diff --git a/apps/emqx_durable_storage/src/emqx_ds_replication_layer_meta.erl b/apps/emqx_durable_storage/src/emqx_ds_replication_layer_meta.erl
index 481a47ca1..fa53ecced 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_durable_storage/src/emqx_ds_replication_layer_meta.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_durable_storage/src/emqx_ds_replication_layer_meta.erl
@@ -497,13 +497,6 @@ open_db_trans(DB, CreateOpts) ->
 -spec allocate_shards_trans(emqx_ds:db()) -> [emqx_ds_replication_layer:shard_id()].
 allocate_shards_trans(DB) ->
     Opts = #{n_shards := NShards, n_sites := NSites} = db_config_trans(DB),
-    Nodes = mnesia:match_object(?NODE_TAB, ?NODE_PAT(), read),
-    case length(Nodes) of
-        N when N >= NSites ->
-            ok;
-        _ ->
-            mnesia:abort({insufficient_sites_online, NSites, Nodes})
-    end,
     case mnesia:match_object(?SHARD_TAB, ?SHARD_PAT({DB, '_'}), write) of
         [] ->
             ok;
@@ -511,6 +504,13 @@ allocate_shards_trans(DB) ->
             ShardsAllocated = [Shard || #?SHARD_TAB{shard = {_DB, Shard}} <- Records],
             mnesia:abort({shards_already_allocated, ShardsAllocated})
     end,
+    Nodes = mnesia:match_object(?NODE_TAB, ?NODE_PAT(), read),
+    case length(Nodes) of
+        N when N >= NSites ->
+            ok;
+        _ ->
+            mnesia:abort({insufficient_sites_online, NSites, Nodes})
+    end,
     Shards = gen_shards(NShards),
     Sites = [S || #?NODE_TAB{site = S} <- Nodes],
     Allocation = compute_allocation(Shards, Sites, Opts),