diff --git a/cinder/tests/unit/volume/test_volume_reimage.py b/cinder/tests/unit/volume/test_volume_reimage.py
index e03c59bd612..d490f4935c4 100644
--- a/cinder/tests/unit/volume/test_volume_reimage.py
+++ b/cinder/tests/unit/volume/test_volume_reimage.py
@@ -108,6 +108,22 @@ class VolumeReimageTestCase(base.BaseVolumeTestCase):
         mock_reimage.assert_called_once_with(self.context, volume,
                                              self.image_meta)
 
+    @mock.patch('cinder.volume.volume_utils.check_image_metadata')
+    @mock.patch('cinder.volume.rpcapi.VolumeAPI.reimage')
+    @ddt.data('available', 'error')
+    def test_volume_reimage_check_meta_exception(self, status, mock_reimage,
+                                                 mock_check):
+        volume = tests_utils.create_volume(self.context)
+        volume.status = status
+        volume.save()
+        self.assertEqual(volume.status, status)
+        mock_check.side_effect = exception.ImageUnacceptable(
+            image_id=self.image_meta['id'], reason='')
+        # The available or error volume can be reimaged directly
+        self.assertRaises(exception.ImageUnacceptable, self.volume_api.reimage,
+                          self.context, volume, self.image_meta['id'])
+        self.assertEqual(status, volume.status)
+
     @mock.patch('cinder.volume.volume_utils.check_image_metadata')
     @mock.patch('cinder.volume.rpcapi.VolumeAPI.reimage')
     def test_volume_reimage_api_with_reimage_reserved(self, mock_reimage,
diff --git a/cinder/volume/api.py b/cinder/volume/api.py
index ccf58523c4c..d9dba25e18b 100644
--- a/cinder/volume/api.py
+++ b/cinder/volume/api.py
@@ -2675,7 +2675,22 @@ class API(base.Base):
                     'status': volume.status})
             raise exception.InvalidVolume(reason=msg)
         image_meta = self.image_service.show(context, image_id)
-        volume_utils.check_image_metadata(image_meta, volume['size'])
+        try:
+            volume_utils.check_image_metadata(image_meta, volume['size'])
+        # Currently we only raise InvalidInput and ImageUnacceptable
+        # exceptions in the check_image_metadata call but having Exception
+        # here makes it more generic since we want to roll back to original
+        # state in any case and we re-raise anyway.
+        # Also this helps makes adding new exceptions easier in the future.
+        except Exception:
+            with excutils.save_and_reraise_exception():
+                LOG.exception("Failed to reimage volume %(volume_id)s with "
+                              "image %(image_id)s",
+                              {'volume_id': volume.id, 'image_id': image_id})
+                volume.conditional_update(
+                    {'status': volume.model.previous_status,
+                     'previous_status': None},
+                    {'status': 'downloading'})
         self.volume_rpcapi.reimage(context,
                                    volume,
                                    image_meta)
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/fix-reimage-status-rollback-eb2aa8f82a8caabc.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/fix-reimage-status-rollback-eb2aa8f82a8caabc.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6e4b1dbfcaa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/fix-reimage-status-rollback-eb2aa8f82a8caabc.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+fixes:
+  - |
+    `Bug #2036994 <https://bugs.launchpad.net/cinder/+bug/2036994>`_: Fixed
+    rollback of volume status if the reimage operation fails while
+    checking image metadata.