diff --git a/casadm/cas_lib.c b/casadm/cas_lib.c
index 88867f44a..b2119a713 100644
--- a/casadm/cas_lib.c
+++ b/casadm/cas_lib.c
@@ -2909,7 +2909,8 @@ int check_cache_device(const char *device_path)
 	return SUCCESS;
 }
 
-int zero_md(const char *cache_device){
+int zero_md(const char *cache_device, bool force)
+{
 	struct kcas_cache_check_device cmd_info = {};
 	char zero_page[4096] = {0};
 	int fd = 0;
@@ -2937,6 +2938,37 @@ int zero_md(const char *cache_device){
 		return FAILURE;
 	}
 
+	if (!cmd_info.metadata_compatible) {
+		if (!force) {
+			cas_printf(LOG_ERR, "Unable to determine whether cache contains dirty data due to metadata mismatch.\n"
+				"Clearing metadata might result in loss of dirty data. In order to inspect cache content\n"
+				"please load cache instance using matching OpenCAS version. Alternatively, if you wish to clear\n"
+				"metadata anyway, please use '--force' option.\n");
+			return FAILURE;
+		} else {
+			cas_printf(LOG_WARNING, "Clearing metadata with unknown version - potential loss of dirty data.\n");
+		}
+	} else if (!cmd_info.clean_shutdown) {
+		if (!force) {
+			cas_printf(LOG_ERR, "Cache instance did not shut down cleanly. It might contain dirty data. \n"
+					"Clearing metadata might result in loss of dirty data. Please recover cache instance\n"
+					"by loading it and flush dirty data in order to preserve then on the core device.\n"
+					"Alternatively, if you wish to clear metadata anyway, please use '--force' option. \n");
+			return FAILURE;
+		} else {
+			cas_printf(LOG_WARNING, "Clearing metadata after dirty shutdown - potential loss of dirty data.\n");
+		}
+	} else if (cmd_info.cache_dirty) {
+		if (!force) {
+			cas_printf(LOG_ERR, "Cache instance contains dirty data. Clearing metadata will result in loss of dirty data.\n"
+					"Please load cache instance and flush dirty data in order to preserve them on the core device.\n"
+					"Alternatively, if you wish to clear metadata anyway, please use '--force' option. \n");
+			return FAILURE;
+		} else {
+			cas_printf(LOG_WARNING, "Clearing metadata for dirty pages - dirty cache data is being discarded. \n");
+		}
+	}
+
 	fd = open(cache_device, O_WRONLY | O_SYNC | O_EXCL);
 	if (fd < 0) {
 		cas_printf(LOG_ERR, "Error while opening '%s'exclusively. This can be due to\n"
diff --git a/casadm/cas_lib.h b/casadm/cas_lib.h
index 19161e995..5bf3d347e 100644
--- a/casadm/cas_lib.h
+++ b/casadm/cas_lib.h
@@ -266,9 +266,11 @@ int validate_str_metadata_mode(const char* s);
  * @brief clear metadata
  *
  * @param[in] cache_device device to which zeroing cache's metadata applies
+ * @param[in] force enforce metadata erasure despite dirty data, metadata
+ * 		mistmatch and/or dirty shutdown
  * @return 0 if succeed, 1 if failed
  */
-int zero_md(const char *cache_device);
+int zero_md(const char *cache_device, bool force);
 
 /**
  * @brief calculate flush progress
diff --git a/casadm/cas_main.c b/casadm/cas_main.c
index e30e7e7d6..61f5cc2d8 100644
--- a/casadm/cas_main.c
+++ b/casadm/cas_main.c
@@ -1832,12 +1832,15 @@ static int handle_help();
 
 struct {
 	const char *device;
+	bool force;
 } static zero_params = {
-	.device = ""
+	.device = "",
+	.force = false
 };
 
 static cli_option zero_options[] = {
 	{'d', "device", "Path to device on which metadata would be cleared", 1, "DEVICE", CLI_OPTION_REQUIRED},
+	{'f', "force", "Ignore potential dirty data on cache device"},
 	{0}
 };
 
@@ -1848,7 +1851,8 @@ int zero_handle_option(char *opt, const char **arg)
 		if(validate_device_name(arg[0]) == FAILURE)
 			return FAILURE;
 		zero_params.device = arg[0];
-
+	} else if (!strcmp(opt, "force")){
+		zero_params.force = 1;
 	} else {
 		return FAILURE;
 	}
@@ -1872,7 +1876,7 @@ int handle_zero()
 		return FAILURE;
 	}
 
-	return zero_md(zero_params.device);
+	return zero_md(zero_params.device, zero_params.force);
 }
 
 static cli_command cas_commands[] = {