diff --git a/lib/blob/blobstore.c b/lib/blob/blobstore.c
index 07e82fae9..38ce0fdde 100644
--- a/lib/blob/blobstore.c
+++ b/lib/blob/blobstore.c
@@ -1428,7 +1428,7 @@ _spdk_blob_resize(struct spdk_blob *blob, uint64_t sz)
 }
 
 static void
-_spdk_blob_persist_start(struct spdk_blob_persist_ctx *ctx)
+_spdk_blob_persist_generate_new_md(struct spdk_blob_persist_ctx *ctx)
 {
 	spdk_bs_sequence_t *seq = ctx->seq;
 	struct spdk_blob *blob = ctx->blob;
@@ -1438,16 +1438,6 @@ _spdk_blob_persist_start(struct spdk_blob_persist_ctx *ctx)
 	void *tmp;
 	int rc;
 
-	if (blob->active.num_pages == 0) {
-		/* This is the signal that the blob should be deleted.
-		 * Immediately jump to the clean up routine. */
-		assert(blob->clean.num_pages > 0);
-		blob->state = SPDK_BLOB_STATE_CLEAN;
-		_spdk_blob_persist_zero_pages(seq, ctx, 0);
-		return;
-
-	}
-
 	/* Generate the new metadata */
 	rc = _spdk_blob_serialize(blob, &ctx->pages, &blob->active.num_pages);
 	if (rc < 0) {
@@ -1497,6 +1487,25 @@ _spdk_blob_persist_start(struct spdk_blob_persist_ctx *ctx)
 	_spdk_blob_persist_write_page_chain(seq, ctx, 0);
 }
 
+static void
+_spdk_blob_persist_start(struct spdk_blob_persist_ctx *ctx)
+{
+	spdk_bs_sequence_t *seq = ctx->seq;
+	struct spdk_blob *blob = ctx->blob;
+
+	if (blob->active.num_pages == 0) {
+		/* This is the signal that the blob should be deleted.
+		 * Immediately jump to the clean up routine. */
+		assert(blob->clean.num_pages > 0);
+		blob->state = SPDK_BLOB_STATE_CLEAN;
+		_spdk_blob_persist_zero_pages(seq, ctx, 0);
+		return;
+
+	}
+
+	_spdk_blob_persist_generate_new_md(ctx);
+}
+
 static void
 _spdk_blob_persist_dirty_cpl(spdk_bs_sequence_t *seq, void *cb_arg, int bserrno)
 {