diff --git a/changelogs/unreleased/8774-mpryc b/changelogs/unreleased/8774-mpryc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6e2300992
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/unreleased/8774-mpryc
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+host_pods should not be mandatory to node-agent
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/cli/nodeagent/server.go b/pkg/cmd/cli/nodeagent/server.go
index 22b3974ed..8c54f41d4 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/cli/nodeagent/server.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/cli/nodeagent/server.go
@@ -80,6 +80,8 @@ const (
 	// files will be written to
 	defaultCredentialsDirectory = "/tmp/credentials"
 
+	defaultHostPodsPath = "/host_pods"
+
 	defaultResourceTimeout         = 10 * time.Minute
 	defaultDataMoverPrepareTimeout = 30 * time.Minute
 	defaultDataPathConcurrentNum   = 1
@@ -414,8 +416,12 @@ func (s *nodeAgentServer) waitCacheForResume() error {
 // validatePodVolumesHostPath validates that the pod volumes path contains a
 // directory for each Pod running on this node
 func (s *nodeAgentServer) validatePodVolumesHostPath(client kubernetes.Interface) error {
-	files, err := s.fileSystem.ReadDir("/host_pods/")
+	files, err := s.fileSystem.ReadDir(defaultHostPodsPath)
 	if err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
+			s.logger.Warnf("Pod volumes host path [%s] doesn't exist, fs-backup is disabled", defaultHostPodsPath)
+			return nil
+		}
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "could not read pod volumes host path")
 	}
 
@@ -446,7 +452,7 @@ func (s *nodeAgentServer) validatePodVolumesHostPath(client kubernetes.Interface
 			valid = false
 			s.logger.WithFields(logrus.Fields{
 				"pod":  fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s", pod.GetNamespace(), pod.GetName()),
-				"path": "/host_pods/" + dirName,
+				"path": defaultHostPodsPath + "/" + dirName,
 			}).Debug("could not find volumes for pod in host path")
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/cli/nodeagent/server_test.go b/pkg/cmd/cli/nodeagent/server_test.go
index bf3e203ca..ad89bc10c 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/cli/nodeagent/server_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/cli/nodeagent/server_test.go
@@ -37,10 +37,11 @@ import (
 
 func Test_validatePodVolumesHostPath(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {
-		name    string
-		pods    []*corev1.Pod
-		dirs    []string
-		wantErr bool
+		name      string
+		pods      []*corev1.Pod
+		dirs      []string
+		createDir bool
+		wantErr   bool
 	}{
 		{
 			name: "no error when pod volumes are present",
@@ -48,8 +49,9 @@ func Test_validatePodVolumesHostPath(t *testing.T) {
 				builder.ForPod("foo", "bar").ObjectMeta(builder.WithUID("foo")).Result(),
 				builder.ForPod("zoo", "raz").ObjectMeta(builder.WithUID("zoo")).Result(),
 			},
-			dirs:    []string{"foo", "zoo"},
-			wantErr: false,
+			dirs:      []string{"foo", "zoo"},
+			createDir: true,
+			wantErr:   false,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "no error when pod volumes are present and there are mirror pods",
@@ -57,8 +59,9 @@ func Test_validatePodVolumesHostPath(t *testing.T) {
 				builder.ForPod("foo", "bar").ObjectMeta(builder.WithUID("foo")).Result(),
 				builder.ForPod("zoo", "raz").ObjectMeta(builder.WithUID("zoo"), builder.WithAnnotations(corev1.MirrorPodAnnotationKey, "baz")).Result(),
 			},
-			dirs:    []string{"foo", "baz"},
-			wantErr: false,
+			dirs:      []string{"foo", "baz"},
+			createDir: true,
+			wantErr:   false,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "error when all pod volumes missing",
@@ -66,8 +69,9 @@ func Test_validatePodVolumesHostPath(t *testing.T) {
 				builder.ForPod("foo", "bar").ObjectMeta(builder.WithUID("foo")).Result(),
 				builder.ForPod("zoo", "raz").ObjectMeta(builder.WithUID("zoo")).Result(),
 			},
-			dirs:    []string{"unexpected-dir"},
-			wantErr: true,
+			dirs:      []string{"unexpected-dir"},
+			createDir: true,
+			wantErr:   true,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "error when some pod volumes missing",
@@ -75,8 +79,18 @@ func Test_validatePodVolumesHostPath(t *testing.T) {
 				builder.ForPod("foo", "bar").ObjectMeta(builder.WithUID("foo")).Result(),
 				builder.ForPod("zoo", "raz").ObjectMeta(builder.WithUID("zoo")).Result(),
 			},
-			dirs:    []string{"foo"},
-			wantErr: true,
+			dirs:      []string{"foo"},
+			createDir: true,
+			wantErr:   true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "no error when pod volumes are not present",
+			pods: []*corev1.Pod{
+				builder.ForPod("foo", "bar").ObjectMeta(builder.WithUID("foo")).Result(),
+			},
+			dirs:      []string{"foo"},
+			createDir: false,
+			wantErr:   false,
 		},
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
@@ -84,9 +98,11 @@ func Test_validatePodVolumesHostPath(t *testing.T) {
 			fs := testutil.NewFakeFileSystem()
 
 			for _, dir := range tt.dirs {
-				err := fs.MkdirAll(filepath.Join("/host_pods/", dir), os.ModePerm)
-				if err != nil {
-					t.Error(err)
+				if tt.createDir {
+					err := fs.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(defaultHostPodsPath, dir), os.ModePerm)
+					if err != nil {
+						t.Error(err)
+					}
 				}
 			}