diff --git a/docs/release-notes.md b/docs/release-notes.md
index d2a80411e..5329c07c3 100644
--- a/docs/release-notes.md
+++ b/docs/release-notes.md
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@ nav_order: 9
 
 ### Bug fixes
 
+- Fix giving disk partition number 0 to get the next available slot. This caused the disks stage to fail since version 2.20.0. ([#2234](https://github.com/coreos/ignition/pull/2234))
+- Fix disk partitioning race condition where the kernel is already aware of the changes before running `partx`, causing a fatal error. ([#2234](https://github.com/coreos/ignition/pull/2234))
+
 
 ## Ignition 2.26.0 (2026-02-17)
 
diff --git a/internal/exec/stages/disks/partitions.go b/internal/exec/stages/disks/partitions.go
index 9a7ae9cad..8a447afcb 100644
--- a/internal/exec/stages/disks/partitions.go
+++ b/internal/exec/stages/disks/partitions.go
@@ -22,10 +22,12 @@ import (
 	"bufio"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"iter"
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"regexp"
+	"slices"
 	"sort"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
@@ -130,10 +132,17 @@ func convertMiBToSectors(mib *int, sectorSize int) *int64 {
 	}
 }
 
-// getRealStartAndSize returns a map of partition numbers to a struct that contains what their real start
-// and end sector should be. It runs sgdisk --pretend to determine what the partitions would look like if
-// everything specified were to be (re)created.
+// getRealStartAndSize returns a copy of the given partition configuration with the real partition
+// numbers, start sectors, and end sectors filled in. It runs sgdisk --pretend to determine what the
+// partitions would look like if everything specified were to be (re)created.
 func (s stage) getRealStartAndSize(dev types.Disk, devAlias string, diskInfo util.DiskInfo) ([]sgdisk.Partition, error) {
+	used := []bool{}
+
+	// Determine which partition numbers are already used.
+	for _, part := range diskInfo.Partitions {
+		used[part.Number] = true
+	}
+
 	partitions := []sgdisk.Partition{}
 	for _, cpart := range dev.Partitions {
 		partitions = append(partitions, sgdisk.Partition{
@@ -156,6 +165,10 @@ func (s stage) getRealStartAndSize(dev types.Disk, devAlias string, diskInfo uti
 				part.SizeInSectors = &info.SizeInSectors
 			}
 		}
+		if part.Number > 0 {
+			// Mark the partition number as used or not.
+			used[part.Number] = partitionShouldExist(part)
+		}
 		if partitionShouldExist(part) {
 			// Clear the label. sgdisk doesn't escape control characters. This makes parsing easier
 			part.Label = nil
@@ -182,9 +195,17 @@ func (s stage) getRealStartAndSize(dev types.Disk, devAlias string, diskInfo uti
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	free := 1
 	result := []sgdisk.Partition{}
 	for _, part := range partitions {
-		if dims, ok := realDimensions[part.Number]; ok {
+		if part.Number == 0 {
+			// Find the next free partition number and use it.
+			for used[free] {
+				free++
+			}
+			part.Number = free
+			free++
+		} else if dims, ok := realDimensions[part.Number]; ok {
 			if part.StartSector != nil {
 				part.StartSector = &dims.start
 			}
@@ -486,9 +507,9 @@ func (s stage) partitionDisk(dev types.Disk, devAlias string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	var partxAdd []uint64
-	var partxDelete []uint64
-	var partxUpdate []uint64
+	var partxAdd []int
+	var partxDelete []int
+	var partxUpdate []int
 
