diff --git a/src/rgw/rgw_rados.cc b/src/rgw/rgw_rados.cc
index bd30db33818..96a721821d8 100644
--- a/src/rgw/rgw_rados.cc
+++ b/src/rgw/rgw_rados.cc
@@ -469,7 +469,9 @@ int RGWRados::create_bucket(string& owner, rgw_bucket& bucket,
     string dir_oid =  dir_oid_prefix;
     dir_oid.append(bucket.marker);
 
-    r = io_ctx.create(dir_oid, true);
+    librados::ObjectWriteOperation op;
+    op.create(true);
+    r = cls_rgw_init_index(io_ctx, op, dir_oid);
     if (r < 0 && r != -EEXIST)
       return r;
 
@@ -479,12 +481,6 @@ int RGWRados::create_bucket(string& owner, rgw_bucket& bucket,
     ret = store_bucket_info(info, &attrs, exclusive);
     if (ret == -EEXIST)
       return ret;
-
-    if (r != -EEXIST) {
-      r = cls_rgw_init_index(bucket, dir_oid);
-      if (r < 0)
-        return r;
-    }
   }
 
   return ret;
@@ -2115,23 +2111,11 @@ int RGWRados::pool_list(rgw_bucket& bucket, string start, uint32_t num, map<stri
   return m.size();
 }
 
-int RGWRados::cls_rgw_init_index(rgw_bucket& bucket, string& oid)
+int RGWRados::cls_rgw_init_index(librados::IoCtx& io_ctx, librados::ObjectWriteOperation& op, string& oid)
 {
-  if (bucket_is_system(bucket))
-    return 0;
-
-  if (bucket.marker.empty()) {
-    dout(0) << "ERROR: empty marker for cls_rgw bucket operation" << dendl;
-    return -EIO;
-  }
-
-  librados::IoCtx io_ctx;
-  int r = open_bucket_ctx(bucket, io_ctx);
-  if (r < 0)
-    return r;
-
-  bufferlist in, out;
-  r = io_ctx.exec(oid, "rgw", "bucket_init_index", in, out);
+  bufferlist in;
+  op.exec("rgw", "bucket_init_index", in);
+  int r = io_ctx.operate(oid, &op);
   return r;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/rgw/rgw_rados.h b/src/rgw/rgw_rados.h
index 92fe9689d0c..2ee053f0971 100644
--- a/src/rgw/rgw_rados.h
+++ b/src/rgw/rgw_rados.h
@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@ public:
   virtual int get_bucket_info(void *ctx, string& bucket_name, RGWBucketInfo& info);
   virtual int put_bucket_info(string& bucket_name, RGWBucketInfo& info, bool exclusive);
 
-  int cls_rgw_init_index(rgw_bucket& bucket, string& oid);
+  int cls_rgw_init_index(librados::IoCtx& io_ctx, librados::ObjectWriteOperation& op, string& oid);
   int cls_obj_prepare_op(rgw_bucket& bucket, uint8_t op, string& tag,
                          string& name, string& locator);
   int cls_obj_complete_op(rgw_bucket& bucket, uint8_t op, string& tag, uint64_t epoch,