diff --git a/lib/commands/toolcontext.h b/lib/commands/toolcontext.h
index 4dbc75cfc..0911b05f1 100644
--- a/lib/commands/toolcontext.h
+++ b/lib/commands/toolcontext.h
@@ -194,6 +194,7 @@ struct cmd_context {
 	unsigned sysinit:1;			/* --sysinit is used */
 	unsigned check_devs_used:1;		/* check devs used by LVs */
 	unsigned print_device_id_not_found;	/* print devices file entries not found */
+	unsigned ignore_device_name_mismatch;   /* skip updating devices file names */
 
 	/*
 	 * Devices and filtering.
diff --git a/lib/device/device_id.c b/lib/device/device_id.c
index 6ac646a16..6f61cf3f1 100644
--- a/lib/device/device_id.c
+++ b/lib/device/device_id.c
@@ -1639,6 +1639,15 @@ void device_ids_validate(struct cmd_context *cmd, struct dm_list *scanned_devs,
 			}
 		}
 
+		/*
+		 * Avoid thrashing changes to the devices file during
+		 * startup due to device names that are still being
+		 * established.  Commands that may run during startup
+		 * should set this flag.
+		 */
+		if (cmd->ignore_device_name_mismatch)
+			continue;
+
 		if (!du->devname || strcmp(dev_name(du->dev), du->devname)) {
 			log_warn("Device %s has updated name (devices file %s)",
 				 dev_name(du->dev), du->devname ?: "none");
diff --git a/tools/lvchange.c b/tools/lvchange.c
index bfd464d5c..d4c40df47 100644
--- a/tools/lvchange.c
+++ b/tools/lvchange.c
@@ -1535,6 +1535,7 @@ int lvchange_activate_cmd(struct cmd_context *cmd, int argc, char **argv)
 	init_background_polling(arg_is_set(cmd, sysinit_ARG) ? 0 : arg_int_value(cmd, poll_ARG, DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_POLLING));
 	cmd->handles_missing_pvs = 1;
 	cmd->lockd_vg_default_sh = 1;
+	cmd->ignore_device_name_mismatch = 1;
 
 	/*
 	 * Include foreign VGs that contain active LVs.
@@ -1619,6 +1620,7 @@ int lvchange_refresh_cmd(struct cmd_context *cmd, int argc, char **argv)
 	init_background_polling(arg_is_set(cmd, sysinit_ARG) ? 0 : arg_int_value(cmd, poll_ARG, DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_POLLING));
 	cmd->handles_missing_pvs = 1;
 	cmd->lockd_vg_default_sh = 1;
+	cmd->ignore_device_name_mismatch = 1;
 
 	return process_each_lv(cmd, argc, argv, NULL, NULL, 0,
 			       NULL, &_lvchange_refresh_check, &_lvchange_refresh_single);
@@ -1792,6 +1794,7 @@ int lvchange_monitor_poll_cmd(struct cmd_context *cmd, int argc, char **argv)
 {
 	init_background_polling(arg_is_set(cmd, sysinit_ARG) ? 0 : arg_int_value(cmd, poll_ARG, DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_POLLING));
 	cmd->handles_missing_pvs = 1;
+	cmd->ignore_device_name_mismatch = 1;
 	return process_each_lv(cmd, argc, argv, NULL, NULL, 0,
 			       NULL, &_lvchange_monitor_poll_check, &_lvchange_monitor_poll_single);
 }
diff --git a/tools/pvscan.c b/tools/pvscan.c
index 46d0786bc..1c84b8407 100644
--- a/tools/pvscan.c
+++ b/tools/pvscan.c
@@ -1622,6 +1622,8 @@ int pvscan_cache_cmd(struct cmd_context *cmd, int argc, char **argv)
 
 	cmd->print_device_id_not_found = 0;
 
+	cmd->ignore_device_name_mismatch = 1;
+
 	event_activation = find_config_tree_bool(cmd, global_event_activation_CFG, NULL);
 
 	if (do_activate && !event_activation) {
diff --git a/tools/vgchange.c b/tools/vgchange.c
index 22038ba9b..d2d5f9dd2 100644
--- a/tools/vgchange.c
+++ b/tools/vgchange.c
@@ -799,6 +799,9 @@ int vgchange(struct cmd_context *cmd, int argc, char **argv)
 	if (!update || !update_partial_unsafe)
 		cmd->handles_missing_pvs = 1;
 
+	if (noupdate)
+		cmd->ignore_device_name_mismatch = 1;
+
 	/*
 	 * Include foreign VGs that contain active LVs.
 	 * That shouldn't happen in general, but if it does by some