diff --git a/cmdline/snapraid.c b/cmdline/snapraid.c
index c3c2f258..598a90fe 100644
--- a/cmdline/snapraid.c
+++ b/cmdline/snapraid.c
@@ -1530,7 +1530,8 @@ int snapraid_main(int argc, char* argv[])
 		if (state.opt.force_realloc)
 			state_locate_mark_tail_blocks_for_resync(&state, opt.parity_tail);
 
-		if (opt.gui_touch_before) {
+		/* skip touch itself until content is loaded and sync has initialized parity sizes */
+		if (opt.gui_touch_before && state_is_write_ready(&state)) {
 			ret = state_touch(&state);
 
 			/* save the new state if required */
@@ -1627,6 +1628,9 @@ int snapraid_main(int argc, char* argv[])
 	} else if (operation == OPERATION_REHASH) {
 		state_read(&state);
 
+		/* prevent saving content with uninitialized parity split sizes */
+		state_require_write_ready(&state);
+
 		state_rehash(&state);
 
 		/*
@@ -1645,6 +1649,9 @@ int snapraid_main(int argc, char* argv[])
 	} else if (operation == OPERATION_SCRUB) {
 		state_read(&state);
 
+		/* prevent saving content with uninitialized parity split sizes */
+		state_require_write_ready(&state);
+
 		/* refresh the size info before the content write */
 		state_refresh(&state);
 
@@ -1667,6 +1674,9 @@ int snapraid_main(int argc, char* argv[])
 	} else if (operation == OPERATION_REWRITE) {
 		state_read(&state);
 
+		/* prevent saving content with uninitialized parity split sizes */
+		state_require_write_ready(&state);
+
 		/* intercept signals while operating */
 		os_signal_init(app_signal_handler, app_signal_handler);
 
@@ -1682,6 +1692,9 @@ int snapraid_main(int argc, char* argv[])
 	} else if (operation == OPERATION_TOUCH) {
 		state_read(&state);
 
+		/* prevent saving content with uninitialized parity split sizes */
+		state_require_write_ready(&state);
+
 		memory();
 
 		ret = state_touch(&state);
@@ -1696,6 +1709,7 @@ int snapraid_main(int argc, char* argv[])
 		 */
 		os_signal_init(app_signal_handler, app_signal_handler);
 
+		/* save the new state if required */
 		if (state.need_write)
 			state_write(&state);
 	} else if (operation == OPERATION_SPINUP) {
diff --git a/cmdline/state.c b/cmdline/state.c
index c7be0926..0d44fa28 100644
--- a/cmdline/state.c
+++ b/cmdline/state.c
@@ -5428,6 +5428,37 @@ void state_read(struct snapraid_state* state)
 	state->checked_read = 1;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Check if all configured parity splits have persistent sizes.
+ */
+int state_is_write_ready(struct snapraid_state* state)
+{
+	unsigned l, s;
+
+	for (l = 0; l < state->level; ++l) {
+		for (s = 0; s < state->parity[l].split_mac; ++s) {
+			if (state->parity[l].split_map[s].size == PARITY_SIZE_INVALID)
+				return 0;
+		}
+	}
+
+	return 1;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Require sync to initialize parity sizes before commands that can save content.
+ * Check before modifying timestamps or metadata, as a later write could fail
+ * even if the command has no blocks to process (e.g. a missing content replica).
+ */
+void state_require_write_ready(struct snapraid_state* state)
+{
+	if (!state_is_write_ready(state)) {
+		log_fatal(EUSER, "The array has not been synced yet, or its parity configuration has changed.\n");
+		log_fatal(EUSER, "Run 'snapraid sync' before '%s'.\n", state->command);
+		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+	}
+}
+
 struct state_verify_thread_context {
 	struct snapraid_state* state;
 	struct snapraid_content* content;
diff --git a/cmdline/state.h b/cmdline/state.h
index 31215e86..b914b782 100644
--- a/cmdline/state.h
+++ b/cmdline/state.h
@@ -240,6 +240,16 @@ void state_probe(struct snapraid_state* state);
  */
 void state_read(struct snapraid_state* state);
 
+/**
+ * Check if all configured parity splits have persistent sizes.
+ */
+int state_is_write_ready(struct snapraid_state* state);
+
+/**
+ * Require initialized parity split sizes before commands that can save content.
+ */
+void state_require_write_ready(struct snapraid_state* state);
+
 /**
  * Count the number of unsynced parity positions using an event sweep across extents.
  * Counts positions in [blockmin, blockmax). The caller must ensure that the disk list,