diff --git a/src/test/rbd_mirror/test_mock_ImageReplayer.cc b/src/test/rbd_mirror/test_mock_ImageReplayer.cc
index 61dce0e2b29..430edaa16d3 100644
--- a/src/test/rbd_mirror/test_mock_ImageReplayer.cc
+++ b/src/test/rbd_mirror/test_mock_ImageReplayer.cc
@@ -490,9 +490,9 @@ TEST_F(TestMockImageReplayer, StartStop) {
   expect_get_or_send_update(mock_replay_status_formatter);
 
   InSequence seq;
-  EXPECT_CALL(mock_remote_journaler, construct());
   expect_send(mock_prepare_local_image_request, mock_local_image_ctx.id,
               "remote mirror uuid", 0);
+  EXPECT_CALL(mock_remote_journaler, construct());
   expect_send(mock_bootstrap_request, mock_local_image_ctx, false, 0);
 
   EXPECT_CALL(mock_local_journal, add_listener(_));
@@ -534,20 +534,15 @@ TEST_F(TestMockImageReplayer, LocalImagePrimary) {
   create_local_image();
   librbd::MockTestImageCtx mock_local_image_ctx(*m_local_image_ctx);
 
-  journal::MockJournaler mock_remote_journaler;
   MockPrepareLocalImageRequest mock_prepare_local_image_request;
   MockReplayStatusFormatter mock_replay_status_formatter;
 
   expect_get_or_send_update(mock_replay_status_formatter);
 
   InSequence seq;
-  EXPECT_CALL(mock_remote_journaler, construct());
   expect_send(mock_prepare_local_image_request, mock_local_image_ctx.id,
               "", 0);
 
-  EXPECT_CALL(mock_remote_journaler, remove_listener(_));
-  expect_shut_down(mock_remote_journaler, 0);
-
   C_SaferCond start_ctx;
   m_image_replayer->start(&start_ctx);
   ASSERT_EQ(0, start_ctx.wait());
@@ -565,8 +560,8 @@ TEST_F(TestMockImageReplayer, LocalImageDNE) {
   expect_get_or_send_update(mock_replay_status_formatter);
 
   InSequence seq;
-  EXPECT_CALL(mock_remote_journaler, construct());
   expect_send(mock_prepare_local_image_request, "", "", -ENOENT);
+  EXPECT_CALL(mock_remote_journaler, construct());
   expect_send(mock_bootstrap_request, mock_local_image_ctx, false, -EREMOTEIO);
 
   EXPECT_CALL(mock_remote_journaler, remove_listener(_));
@@ -581,20 +576,15 @@ TEST_F(TestMockImageReplayer, PrepareLocalImageError) {
   create_local_image();
   librbd::MockTestImageCtx mock_local_image_ctx(*m_local_image_ctx);
 
-  journal::MockJournaler mock_remote_journaler;
   MockPrepareLocalImageRequest mock_prepare_local_image_request;
   MockReplayStatusFormatter mock_replay_status_formatter;
 
   expect_get_or_send_update(mock_replay_status_formatter);
 
   InSequence seq;
-  EXPECT_CALL(mock_remote_journaler, construct());
   expect_send(mock_prepare_local_image_request, mock_local_image_ctx.id,
               "remote mirror uuid", -EINVAL);
 
-  EXPECT_CALL(mock_remote_journaler, remove_listener(_));
-  expect_shut_down(mock_remote_journaler, 0);
-
   C_SaferCond start_ctx;
   m_image_replayer->start(&start_ctx);
   ASSERT_EQ(-EINVAL, start_ctx.wait());
@@ -613,9 +603,9 @@ TEST_F(TestMockImageReplayer, BootstrapError) {
   expect_get_or_send_update(mock_replay_status_formatter);
 
   InSequence seq;
-  EXPECT_CALL(mock_remote_journaler, construct());
   expect_send(mock_prepare_local_image_request, mock_local_image_ctx.id,
               "remote mirror uuid", 0);
+  EXPECT_CALL(mock_remote_journaler, construct());
   expect_send(mock_bootstrap_request, mock_local_image_ctx, false, -EINVAL);
 
   EXPECT_CALL(mock_remote_journaler, remove_listener(_));
@@ -645,9 +635,9 @@ TEST_F(TestMockImageReplayer, StartExternalReplayError) {
   expect_get_or_send_update(mock_replay_status_formatter);
 
   InSequence seq;
-  EXPECT_CALL(mock_remote_journaler, construct());
   expect_send(mock_prepare_local_image_request, mock_local_image_ctx.id,
               "remote mirror uuid", 0);
+  EXPECT_CALL(mock_remote_journaler, construct());
   expect_send(mock_bootstrap_request, mock_local_image_ctx, false, 0);
 
   EXPECT_CALL(mock_local_journal, add_listener(_));
@@ -692,9 +682,9 @@ TEST_F(TestMockImageReplayer, StopError) {
   expect_get_or_send_update(mock_replay_status_formatter);
 
