diff --git a/apis/k8ssandra/v1alpha1/k8ssandracluster_types.go b/apis/k8ssandra/v1alpha1/k8ssandracluster_types.go
index d237cc19f..ae3e6495b 100644
--- a/apis/k8ssandra/v1alpha1/k8ssandracluster_types.go
+++ b/apis/k8ssandra/v1alpha1/k8ssandracluster_types.go
@@ -201,6 +201,18 @@ func (in *K8ssandraCluster) GetInitializedDatacenters() []CassandraDatacenterTem
 	return datacenters
 }
 
+func (in *K8ssandraCluster) GetHealthyDatacenters() []CassandraDatacenterTemplate {
+	datacenters := make([]CassandraDatacenterTemplate, 0)
+	if in != nil && in.Spec.Cassandra != nil {
+		for _, dc := range in.Spec.Cassandra.Datacenters {
+			if status, found := in.Status.Datacenters[dc.Meta.Name]; found && status.Cassandra.GetConditionStatus(cassdcapi.DatacenterHealthy) == corev1.ConditionTrue {
+				datacenters = append(datacenters, dc)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return datacenters
+}
+
 // SanitizedName returns a sanitized version of the name returned by CassClusterName()
 func (in *K8ssandraCluster) SanitizedName() string {
 	return cassdcapi.CleanupForKubernetes(in.CassClusterName())
diff --git a/controllers/k8ssandra/schemas.go b/controllers/k8ssandra/schemas.go
index 3ef3eeb7e..2901413e7 100644
--- a/controllers/k8ssandra/schemas.go
+++ b/controllers/k8ssandra/schemas.go
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ func (r *K8ssandraClusterReconciler) updateReplicationOfSystemKeyspaces(
 		return recResult
 	}
 
-	replication := cassandra.ComputeReplicationFromDatacenters(3, kc.Spec.ExternalDatacenters, kc.GetInitializedDatacenters()...)
+	replication := cassandra.ComputeReplicationFromDatacenters(3, kc.Spec.ExternalDatacenters, kc.GetHealthyDatacenters()...)
 
 	logger.Info("Preparing to update replication for system keyspaces", "replication", replication)
 
diff --git a/test/framework/framework.go b/test/framework/framework.go
index 1f56cc6a1..b0764341c 100644
--- a/test/framework/framework.go
+++ b/test/framework/framework.go
@@ -297,6 +297,11 @@ func (f *Framework) SetDatacenterStatusReady(ctx context.Context, key ClusterKey
 			Status:             corev1.ConditionTrue,
 			LastTransitionTime: now,
 		})
+		dc.Status.SetCondition(cassdcapi.DatacenterCondition{
+			Type:               cassdcapi.DatacenterHealthy,
+			Status:             corev1.ConditionTrue,
+			LastTransitionTime: now,
+		})
 		dc.Status.ObservedGeneration = dc.Generation
 		dc.Status.NodeStatuses = cassdcapi.CassandraStatusMap{}
 		for i := 0; i < int(dc.Spec.Size); i++ {
@@ -373,6 +378,11 @@ func (f *Framework) SetDatacenterStatusStopped(ctx context.Context, key ClusterK
 			Status:             corev1.ConditionTrue,
 			LastTransitionTime: now,
 		})
+		dc.Status.SetCondition(cassdcapi.DatacenterCondition{
+			Type:               cassdcapi.DatacenterHealthy,
+			Status:             corev1.ConditionTrue,
+			LastTransitionTime: now,
+		})
 		dc.Status.ObservedGeneration = dc.Generation
 	})
 }