diff --git a/src/engine/engine_bf.c b/src/engine/engine_bf.c
index 2d80d78..219efb2 100644
--- a/src/engine/engine_bf.c
+++ b/src/engine/engine_bf.c
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /*
  * Copyright(c) 2012-2022 Intel Corporation
- * Copyright(c) 2024 Huawei Technologies
+ * Copyright(c) 2024-2025 Huawei Technologies
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
  */
 
@@ -39,6 +39,23 @@ static inline void backfill_queue_inc_block(struct ocf_cache *cache)
 		env_atomic_set(&cache->pending_read_misses_list_blocked, 1);
 }
 
+static int _ocf_backfill_update_metadata(struct ocf_request *req)
+{
+	ocf_cache_t cache = req->cache;
+
+	ocf_hb_req_prot_lock_wr(req);
+
+	ocf_set_valid_map_info(req);
+
+	ocf_hb_req_prot_unlock_wr(req);
+
+	ocf_req_unlock(ocf_cache_line_concurrency(cache), req);
+
+	ocf_req_put(req);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static void _ocf_backfill_complete(struct ocf_request *req, int error)
 {
 	struct ocf_cache *cache = req->cache;
@@ -61,10 +78,8 @@ static void _ocf_backfill_complete(struct ocf_request *req, int error)
 	if (error) {
 		ocf_engine_invalidate(req);
 	} else {
-		ocf_req_unlock(ocf_cache_line_concurrency(cache), req);
-
-		/* put the request at the last point of the completion path */
-		ocf_req_put(req);
+		ocf_queue_push_req_cb(req, _ocf_backfill_update_metadata,
+				OCF_QUEUE_ALLOW_SYNC | OCF_QUEUE_PRIO_HIGH);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/engine/engine_rd.c b/src/engine/engine_rd.c
index bbc90cb..ac994fa 100644
--- a/src/engine/engine_rd.c
+++ b/src/engine/engine_rd.c
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /*
  * Copyright(c) 2012-2022 Intel Corporation
- * Copyright(c) 2024 Huawei Technologies
+ * Copyright(c) 2024-2025 Huawei Technologies
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
  */
 
@@ -133,13 +133,6 @@ static int _ocf_read_generic_do(struct ocf_request *req)
 
 			return 0;
 		}
-
-		ocf_hb_req_prot_lock_wr(req);
-
-		/* Set valid status bits map */
-		ocf_set_valid_map_info(req);
-
-		ocf_hb_req_prot_unlock_wr(req);
 	}
 
 	if (ocf_engine_needs_repart(req)) {
diff --git a/src/metadata/metadata_status.h b/src/metadata/metadata_status.h
index 1d470e6..1356b7c 100644
--- a/src/metadata/metadata_status.h
+++ b/src/metadata/metadata_status.h
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 /*
  * Copyright(c) 2012-2021 Intel Corporation
+ * Copyright(c) 2025 Huawei Technologies
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
  */
 
@@ -316,25 +317,28 @@ static inline void metadata_set_valid_sec_one(struct ocf_cache *cache,
 	ocf_metadata_set_valid(cache, line, pos, pos);
 }
 /*
- * Marks given cache line's bits as invalid
+ * Marks given cache line's sectors as invalid
  *
- * @return true if any of the cache line's bits was valid and the cache line
- * became invalid (all bits invalid) after the operation
- * @return false in other cases
+ * @return true if line was valid and became invalid (all sectors invalid)
+ * @return false if line was invalid and remains invalid or
+ *		if line was valid and still has valid sectors
  */
 static inline bool metadata_clear_valid_sec_changed(
 		struct ocf_cache *cache, ocf_cache_line_t line,
-		uint8_t start, uint8_t stop, bool *is_valid)
+		uint8_t start, uint8_t stop, bool *line_remains_valid)
 {
-	bool was_any_valid;
+	bool line_was_valid, _line_remains_valid;
 
-	was_any_valid = ocf_metadata_test_valid(cache, line, 0,
+	line_was_valid = ocf_metadata_test_valid(cache, line, 0,
 			ocf_line_end_sector(cache), false);
 
-	*is_valid = ocf_metadata_clear_valid(cache, line,
+	_line_remains_valid = ocf_metadata_clear_valid(cache, line,
 			start, stop);
 
-	return was_any_valid && !*is_valid;
+	if (likely(line_remains_valid != NULL))
+		*line_remains_valid = _line_remains_valid;
+
+	return line_was_valid && !_line_remains_valid;
 }
 
 #endif /* METADATA_STATUS_H_ */
diff --git a/src/utils/utils_cache_line.c b/src/utils/utils_cache_line.c
index 8546953..8668966 100644
--- a/src/utils/utils_cache_line.c
+++ b/src/utils/utils_cache_line.c
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /*
  * Copyright(c) 2012-2021 Intel Corporation
- * Copyright(c) 2024 Huawei Technologies
+ * Copyright(c) 2024-2025 Huawei Technologies
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
  */
 
@@ -12,28 +12,34 @@ static void __set_cache_line_invalid(struct ocf_cache *cache, uint8_t start_bit,
 		ocf_core_id_t core_id, ocf_part_id_t part_id)
 {
 	ocf_core_t core;
-	bool is_valid, changed;
+	bool line_remains_valid, line_became_invalid;
 
 	ENV_BUG_ON(core_id >= OCF_CORE_MAX);
 	core = ocf_cache_get_core(cache, core_id);
 