   InSequence seq;
-  EXPECT_CALL(mock_remote_journaler, construct());
   expect_send(mock_prepare_local_image_request, mock_local_image_ctx.id,
               "remote mirror uuid", 0);
+  EXPECT_CALL(mock_remote_journaler, construct());
   expect_send(mock_bootstrap_request, mock_local_image_ctx, false, 0);
 
   EXPECT_CALL(mock_local_journal, add_listener(_));
@@ -754,9 +744,9 @@ TEST_F(TestMockImageReplayer, Replay) {
   expect_committed(mock_remote_journaler, 2);
 
   InSequence seq;
-  EXPECT_CALL(mock_remote_journaler, construct());
   expect_send(mock_prepare_local_image_request, mock_local_image_ctx.id,
               "remote mirror uuid", 0);
+  EXPECT_CALL(mock_remote_journaler, construct());
   expect_send(mock_bootstrap_request, mock_local_image_ctx, false, 0);
 
   EXPECT_CALL(mock_local_journal, add_listener(_));
@@ -854,9 +844,9 @@ TEST_F(TestMockImageReplayer, DecodeError) {
   expect_get_commit_tid_in_debug(mock_replay_entry);
 
   InSequence seq;
-  EXPECT_CALL(mock_remote_journaler, construct());
   expect_send(mock_prepare_local_image_request, mock_local_image_ctx.id,
               "remote mirror uuid", 0);
+  EXPECT_CALL(mock_remote_journaler, construct());
   expect_send(mock_bootstrap_request, mock_local_image_ctx, false, 0);
 
   EXPECT_CALL(mock_local_journal, add_listener(_));
@@ -946,9 +936,9 @@ TEST_F(TestMockImageReplayer, DelayedReplay) {
   expect_committed(mock_remote_journaler, 1);
 
   InSequence seq;
-  EXPECT_CALL(mock_remote_journaler, construct());
   expect_send(mock_prepare_local_image_request, mock_local_image_ctx.id,
               "remote mirror uuid", 0);
+  EXPECT_CALL(mock_remote_journaler, construct());
   expect_send(mock_bootstrap_request, mock_local_image_ctx, false, 0);
 
   EXPECT_CALL(mock_local_journal, add_listener(_));
diff --git a/src/tools/rbd_mirror/ImageReplayer.cc b/src/tools/rbd_mirror/ImageReplayer.cc
index bb56c6e95a5..3276dba3b8f 100644
--- a/src/tools/rbd_mirror/ImageReplayer.cc
+++ b/src/tools/rbd_mirror/ImageReplayer.cc
@@ -372,18 +372,12 @@ void ImageReplayer<I>::start(Context *on_finish, bool manual)
       dout(5) << "stopped manually, ignoring start without manual flag"
 	      << dendl;
       r = -EPERM;
-    } else if (m_remote_images.empty()) {
-      derr << "no remote images associated with replayer" << dendl;
-      r = -EINVAL;
     } else {
       m_state = STATE_STARTING;
       m_last_r = 0;
       m_state_desc.clear();
       m_manual_stop = false;
 
-      // TODO bootstrap will need to support multiple remote images
-      m_remote_image = *m_remote_images.begin();
-
       if (on_finish != nullptr) {
         assert(m_on_start_finish == nullptr);
         m_on_start_finish = on_finish;
@@ -407,17 +401,6 @@ void ImageReplayer<I>::start(Context *on_finish, bool manual)
     return;
   }
 
-  CephContext *cct = static_cast<CephContext *>(m_local->cct());
-  journal::Settings settings;
-  settings.commit_interval = cct->_conf->rbd_mirror_journal_commit_age;
-  settings.max_fetch_bytes = cct->_conf->rbd_mirror_journal_max_fetch_bytes;
-
-  m_remote_journaler = new Journaler(m_threads->work_queue,
-                                     m_threads->timer,
-				     &m_threads->timer_lock,
-                                     m_remote_image.io_ctx,
-                                     m_remote_image.image_id,
-                                     m_local_mirror_uuid, settings);
   prepare_local_image();
 }
 
@@ -456,6 +439,26 @@ template <typename I>
 void ImageReplayer<I>::bootstrap() {
   dout(20) << dendl;
 
+  if (m_remote_images.empty()) {
+    on_start_fail(0, "waiting for primary remote image");
+    return;
+  }
+
+  // TODO bootstrap will need to support multiple remote images
+  m_remote_image = *m_remote_images.begin();
+
+  CephContext *cct = static_cast<CephContext *>(m_local->cct());
+  journal::Settings settings;
+  settings.commit_interval = cct->_conf->rbd_mirror_journal_commit_age;
+  settings.max_fetch_bytes = cct->_conf->rbd_mirror_journal_max_fetch_bytes;
+
+  m_remote_journaler = new Journaler(m_threads->work_queue,
+                                     m_threads->timer,
+                                     &m_threads->timer_lock,
+                                     m_remote_image.io_ctx,
+                                     m_remote_image.image_id,
+                                     m_local_mirror_uuid, settings);
+
   Context *ctx = create_context_callback<
     ImageReplayer, &ImageReplayer<I>::handle_bootstrap>(this);