diff --git a/docs/cql/ddl.rst b/docs/cql/ddl.rst
index 4a36eedf0d..7ef3025208 100644
--- a/docs/cql/ddl.rst
+++ b/docs/cql/ddl.rst
@@ -437,6 +437,36 @@ To migrate a keyspace from a numeric replication factor to a rack-list replicati
   ALTER KEYSPACE Excelsior
    WITH replication = { 'class' : 'NetworkTopologyStrategy', 'dc1' : ['RAC1', 'RAC2', 'RAC3'], 'dc2' : ['RAC4']} AND tablets = { 'enabled': true };
 
+.. _fix-rf-change-tablet-rebuilds:
+
+Fixing invalid replica state with RF change
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+If a tablet rebuild fails during an RF change, the state of replicas will be invalid, even though the RF change is marked as successful. The missing replicas will be eventually added in the background. However, until then, the following RF changes will fail.
+
+To fix the state of replicas in the foreground, retry the previous ALTER KEYSPACE statement, i.e. update the replication factor to the same value it currently has.
+
+For example, if the following statement fails due to invalid replica state:
+
+.. code-block:: cql
+
+  ALTER KEYSPACE Excelsior WITH replication = { 'class' : 'NetworkTopologyStrategy', 'dc1' : 3, 'dc2' : 1} AND tablets = { 'enabled': true };
+
+Check the current replication factor with DESCRIBE KEYSPACE:
+
+.. code-block:: cql
+
+  DESCRIBE KEYSPACE Excelsior;
+  CREATE KEYSPACE Excelsior WITH replication = { 'class' : 'NetworkTopologyStrategy', 'dc1' : 3, 'dc2' : 2} AND tablets = { 'enabled': true };
+
+Ensure that reaching the valid replicas state is possible (e.g. there is enough non-excluded racks) and alter keyspace with the current replication factor:
+
+.. code-block:: cql
+
+  ALTER KEYSPACE Excelsior WITH replication = { 'class' : 'NetworkTopologyStrategy', 'dc1' : 3, 'dc2' : 2} AND tablets = { 'enabled': true };
+
+This should fix the state of replicas and allow future RF changes to succeed.
+
 .. _drop-keyspace-statement:
 
 DROP KEYSPACE
diff --git a/service/topology_coordinator.cc b/service/topology_coordinator.cc
index 1bd691d1fc..74f4c7c282 100644
--- a/service/topology_coordinator.cc
+++ b/service/topology_coordinator.cc
@@ -1070,6 +1070,15 @@ class topology_coordinator : public endpoint_lifecycle_subscriber
                                 replica::tablet_mutation_builder tablet_mutation_builder(guard.write_timestamp(), table_or_mv->id());
                                 co_await new_tablet_map.for_each_tablet([&](locator::tablet_id tablet_id, const locator::tablet_info& tablet_info) -> future<> {
                                     auto last_token = new_tablet_map.get_last_token(tablet_id);
+                                    auto old_tablet_info = old_tablets.get_tablet_info(last_token);
+                                    auto abandoning_replicas = locator::substract_sets(old_tablet_info.replicas, tablet_info.replicas);
+                                    auto new_replicas = locator::substract_sets(tablet_info.replicas, old_tablet_info.replicas);
+                                    if (abandoning_replicas.size() + new_replicas.size() > 1) {
+                                        throw std::runtime_error(fmt::format("Invalid state of a tablet {} of a table {}.{}. Expected replication factor: {}, but the tablet has replicas only on {}. "
+                                            "Try again later or use the \"Fixing invalid replica state with RF change\" procedure to fix the problem.", tablet_id, ks_name, table_or_mv->cf_name(),
+                                            ks.get_replication_strategy().get_replication_factor(*tmptr), old_tablet_info.replicas));
+                                    }
+
                                     updates.emplace_back(co_await make_canonical_mutation_gently(
                                             replica::tablet_mutation_builder(guard.write_timestamp(), table_or_mv->id())
                                                     .set_new_replicas(last_token, tablet_info.replicas)
@@ -1079,8 +1088,6 @@ class topology_coordinator : public endpoint_lifecycle_subscriber
                                     ));
 
                                     // Calculate abandoning replica and abort view building tasks on them
-                                    auto old_tablet_info = old_tablets.get_tablet_info(last_token);
-                                    auto abandoning_replicas = locator::substract_sets(old_tablet_info.replicas, tablet_info.replicas);
                                     if (!abandoning_replicas.empty()) {
                                         if (abandoning_replicas.size() != 1) {
                                             on_internal_error(rtlogger, fmt::format("Keyspace RF abandons {} replicas for table {} and tablet id {}", abandoning_replicas.size(), table_or_mv->id(), tablet_id));