diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 488f2d6e..60779085 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 ## [MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH] - YYYY-MM-DD
 
+- Fix `KafkaTopic`: fails to create a topic with the replication factor set more than running Kafka nodes
+
 ## v0.24.0 - 2024-07-16
 
 - Fix `PostgreSQL`: wait for a valid backup to create read replica
diff --git a/controllers/common.go b/controllers/common.go
index bc2a22ab..bf70d5a3 100644
--- a/controllers/common.go
+++ b/controllers/common.go
@@ -58,16 +58,18 @@ func checkServiceIsRunning(ctx context.Context, _ *aiven.Client, avnGen avngen.C
 		}
 		return false, err
 	}
-	return serviceIsRunning(s.State), nil
+	return serviceIsOperational(s.State), nil
 }
 
-// serviceIsRunning returns "true" when a service is in operational state, i.e. "running"
+// serviceIsOperational returns "true" when a service is in operational state, i.e. "running"
+func serviceIsOperational[T service.ServiceStateType | string](state T) bool {
+	s := service.ServiceStateType(state)
+	return s == service.ServiceStateTypeRebalancing || serviceIsRunning(s)
+}
+
+// serviceIsRunning returns "true" when a service is RUNNING state on Aive side
 func serviceIsRunning[T service.ServiceStateType | string](state T) bool {
-	switch service.ServiceStateType(state) {
-	case service.ServiceStateTypeRunning, service.ServiceStateTypeRebalancing:
-		return true
-	}
-	return false
+	return service.ServiceStateType(state) == service.ServiceStateTypeRunning
 }
 
 func getInitializedCondition(reason, message string) metav1.Condition {
diff --git a/controllers/kafkatopic_controller.go b/controllers/kafkatopic_controller.go
index 86083829..4284ec34 100644
--- a/controllers/kafkatopic_controller.go
+++ b/controllers/kafkatopic_controller.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/aiven/aiven-go-client/v2"
 	avngen "github.com/aiven/go-client-codegen"
+	"github.com/aiven/go-client-codegen/handler/service"
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/meta"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
@@ -174,7 +175,24 @@ func (h KafkaTopicHandler) checkPreconditions(ctx context.Context, avn *aiven.Cl
 	meta.SetStatusCondition(&topic.Status.Conditions,
 		getInitializedCondition("Preconditions", "Checking preconditions"))
 
-	return checkServiceIsRunning(ctx, avn, avnGen, topic.Spec.Project, topic.Spec.ServiceName)
+	s, err := avnGen.ServiceGet(ctx, topic.Spec.Project, topic.Spec.ServiceName)
+	if isNotFound(err) {
+		return false, nil
+	}
+
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+
+	running := 0
+	for _, node := range s.NodeStates {
+		if node.State == service.NodeStateTypeRunning {
+			running++
+		}
+	}
+	// Replication factor requires enough nodes running.
+	// But we want to get the backend validation error if the value is too high
+	return running >= min(len(s.NodeStates), topic.Spec.Replication), nil
 }
 
 func (h KafkaTopicHandler) getState(ctx context.Context, avn *aiven.Client, topic *v1alpha1.KafkaTopic) (string, error) {