 	for _, part := range resolvedPartitions {
 		shouldExist := partitionShouldExist(part)
@@ -510,13 +531,13 @@ func (s stage) partitionDisk(dev types.Disk, devAlias string) error {
 		case !exists && shouldExist:
 			op.CreatePartition(part)
 			modification = true
-			partxAdd = append(partxAdd, uint64(part.Number))
+			partxAdd = append(partxAdd, part.Number)
 		case exists && !shouldExist && !wipeEntry:
 			return fmt.Errorf("partition %d exists but is specified as nonexistant and wipePartitionEntry is false", part.Number)
 		case exists && !shouldExist && wipeEntry:
 			op.DeletePartition(part.Number)
 			modification = true
-			partxDelete = append(partxDelete, uint64(part.Number))
+			partxDelete = append(partxDelete, part.Number)
 		case exists && shouldExist && matches:
 			s.Info("partition %d found with correct specifications", part.Number)
 		case exists && shouldExist && !wipeEntry && !matches:
@@ -530,7 +551,7 @@ func (s stage) partitionDisk(dev types.Disk, devAlias string) error {
 				part.StartSector = &info.StartSector
 				op.CreatePartition(part)
 				modification = true
-				partxUpdate = append(partxUpdate, uint64(part.Number))
+				partxUpdate = append(partxUpdate, part.Number)
 			} else {
 				return fmt.Errorf("partition %d didn't match: %v", part.Number, matchErr)
 			}
@@ -539,7 +560,7 @@ func (s stage) partitionDisk(dev types.Disk, devAlias string) error {
 			op.DeletePartition(part.Number)
 			op.CreatePartition(part)
 			modification = true
-			partxUpdate = append(partxUpdate, uint64(part.Number))
+			partxUpdate = append(partxUpdate, part.Number)
 		default:
 			// unfortunatey, golang doesn't check that all cases are handled exhaustively
 			return fmt.Errorf("unreachable code reached when processing partition %d. golang--", part.Number)
@@ -558,24 +579,18 @@ func (s stage) partitionDisk(dev types.Disk, devAlias string) error {
 	// kernel partition table with BLKPG but only uses BLKRRPART which fails
 	// as soon as one partition of the disk is mounted
 	if len(activeParts) > 0 {
-		runPartxCommand := func(op string, partitions []uint64) error {
-			for _, partNr := range partitions {
-				cmd := exec.Command(distro.PartxCmd(), "--"+op, "--nr", strconv.FormatUint(partNr, 10), blockDevResolved)
+		runPartxCommand := func(op string, partitions iter.Seq[int]) error {
+			for partNr := range partitions {
+				cmd := exec.Command(distro.PartxCmd(), "--"+op, "--nr", fmt.Sprint(partNr), blockDevResolved)
 				if _, err := s.LogCmd(cmd, "triggering partition %d %s on %q", partNr, op, devAlias); err != nil {
 					return fmt.Errorf("partition %s failed: %v", op, err)
 				}
 			}
 			return nil
 		}
-		if err := runPartxCommand("delete", partxDelete); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		if err := runPartxCommand("update", partxUpdate); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		if err := runPartxCommand("add", partxAdd); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
+		runPartxCommand("delete", slices.Values(partxDelete))
+		runPartxCommand("update", slices.Values(partxUpdate))
+		runPartxCommand("add", slices.Values(partxAdd))
 	}
 
 	// It's best to wait here for the /dev/ABC entries to be
@@ -586,5 +601,54 @@ func (s stage) partitionDisk(dev types.Disk, devAlias string) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to wait for udev on %q after partitioning: %v", devAlias, err)
 	}
 
+	for _, part := range resolvedPartitions {
+		partDev := fmt.Sprintf("%s%s%d", blockDevResolved, prefix, part.Number)
+
+		if slices.Contains(partxDelete, part.Number) {
+			_, err := os.Stat(partDev)
+			if err == nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("%q unexpectedly exists after partitioning", partDev)
+			} else if !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+				return fmt.Errorf("failed to stat %q after partitioning: %v", partDev, err)
+			}
+		} else {
+			sysBlockDir := fmt.Sprintf("/sys/class/block/%s/", filepath.Base(partDev))
+
+			// sysfs always reports in 512-byte sectors; convert our expected
+			// values from logical sectors to 512-byte sectors for comparison
+			logicalTo512 := int64(diskInfo.LogicalSectorSize) / 512
+
+			startStr, err := os.ReadFile(sysBlockDir + "start")
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("failed to read start of %q from sysfs: %v", partDev, err)
+			}
+			kernelStart, err := strconv.ParseInt(strings.TrimSpace(string(startStr)), 10, 64)
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("failed to parse start of %q from sysfs: %v", partDev, err)
+			}
+			if part.StartSector != nil {
+				expectedStart := *part.StartSector * logicalTo512
+				if kernelStart != expectedStart {
+					return fmt.Errorf("kernel partition start for %q does not match expected (%d != %d 512-byte sectors)", partDev, kernelStart, expectedStart)
+				}
+			}
+
+			sizeStr, err := os.ReadFile(sysBlockDir + "size")
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("failed to read size of %q from sysfs: %v", partDev, err)
+			}
+			kernelSize, err := strconv.ParseInt(strings.TrimSpace(string(sizeStr)), 10, 64)
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("failed to parse size of %q from sysfs: %v", partDev, err)
+			}
+			if part.SizeInSectors != nil {
+				expectedSize := *part.SizeInSectors * logicalTo512
+				if kernelSize != expectedSize {
+					return fmt.Errorf("kernel partition size for %q does not match expected (%d != %d 512-byte sectors)", partDev, kernelSize, expectedSize)
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	return nil
 }