diff --git a/pkg/volume/util/atomic_writer.go b/pkg/volume/util/atomic_writer.go
index 7a1f0515e9e..3ac4dcffe9a 100644
--- a/pkg/volume/util/atomic_writer.go
+++ b/pkg/volume/util/atomic_writer.go
@@ -101,9 +101,9 @@ const (
 //     portion of the payload was deleted and is still present on disk.
 //
 //  4. The data in the current timestamped directory is compared to the projected
-//     data to determine if an update is required.
+//     data to determine if an update to data directory is required.
 //
-//  5. A new timestamped dir is created.
+//  5. A new timestamped dir is created if an update is required.
 //
 //  6. The payload is written to the new timestamped directory.
 //
@@ -159,6 +159,7 @@ func (w *AtomicWriter) Write(payload map[string]FileProjection, setPerms func(su
 	oldTsPath := filepath.Join(w.targetDir, oldTsDir)
 
 	var pathsToRemove sets.String
+	shouldWrite := true
 	// if there was no old version, there's nothing to remove
 	if len(oldTsDir) != 0 {
 		// (3)
@@ -173,57 +174,74 @@ func (w *AtomicWriter) Write(payload map[string]FileProjection, setPerms func(su
 			klog.Errorf("%s: error determining whether payload should be written to disk: %v", w.logContext, err)
 			return err
 		} else if !should && len(pathsToRemove) == 0 {
-			klog.V(4).Infof("%s: no update required for target directory %v", w.logContext, w.targetDir)
-			return nil
+			klog.V(4).Infof("%s: write not required for data directory %v", w.logContext, oldTsDir)
+			// data directory is already up to date, but we need to make sure that
+			// the user-visible symlinks are created.
+			// See https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/issues/121472 for more details.
+			// Reset oldTsDir to empty string to avoid removing the data directory.
+			shouldWrite = false
+			oldTsDir = ""
 		} else {
 			klog.V(4).Infof("%s: write required for target directory %v", w.logContext, w.targetDir)
 		}
 	}
 
-	// (5)
-	tsDir, err := w.newTimestampDir()
-	if err != nil {
-		klog.V(4).Infof("%s: error creating new ts data directory: %v", w.logContext, err)
-		return err
-	}
-	tsDirName := filepath.Base(tsDir)
-
-	// (6)
-	if err = w.writePayloadToDir(cleanPayload, tsDir); err != nil {
-		klog.Errorf("%s: error writing payload to ts data directory %s: %v", w.logContext, tsDir, err)
-		return err
-	}
-	klog.V(4).Infof("%s: performed write of new data to ts data directory: %s", w.logContext, tsDir)
-
-	// (7)
-	if setPerms != nil {
-		if err := setPerms(tsDirName); err != nil {
-			klog.Errorf("%s: error applying ownership settings: %v", w.logContext, err)
+	if shouldWrite {
+		// (5)
+		tsDir, err := w.newTimestampDir()
+		if err != nil {
+			klog.V(4).Infof("%s: error creating new ts data directory: %v", w.logContext, err)
 			return err
 		}
-	}
+		tsDirName := filepath.Base(tsDir)
 
-	// (8)
-	newDataDirPath := filepath.Join(w.targetDir, newDataDirName)
-	if err = os.Symlink(tsDirName, newDataDirPath); err != nil {
-		os.RemoveAll(tsDir)
-		klog.Errorf("%s: error creating symbolic link for atomic update: %v", w.logContext, err)
-		return err
-	}
+		// (6)
+		if err = w.writePayloadToDir(cleanPayload, tsDir); err != nil {
+			klog.Errorf("%s: error writing payload to ts data directory %s: %v", w.logContext, tsDir, err)
+			return err
+		}
+		klog.V(4).Infof("%s: performed write of new data to ts data directory: %s", w.logContext, tsDir)
 
