diff --git a/internal/rbd/manager.go b/internal/rbd/manager.go
index 8c52db6bd608..b1a895978cba 100644
--- a/internal/rbd/manager.go
+++ b/internal/rbd/manager.go
@@ -202,9 +202,16 @@ func (mgr *rbdManager) CreateVolumeGroup(ctx context.Context, name string) (type
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to get volume group %q at cluster %q: %w", name, clusterID, err)
 	}
 
-	err = vg.Create(ctx, vgName)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create volume group %q: %w", name, err)
+	// check if the volume group exists in the backend
+	existingName, err := vg.GetName(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		// the volume group does not exist yet
+		err = vg.Create(ctx, vgName)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create volume group %q: %w", name, err)
+		}
+	} else if existingName != vgName {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("volume group id %q has a name mismatch, expected %q, not %q", name, vgName, existingName)
 	}
 
 	// TODO: create the volume group in the journal
diff --git a/internal/rbd_group/volume_group.go b/internal/rbd_group/volume_group.go
index 141bbf384369..77ea441e5927 100644
--- a/internal/rbd_group/volume_group.go
+++ b/internal/rbd_group/volume_group.go
@@ -77,6 +77,8 @@ var (
 
 // GetVolumeGroup initializes a new VolumeGroup object that can be used
 // to manage an `rbd group`.
+// If the .GetName() function returns an error, the VolumeGroup does not exist
+// yet. It is needed to call .Create() in that case first.
 func GetVolumeGroup(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	id string,
@@ -107,13 +109,22 @@ func GetVolumeGroup(
 
 	attrs, err := j.GetVolumeGroupAttributes(ctx, pool, csiID.ObjectUUID)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to get attributes for volume group id %q: %w", id, err)
+		if !errors.Is(err, util.ErrKeyNotFound) && !errors.Is(err, util.ErrPoolNotFound) {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to get attributes for volume group id %q: %w", id, err)
+		}
+
+		attrs = &journal.VolumeGroupAttributes{}
 	}
 
 	var volumes []types.Volume
 	for volID := range attrs.VolumeMap {
 		vol, err := volumeResolver.GetVolumeByID(ctx, volID)
 		if err != nil {
+			// free the previously allocated volumes
+			for _, v := range volumes {
+				v.Destroy(ctx)
+			}
+
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to get attributes for volume group id %q: %w", id, err)
 		}
 
@@ -285,18 +296,24 @@ func (vg *volumeGroup) Create(ctx context.Context, name string) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to create volume group %q: %w", name, err)
 	}
 
-	log.DebugLog(ctx, "volume group %q has been created", name)
+	vg.name = name
+	log.DebugLog(ctx, "volume group %q has been created", vg)
 
 	return nil
 }
 
 func (vg *volumeGroup) Delete(ctx context.Context) error {
+	name, err := vg.GetName(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	ioctx, err := vg.GetIOContext(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	err = librbd.GroupRemove(ioctx, vg.name)
+	err = librbd.GroupRemove(ioctx, name)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to remove volume group %q: %w", vg, err)
 	}