diff --git a/core/Migrations/Version28000Date20231004103301.php b/core/Migrations/Version28000Date20231004103301.php
index f1ce479d0faa5..f3046e0f414ec 100644
--- a/core/Migrations/Version28000Date20231004103301.php
+++ b/core/Migrations/Version28000Date20231004103301.php
@@ -28,11 +28,16 @@
 use Closure;
 use OCP\DB\ISchemaWrapper;
 use OCP\DB\Types;
+use OCP\IConfig;
 use OCP\Migration\IOutput;
 use OCP\Migration\SimpleMigrationStep;
 
 // Create new tables for the Metadata API (files_metadata and files_metadata_index).
 class Version28000Date20231004103301 extends SimpleMigrationStep {
+
+	public function __construct(private IConfig $config) {
+	}
+
 	public function changeSchema(IOutput $output, Closure $schemaClosure, array $options): ?ISchemaWrapper {
 		/** @var ISchemaWrapper $schema */
 		$schema = $schemaClosure();
@@ -94,6 +99,8 @@ public function changeSchema(IOutput $output, Closure $schemaClosure, array $opt
 			return null;
 		}
 
+		$this->config->setAppValue('core', 'files_metadata_installed', '1');
+
 		return $schema;
 	}
 }
diff --git a/lib/private/FilesMetadata/FilesMetadataManager.php b/lib/private/FilesMetadata/FilesMetadataManager.php
index c651fead0cea5..403b975d9378f 100644
--- a/lib/private/FilesMetadata/FilesMetadataManager.php
+++ b/lib/private/FilesMetadata/FilesMetadataManager.php
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@
  */
 class FilesMetadataManager implements IFilesMetadataManager {
 	public const CONFIG_KEY = 'files_metadata';
+	public const MIGRATION_DONE = 'files_metadata_installed';
 	private const JSON_MAXSIZE = 100000;
 
 	private ?IFilesMetadata $all = null;
@@ -241,8 +242,8 @@ public function getMetadataQuery(
 		string $fileTableAlias,
 		string $fileIdField
 	): ?IMetadataQuery {
-		// we don't want to join metadata table if never filled
-		if ($this->config->getAppValue('core', self::CONFIG_KEY, '') === '') {
+		// we don't want to join metadata table if table does not exist - condition can be removed post 29.
+		if ($this->config->getAppValue('core', self::MIGRATION_DONE, '0') !== '1') {
 			return null;
 		}
 		return new MetadataQuery($qb, $this->getKnownMetadata(), $fileTableAlias, $fileIdField);