diff --git a/lib/config/defaults.h b/lib/config/defaults.h
index 3c383d0ab..0d8cb9c35 100644
--- a/lib/config/defaults.h
+++ b/lib/config/defaults.h
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@
 #define DEFAULT_STRIPESIZE 64	/* KB */
 #define DEFAULT_PVMETADATASIZE 255
 #define DEFAULT_PVMETADATACOPIES 1
+#define DEFAULT_VGMETADATACOPIES 0
 #define DEFAULT_LABELSECTOR UINT64_C(1)
 #define DEFAULT_READ_AHEAD "auto"
 #define DEFAULT_UDEV_RULES 1
diff --git a/lib/metadata/metadata-exported.h b/lib/metadata/metadata-exported.h
index 2e0666183..5d87bb30b 100644
--- a/lib/metadata/metadata-exported.h
+++ b/lib/metadata/metadata-exported.h
@@ -287,6 +287,7 @@ struct volume_group {
 	 * 0 for success else appropriate FAILURE_* bits set.
 	 */
 	uint32_t read_status;
+	uint32_t mda_copies; /* target number of mdas for this VG */
 };
 
 /* There will be one area for each stripe */
@@ -896,6 +897,7 @@ struct vgcreate_params {
 	size_t max_lv;
 	alloc_policy_t alloc;
 	int clustered; /* FIXME: put this into a 'status' variable instead? */
+	uint32_t metadata_copies;
 };
 
 int vgcreate_params_validate(struct cmd_context *cmd,
diff --git a/lib/metadata/metadata.c b/lib/metadata/metadata.c
index 89d84c105..14ae93e2d 100644
--- a/lib/metadata/metadata.c
+++ b/lib/metadata/metadata.c
@@ -910,6 +910,7 @@ struct volume_group *vg_create(struct cmd_context *cmd, const char *vg_name)
 	vg->max_pv = DEFAULT_MAX_PV;
 
 	vg->alloc = DEFAULT_ALLOC_POLICY;
+	vg->mda_copies = DEFAULT_VGMETADATACOPIES;
 
 	vg->pv_count = 0;
 	dm_list_init(&vg->pvs);
diff --git a/tools/toollib.c b/tools/toollib.c
index e6791e23b..02b06fdc9 100644
--- a/tools/toollib.c
+++ b/tools/toollib.c
@@ -1187,6 +1187,7 @@ void vgcreate_params_set_defaults(struct vgcreate_params *vp_def,
 		vp_def->max_lv = vg->max_lv;
 		vp_def->alloc = vg->alloc;
 		vp_def->clustered = vg_is_clustered(vg);
+		vp_def->metadata_copies = vg->mda_copies;
 	} else {
 		vp_def->vg_name = NULL;
 		vp_def->extent_size = DEFAULT_EXTENT_SIZE * 2;
@@ -1194,6 +1195,7 @@ void vgcreate_params_set_defaults(struct vgcreate_params *vp_def,
 		vp_def->max_lv = DEFAULT_MAX_LV;
 		vp_def->alloc = DEFAULT_ALLOC_POLICY;
 		vp_def->clustered = DEFAULT_CLUSTERED;
+		vp_def->metadata_copies = DEFAULT_VGMETADATACOPIES;
 	}
 }