diff --git a/conanfile.py b/conanfile.py
index 7e3da73..ad037f5 100644
--- a/conanfile.py
+++ b/conanfile.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
 class HomeBlocksConan(ConanFile):
     name = "homeblocks"
-    version = "5.0.0"
+    version = "5.0.2"
 
     homepage = "https://github.com/eBay/HomeBlocks"
     description = "Block Store built on HomeStore"
diff --git a/src/lib/homeblks_impl.cpp b/src/lib/homeblks_impl.cpp
index 640a51b..27dae43 100644
--- a/src/lib/homeblks_impl.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/homeblks_impl.cpp
@@ -422,6 +422,7 @@ void HomeBlocksImpl::on_hb_meta_blk_found(sisl::byte_view const& buf, void* cook
     if (sb_->test_flag(SB_FLAGS_GRACEFUL_SHUTDOWN)) {
         // if it is a gracefuln shutdown, this flag should be set again in shutdown routine;
         sb_->clear_flag(SB_FLAGS_GRACEFUL_SHUTDOWN);
+        gracefully_shutdown_ = true;
         LOGI("System was shutdown gracefully");
     } else if (sb_->test_flag(SB_FLAGS_RESTRICTED)) {
         is_restricted_.store(true);
diff --git a/src/lib/homeblks_impl.hpp b/src/lib/homeblks_impl.hpp
index c9a9a82..cefeb19 100644
--- a/src/lib/homeblks_impl.hpp
+++ b/src/lib/homeblks_impl.hpp
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ class HomeBlocksImpl : public HomeBlocks, public VolumeManager, public std::enab
     std::unordered_map< std::string, shared< VolumeIndexTable > > idx_tbl_map_;
 
     bool recovery_done_{false};
+    bool gracefully_shutdown_{false};
     std::mutex sb_lock_; // this lock is only used when FC is triggered;
     superblk< homeblks_sb_t > sb_;
     peer_id_t our_uuid_;
@@ -161,6 +162,7 @@ class HomeBlocksImpl : public HomeBlocks, public VolumeManager, public std::enab
     void exit_fc(VolumePtr& vol);
     bool is_restricted() const { return is_restricted_.load(); }
     hs_chunk_size_cfg_t get_chunk_size() const;
+    bool is_graceful_shutdown() const { return gracefully_shutdown_; }
 
 public:
     // public static APIs;
diff --git a/src/lib/volume_mgr.cpp b/src/lib/volume_mgr.cpp
index 0c1a4ba..03ce435 100644
--- a/src/lib/volume_mgr.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/volume_mgr.cpp
@@ -313,6 +313,12 @@ void HomeBlocksImpl::submit_io_batch() { homestore::data_service().submit_io_bat
 void HomeBlocksImpl::on_write(int64_t lsn, const sisl::blob& header, const sisl::blob& key,
                               const std::vector< homestore::MultiBlkId >& new_blkids,
                               cintrusive< homestore::repl_req_ctx >& ctx) {
+
+    // We are not expecting log reply for a graceful restart;
+    // if we are in recovery path, we must be recovering from a crash.
+    DEBUG_ASSERT(ctx != nullptr || !is_graceful_shutdown(),
+                 "repl ctx is null (recovery path) in graceful shutdown scenario, this is not expected!");
+
     repl_result_ctx< VolumeManager::NullResult >* repl_ctx{nullptr};
     if (ctx) { repl_ctx = boost::static_pointer_cast< repl_result_ctx< VolumeManager::NullResult > >(ctx).get(); }
     auto msg_header = r_cast< MsgHeader* >(const_cast< uint8_t* >(header.cbytes()));