-	changed = metadata_clear_valid_sec_changed(cache, line,
-			start_bit, end_bit, &is_valid);
+	line_became_invalid = metadata_clear_valid_sec_changed(cache, line,
+			start_bit, end_bit, &line_remains_valid);
 
-	/* If we have waiters, do not remove cache line
-	 * for this cache line which will use one, clear
-	 * only valid bits
-	 */
-	if (!is_valid && !ocf_cache_line_are_waiters(
-			ocf_cache_line_concurrency(cache), line)) {
-		if (changed) {
-			env_atomic_dec(&core->runtime_meta->cached_clines);
-			env_atomic_dec(&core->runtime_meta->
-					part_counters[part_id].cached_clines);
-		}
-		ocf_lru_rm_cline(cache, line);
-		ocf_metadata_remove_cache_line(cache, line);
+	if (line_remains_valid) {
+		ENV_BUG_ON(line_became_invalid);
+		return;
 	}
+
+	/* If there are any waiters, don't transfer the line to the freelist.
+	 * The new owner will take care about the repart anyways
+	 */
+	if (ocf_cache_line_are_waiters(ocf_cache_line_concurrency(cache), line))
+		return;
+
+	ocf_lru_rm_cline(cache, line);
+	ocf_metadata_remove_cache_line(cache, line);
+
+	if (!line_became_invalid)
+		return;
+
+	env_atomic_dec(&core->runtime_meta->cached_clines);
+	env_atomic_dec(&core->runtime_meta->
+			part_counters[part_id].cached_clines);
 }
 
 void set_cache_line_invalid(struct ocf_cache *cache, uint8_t start_bit,
diff --git a/tests/functional/tests/eviction/test_eviction.py b/tests/functional/tests/eviction/test_eviction.py
index 690dcd8..1c1e688 100644
--- a/tests/functional/tests/eviction/test_eviction.py
+++ b/tests/functional/tests/eviction/test_eviction.py
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 #
 # Copyright(c) 2019-2022 Intel Corporation
-# Copyright(c) 2024 Huawei Technologies
+# Copyright(c) 2024-2025 Huawei Technologies
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
 #
 
 import logging
+import time
 from math import ceil, isclose
 from ctypes import c_int
 
@@ -45,6 +46,8 @@ def test_eviction_two_cores(pyocf_ctx, mode: CacheMode, cls: CacheLineSize):
     send_io(vol1, test_data)
     send_io(vol2, test_data)
 
+    cache.settle()
+
     stats1 = core1.get_stats()
     stats2 = core2.get_stats()
     # IO to the second core should evict all the data from the first core
@@ -285,6 +288,7 @@ def test_eviction_freelist(pyocf_ctx, cls: CacheLineSize, cache_mode: CacheMode,
         for j in range(cache_lines_written):
             addr = (cache_lines_written * i + j) * data.size
             send_io(vol, data, addr, ioclass, io_dir)
+            cache.settle()
         assert (
             get_ioclass_occupancy(cache, ioclass) == expected_occpancy_4k
         ), f"Doesn't match for ioclass {ioclass}"
@@ -298,6 +302,9 @@ def test_eviction_freelist(pyocf_ctx, cls: CacheLineSize, cache_mode: CacheMode,
         addr += data.size
         send_io(vol, data, addr, high_prio_ioclass, io_dir)
 
+    cache.settle()
+    time.sleep(1)
+
     assert cache.get_stats()["usage"]["occupancy"]["value"] == cache_size_4k
 
     for ioclass in low_prio_ioclasses:
diff --git a/tests/functional/tests/management/test_start_stop.py b/tests/functional/tests/management/test_start_stop.py
index b72cbe3..b7be8d0 100644
--- a/tests/functional/tests/management/test_start_stop.py
+++ b/tests/functional/tests/management/test_start_stop.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #
 # Copyright(c) 2019-2022 Intel Corporation
-# Copyright(c) 2024 Huawei Technologies
+# Copyright(c) 2024-2025 Huawei Technologies
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
 #
 
@@ -212,7 +212,9 @@ def test_stop(pyocf_ctx, mode: CacheMode, cls: CacheLineSize, with_flush: bool):
 
     cls_no = 10
 
-    run_io_and_cache_data_if_possible(front_vol, mode, cls, cls_no)
+    run_io_and_cache_data_if_possible(cache, front_vol, mode, cls, cls_no)
+
+    cache.settle()
 
     stats = cache.get_stats()
     assert int(stats["conf"]["dirty"]) == (
@@ -494,7 +496,7 @@ def test_start_stop_noqueue(pyocf_ctx):
     assert not c.results["error"], "Failed to stop cache: {}".format(c.results["error"])
 
 
-def run_io_and_cache_data_if_possible(vol, mode, cls, cls_no):
+def run_io_and_cache_data_if_possible(cache, vol, mode, cls, cls_no):
     queue = vol.parent.get_default_queue()
 
     test_data = Data(cls_no * cls)
@@ -508,6 +510,8 @@ def run_io_and_cache_data_if_possible(vol, mode, cls, cls_no):
         logger.info("[STAGE] Write to exported object")
         io_to_core(vol, queue, test_data, 0)
 
+    cache.settle()
+
     stats = vol.parent.cache.get_stats()
     assert stats["usage"]["occupancy"]["value"] == (
         (cls_no * cls / CacheLineSize.LINE_4KiB) if mode != CacheMode.PT else 0