diff --git a/oam/install_scripts/columnstore-post-install.in b/oam/install_scripts/columnstore-post-install.in
index 59125dd2a..c0d22bf45 100755
--- a/oam/install_scripts/columnstore-post-install.in
+++ b/oam/install_scripts/columnstore-post-install.in
@@ -302,10 +302,17 @@ fi
 
 systemctl cat mariadb-columnstore.service > /dev/null 2>&1
 if [ $? -eq 0 ] && [ $(running_systemd) -eq 0 ]; then
-    echo "Populating the engine initial system catalog."
-    systemctl start mariadb-columnstore
-    sleep 5
-    dbbuilder 7 > $tmpDir/dbbuilder.log 2>&1
+    # prevent clusters using shared storage from initializing columnstore more than once
+    IFLAG=/var/lib/columnstore/storagemanager/cs-initialized
+    mkdir -p /var/lib/columnstore/storagemanager
+
+    if [ ! -e $IFLAG ]; then
+       touch $IFLAG
+       echo "Populating the engine initial system catalog."
+       systemctl start mariadb-columnstore
+       sleep 5
+       dbbuilder 7 > $tmpDir/dbbuilder.log 2>&1
+    fi
 fi
  
 if [ $stop_mysqld -eq 1 ];then
diff --git a/oam/install_scripts/columnstore-pre-uninstall.in b/oam/install_scripts/columnstore-pre-uninstall.in
index a23fe2138..600c88015 100755
--- a/oam/install_scripts/columnstore-pre-uninstall.in
+++ b/oam/install_scripts/columnstore-pre-uninstall.in
@@ -109,6 +109,11 @@ if [ -n "$systemctl" ] && [ $(running_systemd) -eq 0 ]; then
     rm -f /lib/systemd/system/mcs-storagemanager.service
 
     systemctl daemon-reload
+    # remove flag to prevent clusters using shared storage from initializing columnstore more than once
+    IFLAG=/var/lib/columnstore/storagemanager/cs-initialized
+    if [ -e $IFLAG ]; then
+        rm $IFLAG
+    fi
 else
     chkconfig=`which chkconfig 2>/dev/null`
     if [ -n "$chkconfig" ]; then