diff --git a/pkg/littlefs/fs/littlefs_fs.c b/pkg/littlefs/fs/littlefs_fs.c
index c7700614b8..570be591c0 100644
--- a/pkg/littlefs/fs/littlefs_fs.c
+++ b/pkg/littlefs/fs/littlefs_fs.c
@@ -124,6 +124,12 @@ static int prepare(littlefs_desc_t *fs)
     mutex_init(&fs->lock);
     mutex_lock(&fs->lock);
 
+    int ret = mtd_init(fs->dev);
+
+    if (ret) {
+        return ret;
+    }
+
     memset(&fs->fs, 0, sizeof(fs->fs));
 
     if (!fs->config.block_count) {
@@ -155,7 +161,7 @@ static int prepare(littlefs_desc_t *fs)
     fs->config.prog_buffer = fs->prog_buf;
 #endif
 
-    return mtd_init(fs->dev);
+    return 0;
 }
 
 static int _format(vfs_mount_t *mountp)
diff --git a/pkg/littlefs2/fs/littlefs2_fs.c b/pkg/littlefs2/fs/littlefs2_fs.c
index d90a910a2f..1a03be4dec 100644
--- a/pkg/littlefs2/fs/littlefs2_fs.c
+++ b/pkg/littlefs2/fs/littlefs2_fs.c
@@ -124,6 +124,12 @@ static int prepare(littlefs_desc_t *fs)
     mutex_init(&fs->lock);
     mutex_lock(&fs->lock);
 
+    int ret = mtd_init(fs->dev);
+
+    if (ret) {
+        return ret;
+    }
+
     memset(&fs->fs, 0, sizeof(fs->fs));
 
     if (!fs->config.block_count) {
@@ -161,7 +167,7 @@ static int prepare(littlefs_desc_t *fs)
     fs->config.prog_buffer = fs->prog_buf;
 #endif
 
-    return mtd_init(fs->dev);
+    return 0;
 }
 
 static int _format(vfs_mount_t *mountp)
diff --git a/pkg/spiffs/fs/spiffs_fs.c b/pkg/spiffs/fs/spiffs_fs.c
index 3c85e1db1b..72568741f8 100644
--- a/pkg/spiffs/fs/spiffs_fs.c
+++ b/pkg/spiffs/fs/spiffs_fs.c
@@ -109,6 +109,12 @@ static int prepare(spiffs_desc_t *fs_desc)
     mtd_dev_t *dev = SPIFFS_MTD_DEV;
 #endif
 
+    int res = mtd_init(dev);
+
+    if (res) {
+        return res;
+    }
+
     fs_desc->config.hal_read_f = _dev_read;
     fs_desc->config.hal_write_f = _dev_write;
     fs_desc->config.hal_erase_f = _dev_erase;
@@ -129,7 +135,7 @@ static int prepare(spiffs_desc_t *fs_desc)
     fs_desc->config.phys_erase_block = dev->page_size * dev->pages_per_sector;
 #endif
 
-    return mtd_init(dev);
+    return 0;
 }
 
 static int _format(vfs_mount_t *mountp)