_path;
-
-    if (String replica_path = zk_root_path + "replicas/" + replica_name; zookeeper->exists(replica_path))
-        throw Exception(ErrorCodes::BAD_ARGUMENTS,
-            "Replica path is present at {} -- nothing to restore. "
-            "If you are sure that metadata it lost and replica path contain some garbage, "
-            "then use SYSTEM DROP REPLICA query first.", replica_path);
-
-    table_replicated.restoreMetadataInZooKeeper();
+    table_replicated_ptr->restoreMetadataInZooKeeper();
 }
 
 StoragePtr InterpreterSystemQuery::tryRestartReplica(const StorageID & replica, ContextMutablePtr system_context, bool need_ddl_guard)
diff --git a/src/Storages/StorageReplicatedMergeTree.cpp b/src/Storages/StorageReplicatedMergeTree.cpp
index a23859e7b5e..5379c3f89c1 100644
--- a/src/Storages/StorageReplicatedMergeTree.cpp
+++ b/src/Storages/StorageReplicatedMergeTree.cpp
@@ -774,7 +774,8 @@ void StorageReplicatedMergeTree::drop()
     /// or metadata of staled replica were removed manually,
     /// in this case, has_metadata_in_zookeeper = false, and we also permit to drop the table.
 
-    if (has_metadata_in_zookeeper)
+    bool maybe_has_metadata_in_zookeeper = !has_metadata_in_zookeeper.has_value() || *has_metadata_in_zookeeper;
+    if (maybe_has_metadata_in_zookeeper)
     {
         /// Table can be shut down, restarting thread is not active
         /// and calling StorageReplicatedMergeTree::getZooKeeper()/getAuxiliaryZooKeeper() won't suffice.
@@ -4801,12 +4802,22 @@ bool StorageReplicatedMergeTree::getFakePartCoveringAllPartsInPartition(const St
 void StorageReplicatedMergeTree::restoreMetadataInZooKeeper()
 {
     LOG_INFO(log, "Restoring replica metadata");
+    if (!is_readonly)
+        throw Exception(ErrorCodes::BAD_ARGUMENTS, "Replica must be readonly");
 
-    if (!is_readonly || has_metadata_in_zookeeper)
-        throw Exception(ErrorCodes::LOGICAL_ERROR, "It's a bug: replica is not readonly");
+    if (getZooKeeper()->exists(replica_path))
+        throw Exception(ErrorCodes::BAD_ARGUMENTS,
+                        "Replica path is present at {} - nothing to restore. "
+                        "If you are sure that metadata is lost and replica path contain some garbage, "
+                        "then use SYSTEM DROP REPLICA query first.", replica_path);
+
+    if (has_metadata_in_zookeeper.has_value() && *has_metadata_in_zookeeper)
+        throw Exception(ErrorCodes::LOGICAL_ERROR, "Replica has metadata in ZooKeeper: "
+                                                   "it's a bug or a result of manual intervention into ZooKeeper");
 
     if (are_restoring_replica.exchange(true))
         throw Exception(ErrorCodes::CONCURRENT_ACCESS_NOT_SUPPORTED, "Replica restoration in progress");
+    SCOPE_EXIT({ are_restoring_replica.store(false); });
 
     auto metadata_snapshot = getInMemoryMetadataPtr();
 
@@ -4847,8 +4858,6 @@ void StorageReplicatedMergeTree::restoreMetadataInZooKeeper()
     LOG_INFO(log, "Attached all partitions, starting table");
 
     startup();
-
-    are_restoring_replica.store(false);
 }
 
 void StorageReplicatedMergeTree::dropPartNoWaitNoThrow(const String & part_name)
diff --git a/src/Storages/StorageReplicatedMergeTree.h b/src/Storages/StorageReplicatedMergeTree.h
index c91152ca0f3..54a1d897bd7 100644
--- a/src/Storages/StorageReplicatedMergeTree.h
+++ b/src/Storages/StorageReplicatedMergeTree.h
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ private:
     /// If true, the table is offline and can not be written to it.
     std::atomic_bool is_readonly {false};
     /// If false - ZooKeeper is available, but there is no table metadata. It's safe to drop table in this case.
-    bool has_metadata_in_zookeeper = true;
+    std::optional<bool> has_metadata_in_zookeeper;
 
     static constexpr auto default_zookeeper_name = "default";
     String zookeeper_name;