diff --git a/inc/ocf_err.h b/inc/ocf_err.h
index b1752d4..b87c41f 100644
--- a/inc/ocf_err.h
+++ b/inc/ocf_err.h
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ typedef enum {
 	/** No metadata found on device */
 	OCF_ERR_NO_METADATA,
 
+	/** Cache metadata found on device */
+	OCF_ERR_METADATA_FOUND,
+
 	/** Invalid volume type */
 	OCF_ERR_INVAL_VOLUME_TYPE,
 
diff --git a/src/mngt/ocf_mngt_cache.c b/src/mngt/ocf_mngt_cache.c
index fca2ab8..c359179 100644
--- a/src/mngt/ocf_mngt_cache.c
+++ b/src/mngt/ocf_mngt_cache.c
@@ -922,8 +922,23 @@ static void _ocf_mngt_attach_load_properties_end(void *priv, int error,
 
 	context->metadata.status = error;
 
-	if (error)
-		OCF_PL_NEXT_RET(context->pipeline);
+	if (error) {
+		/*
+		 * If --load option wasn't used and old metadata doesn't exist on the
+		 * device, dismiss error.
+		 */
+		if (error == -OCF_ERR_NO_METADATA &&
+				cache->device->init_mode != ocf_init_mode_load)
+			OCF_PL_NEXT_RET(context->pipeline);
+		else
+			OCF_PL_FINISH_RET(context->pipeline, error);
+	} else if (cache->device->init_mode != ocf_init_mode_load) {
+		/*
+		 * To prevent silent metadata overriding, return error if old metadata
+		 * was detected but --load flag wasn't used.
+		 */
+		OCF_PL_FINISH_RET(context->pipeline, -OCF_ERR_METADATA_FOUND);
+	}
 
 	context->metadata.shutdown_status = properties->shutdown_status;
 	context->metadata.dirty_flushed = properties->dirty_flushed;
@@ -949,6 +964,9 @@ static void _ocf_mngt_attach_load_properties(ocf_pipeline_t pipeline,
 	context->metadata.dirty_flushed = DIRTY_FLUSHED;
 	context->metadata.line_size = context->cfg.cache_line_size;
 
+	if (context->cfg.force)
+		OCF_PL_NEXT_RET(context->pipeline);
+
 	if (cache->device->init_mode == ocf_init_mode_metadata_volatile)
 		OCF_PL_NEXT_RET(context->pipeline);
 
diff --git a/tests/functional/pyocf/types/shared.py b/tests/functional/pyocf/types/shared.py
index 6f53dda..2467599 100644
--- a/tests/functional/pyocf/types/shared.py
+++ b/tests/functional/pyocf/types/shared.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ class OcfErrorCode(IntEnum):
     OCF_ERR_NO_LOCK = auto()
     OCF_ERR_METADATA_VER = auto()
     OCF_ERR_NO_METADATA = auto()
+    OCF_ERR_METADATA_FOUND = auto()
     OCF_ERR_INVAL_VOLUME_TYPE = auto()
     OCF_ERR_UNKNOWN = auto()
     OCF_ERR_TOO_MANY_CACHES = auto()
diff --git a/tests/functional/tests/basic/test_pyocf.py b/tests/functional/tests/basic/test_pyocf.py
index 172bce6..872d187 100644
--- a/tests/functional/tests/basic/test_pyocf.py
+++ b/tests/functional/tests/basic/test_pyocf.py
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ def test_start_corrupted_metadata_lba(pyocf_ctx):
 def test_load_cache_no_preexisting_data(pyocf_ctx):
     cache_device = Volume(S.from_MiB(30))
 
-    with pytest.raises(OcfError, match="OCF_ERR_START_CACHE_FAIL"):
+    with pytest.raises(OcfError, match="OCF_ERR_NO_METADATA"):
         cache = Cache.load_from_device(cache_device)