An information handling system (IHS) may implement techniques to detect a power-on event, to determine whether an authorized cryptographic erase operation of a storage device that implements cryptographic erasure is pending and, during an initialization sequence, to send to the device in response to determining that no such operation is pending, a command to disable cryptographic erasure on the device. The command may set an indicator on the device that, when set, disables cryptographic erasure. In response to determining that an authorized cryptographic erase operation is pending, the IHS may refrain from sending the command to disable cryptographic erasure on the device, and may send a command to cause the pending operation to be performed. In response to receiving an indication of completion of the pending operation, the IHS may clear an indicator that an authorized cryptographic erase operation is pending and initiate a power-on or reboot event.