diff --git a/lib/ftl/Makefile b/lib/ftl/Makefile
index 7ab873f3d..e1873f9d4 100644
--- a/lib/ftl/Makefile
+++ b/lib/ftl/Makefile
@@ -13,6 +13,10 @@ ifdef SPDK_FTL_VSS_EMU
 CFLAGS += -DSPDK_FTL_VSS_EMU
 endif
 
+ifdef SPDK_FTL_RETRY_ON_ERROR
+CFLAGS += -DSPDK_FTL_RETRY_ON_ERROR
+endif
+
 ifdef SPDK_FTL_L2P_FLAT
 CFLAGS += -DSPDK_FTL_L2P_FLAT
 endif
diff --git a/lib/ftl/ftl_band_ops.c b/lib/ftl/ftl_band_ops.c
index 85e396bb0..1ce8184fd 100644
--- a/lib/ftl/ftl_band_ops.c
+++ b/lib/ftl/ftl_band_ops.c
@@ -264,8 +264,12 @@ band_open_cb(int status, void *cb_arg)
 	struct ftl_band *band = cb_arg;
 
 	if (spdk_unlikely(status)) {
+#ifdef SPDK_FTL_RETRY_ON_ERROR
 		ftl_md_persist_entry_retry(&band->md_persist_entry_ctx);
 		return;
+#else
+		ftl_abort();
+#endif
 	}
 
 	ftl_band_set_state(band, FTL_BAND_STATE_OPEN);
@@ -305,8 +309,12 @@ band_close_cb(int status, void *cb_arg)
 	struct ftl_band *band = cb_arg;
 
 	if (spdk_unlikely(status)) {
+#ifdef SPDK_FTL_RETRY_ON_ERROR
 		ftl_md_persist_entry_retry(&band->md_persist_entry_ctx);
 		return;
+#else
+		ftl_abort();
+#endif
 	}
 
 	band->md->p2l_map_checksum = band->p2l_map.band_dma_md->p2l_map_checksum;
@@ -334,9 +342,13 @@ band_map_write_cb(struct ftl_basic_rq *brq)
 		ftl_md_persist_entry(md, band->id, p2l_map->band_dma_md, NULL,
 				     band_close_cb, band, &band->md_persist_entry_ctx);
 	} else {
+#ifdef SPDK_FTL_RETRY_ON_ERROR
 		/* Try to retry in case of failure */
 		ftl_band_brq_bdev_write(brq);
 		band->queue_depth++;
+#else
+		ftl_abort();
+#endif
 	}
 }
 
@@ -362,8 +374,12 @@ band_free_cb(int status, void *ctx)
 	struct ftl_band *band = (struct ftl_band *)ctx;
 
 	if (spdk_unlikely(status)) {
+#ifdef SPDK_FTL_RETRY_ON_ERROR
 		ftl_md_persist_entry_retry(&band->md_persist_entry_ctx);
 		return;
+#else
+		ftl_abort();
+#endif
 	}
 
 	ftl_band_release_p2l_map(band);
diff --git a/lib/ftl/ftl_core.c b/lib/ftl/ftl_core.c
index c238e2028..b12e7a88a 100644
--- a/lib/ftl/ftl_core.c
+++ b/lib/ftl/ftl_core.c
@@ -558,8 +558,12 @@ ftl_process_unmap_cb(struct spdk_ftl_dev *dev, struct ftl_md *md, int status)
 	io->dev->unmap_qd--;
 
 	if (spdk_unlikely(status)) {
+#ifdef SPDK_FTL_RETRY_ON_ERROR
 		TAILQ_INSERT_HEAD(&io->dev->unmap_sq, io, queue_entry);
 		return;
+#else
+		io->status = status;
+#endif
 	}
 
 	ftl_io_complete(io);
diff --git a/lib/ftl/ftl_nv_cache.c b/lib/ftl/ftl_nv_cache.c
index d445d3f15..0d470303a 100644
--- a/lib/ftl/ftl_nv_cache.c
+++ b/lib/ftl/ftl_nv_cache.c
@@ -443,7 +443,11 @@ chunk_free_cb(int status, void *ctx)
 		chunk->md->close_seq_id = 0;
 		ftl_chunk_free_chunk_free_entry(chunk);
 	} else {
+#ifdef SPDK_FTL_RETRY_ON_ERROR
 		ftl_md_persist_entry_retry(&chunk->md_persist_entry_ctx);
+#else
+		ftl_abort();
+#endif
 	}
 }
 
@@ -858,8 +862,12 @@ compaction_process_ftl_done(struct ftl_rq *rq)
 
 	if (spdk_unlikely(false == rq->success)) {
 		/* IO error retry writing */
+#ifdef SPDK_FTL_RETRY_ON_ERROR
 		ftl_writer_queue_rq(&dev->writer_user, rq);
 		return;
+#else
+		ftl_abort();
+#endif
 	}
 
 	/* Update L2P table */
@@ -1700,8 +1708,12 @@ chunk_open_cb(int status, void *ctx)
 	struct ftl_nv_cache_chunk *chunk = (struct ftl_nv_cache_chunk *)ctx;
 
 	if (spdk_unlikely(status)) {
+#ifdef SPDK_FTL_RETRY_ON_ERROR
 		ftl_md_persist_entry_retry(&chunk->md_persist_entry_ctx);
 		return;
+#else
+		ftl_abort();
+#endif
 	}
 
 	chunk->md->state = FTL_CHUNK_STATE_OPEN;
@@ -1761,7 +1773,11 @@ chunk_close_cb(int status, void *ctx)
 
 		chunk->md->state = FTL_CHUNK_STATE_CLOSED;
 	} else {
+#ifdef SPDK_FTL_RETRY_ON_ERROR
 		ftl_md_persist_entry_retry(&chunk->md_persist_entry_ctx);
+#else
+		ftl_abort();
+#endif
 	}
 }
 
@@ -1785,9 +1801,13 @@ chunk_map_write_cb(struct ftl_basic_rq *brq)
 				     NULL, chunk_close_cb, chunk,
 				     &chunk->md_persist_entry_ctx);
 	} else {
+#ifdef SPDK_FTL_RETRY_ON_ERROR
 		/* retry */
 		chunk->md->write_pointer -= brq->num_blocks;
 		ftl_chunk_basic_rq_write(chunk, brq);
+#else
+		ftl_abort();
+#endif
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/ftl/ftl_p2l.c b/lib/ftl/ftl_p2l.c
index 97c063809..f35e76371 100644
--- a/lib/ftl/ftl_p2l.c
+++ b/lib/ftl/ftl_p2l.c
@@ -139,9 +139,13 @@ ftl_p2l_ckpt_issue_end(int status, void *arg)
 	assert(rq);
 
 	if (status) {
+#ifdef SPDK_FTL_RETRY_ON_ERROR
 		/* retry */
 		ftl_md_persist_entry_retry(&rq->md_persist_entry_ctx);
 		return;
+#else
+		ftl_abort();
+#endif
 	}
 
 	assert(rq->io.band->queue_depth > 0);