diff --git a/controllers/vrg_volrep.go b/controllers/vrg_volrep.go
index ee496d04b..bdc11dae5 100644
--- a/controllers/vrg_volrep.go
+++ b/controllers/vrg_volrep.go
@@ -1959,6 +1959,8 @@ func (v *VRGInstance) updateExistingPVForSync(pv *corev1.PersistentVolume) error
 	return nil
 }
 
+// validateExistingPV validates if an existing PV matches the passed in PV for certain fields. Returns error
+// if a match fails or a match is not possible given the state of the existing PV
 func (v *VRGInstance) validateExistingPV(pv *corev1.PersistentVolume) error {
 	log := v.log.WithValues("PV", pv.Name)
 
@@ -2016,22 +2018,31 @@ func (v *VRGInstance) validateExistingPV(pv *corev1.PersistentVolume) error {
 	return fmt.Errorf("found existing PV (%s) not restored by Ramen and not matching with backed up PV", existingPV.Name)
 }
 
+// validateExistingPVC validates if an existing PVC matches the passed in PVC for certain fields. Returns error
+// if a match fails or a match is not possible given the state of the existing PVC
 func (v *VRGInstance) validateExistingPVC(pvc *corev1.PersistentVolumeClaim) error {
 	existingPVC := &corev1.PersistentVolumeClaim{}
+	pvcNSName := types.NamespacedName{Name: pvc.Name, Namespace: pvc.Namespace}
 
-	err := v.reconciler.Get(v.ctx, types.NamespacedName{Name: pvc.Name, Namespace: pvc.Namespace}, existingPVC)
+	err := v.reconciler.Get(v.ctx, pvcNSName, existingPVC)
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to get existing PVC (%w)", err)
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to get existing PVC %s (%w)", pvcNSName.String(), err)
 	}
 
-	if existingPVC.ObjectMeta.Annotations == nil ||
-		existingPVC.ObjectMeta.Annotations[RestoreAnnotation] != RestoredByRamen {
-		return fmt.Errorf("found PVC object not restored by Ramen for PVC %s", existingPVC.Name)
+	if existingPVC.Status.Phase != corev1.ClaimBound {
+		return fmt.Errorf("PVC %s exists and is not bound (phase: %s)", pvcNSName.String(), existingPVC.Status.Phase)
 	}
 
-	// Should we check and see if PV in being deleted? Should we just treat it as exists
-	// and then we don't care if deletion takes place later, which is what we do now?
-	v.log.Info("PVC exists and managed by Ramen", "PVC", existingPVC)
+	if !existingPVC.DeletionTimestamp.IsZero() {
+		return fmt.Errorf("existing bound PVC %s is being deleted", pvcNSName.String())
+	}
+
+	if existingPVC.Spec.VolumeName != pvc.Spec.VolumeName {
+		return fmt.Errorf("PVC %s exists and bound to a different PV %s than PV %s desired",
+			pvcNSName.String(), existingPVC.Spec.VolumeName, pvc.Spec.VolumeName)
+	}
+
+	v.log.Info(fmt.Sprintf("PVC %s exists and bound to desired PV %s", pvcNSName.String(), existingPVC.Spec.VolumeName))
 
 	return nil
 }