-	// (9)
-	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
-		os.Remove(dataDirPath)
-		err = os.Symlink(tsDirName, dataDirPath)
-		os.Remove(newDataDirPath)
-	} else {
-		err = os.Rename(newDataDirPath, dataDirPath)
-	}
-	if err != nil {
-		os.Remove(newDataDirPath)
-		os.RemoveAll(tsDir)
-		klog.Errorf("%s: error renaming symbolic link for data directory %s: %v", w.logContext, newDataDirPath, err)
-		return err
+		// (7)
+		if setPerms != nil {
+			if err := setPerms(tsDirName); err != nil {
+				klog.Errorf("%s: error applying ownership settings: %v", w.logContext, err)
+				return err
+			}
+		}
+
+		// (8)
+		newDataDirPath := filepath.Join(w.targetDir, newDataDirName)
+		if err = os.Symlink(tsDirName, newDataDirPath); err != nil {
+			if err := os.RemoveAll(tsDir); err != nil {
+				klog.Errorf("%s: error removing new ts directory %s: %v", w.logContext, tsDir, err)
+			}
+			klog.Errorf("%s: error creating symbolic link for atomic update: %v", w.logContext, err)
+			return err
+		}
+
+		// (9)
+		if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+			if err := os.Remove(dataDirPath); err != nil {
+				klog.Errorf("%s: error removing data dir directory %s: %v", w.logContext, dataDirPath, err)
+			}
+			err = os.Symlink(tsDirName, dataDirPath)
+			if err := os.Remove(newDataDirPath); err != nil {
+				klog.Errorf("%s: error removing new data dir directory %s: %v", w.logContext, newDataDirPath, err)
+			}
+		} else {
+			err = os.Rename(newDataDirPath, dataDirPath)
+		}
+		if err != nil {
+			if err := os.Remove(newDataDirPath); err != nil && err != os.ErrNotExist {
+				klog.Errorf("%s: error removing new data dir directory %s: %v", w.logContext, newDataDirPath, err)
+			}
+			if err := os.RemoveAll(tsDir); err != nil {
+				klog.Errorf("%s: error removing new ts directory %s: %v", w.logContext, tsDir, err)
+			}
+			klog.Errorf("%s: error renaming symbolic link for data directory %s: %v", w.logContext, newDataDirPath, err)
+			return err
+		}
 	}
 
 	// (10)
diff --git a/pkg/volume/util/atomic_writer_test.go b/pkg/volume/util/atomic_writer_test.go
index 394d252e262..9261962e47b 100644
--- a/pkg/volume/util/atomic_writer_test.go
+++ b/pkg/volume/util/atomic_writer_test.go
@@ -1035,3 +1035,61 @@ func TestSetPerms(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("unexpected error while writing: %v", err)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestWriteAgainAfterUnexpectedExit(t *testing.T) {
+	testCases := []struct {
+		name       string
+		payload    map[string]FileProjection
+		simulateFn func(targetDir string, payload map[string]FileProjection) error
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "process killed before creating user visible files",
+			payload: map[string]FileProjection{
+				"foo": {Mode: 0644, Data: []byte("foo")},
+				"bar": {Mode: 0644, Data: []byte("bar")},
+			},
+			simulateFn: func(targetDir string, payload map[string]FileProjection) error {
+				for filename := range payload {
+					path := filepath.Join(targetDir, filename)
+					if err := os.RemoveAll(path); err != nil {
+						return err
+					}
+				}
+				return nil
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range testCases {
+		tc := tc
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			targetDir, err := utiltesting.MkTmpdir("atomic-write")
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("unexpected error creating tmp dir: %v", err)
+			}
+			defer func() {
+				err := os.RemoveAll(targetDir)
+				if err != nil {
+					t.Errorf("%v: unexpected error removing tmp dir: %v", tc.name, err)
+				}
+			}()
+
+			writer := &AtomicWriter{targetDir: targetDir, logContext: "-test-"}
+			err = writer.Write(tc.payload, nil)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("unexpected error writing payload: %v", err)
+			}
+
+			err = tc.simulateFn(targetDir, tc.payload)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("failed to simulate the unexpected exit: %v", err)
+			}
+
+			err = writer.Write(tc.payload, nil)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("unexpected error writing payload again: %v", err)
+			}
+			checkVolumeContents(targetDir, tc.name, tc.payload, t)
+		})
+	}
+}