diff --git a/hudi-client/hudi-client-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/metadata/HoodieBackedTableMetadataWriter.java b/hudi-client/hudi-client-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/metadata/HoodieBackedTableMetadataWriter.java
index 4faac22a841fe..bb65375834cd4 100644
--- a/hudi-client/hudi-client-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/metadata/HoodieBackedTableMetadataWriter.java
+++ b/hudi-client/hudi-client-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/metadata/HoodieBackedTableMetadataWriter.java
@@ -774,11 +774,15 @@ private Set<String> getMetadataPartitionsToUpdate() {
     // fetch partitions to update from table config
     Set<String> partitionsToUpdate = getCompletedMetadataPartitions(dataMetaClient.getTableConfig());
     // add inflight indexes as well because the file groups have already been initialized, so writers can log updates
+    // NOTE: Async HoodieIndexer can move some partition to inflight. While that partition is still being built,
+    //       the regular ingestion writers should not be blocked. They can go ahead and log updates to the metadata partition.
+    //       Instead of depending on enabledPartitionTypes, the table config becomes the source of truth for which partitions to update.
     partitionsToUpdate.addAll(getInflightMetadataPartitions(dataMetaClient.getTableConfig()));
     if (!partitionsToUpdate.isEmpty()) {
       return partitionsToUpdate;
     }
     // fallback to all enabled partitions if table config returned no partitions
+    LOG.warn("There are no partitions to update according to table config. Falling back to enabled partition types in the write config.");
     return getEnabledPartitionTypes().stream().map(MetadataPartitionType::getPartitionPath).collect(Collectors.toSet());
   }
 
diff --git a/hudi-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/common/table/HoodieTableMetaClient.java b/hudi-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/common/table/HoodieTableMetaClient.java
index 38b5509cd577f..b2a201eb72496 100644
--- a/hudi-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/common/table/HoodieTableMetaClient.java
+++ b/hudi-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/common/table/HoodieTableMetaClient.java
@@ -701,6 +701,8 @@ public static class PropertyBuilder {
     private HoodieTimelineTimeZone commitTimeZone;
     private Boolean partitionMetafileUseBaseFormat;
     private Boolean dropPartitionColumnsWhenWrite;
+    private String metadataPartitions;
+    private String inflightMetadataPartitions;
 
     /**
      * Persist the configs that is written at the first time, and should not be changed.
@@ -825,6 +827,16 @@ public PropertyBuilder setDropPartitionColumnsWhenWrite(Boolean dropPartitionCol
       return this;
     }
 
+    public PropertyBuilder setMetadataPartitions(String partitions) {
+      this.metadataPartitions = partitions;
+      return this;
+    }
+
+    public PropertyBuilder setInflightMetadataPartitions(String partitions) {
+      this.inflightMetadataPartitions = partitions;
+      return this;
+    }
+
     public PropertyBuilder set(String key, Object value) {
       if (HoodieTableConfig.PERSISTED_CONFIG_LIST.contains(key)) {
         this.others.put(key, value);
@@ -927,6 +939,14 @@ public PropertyBuilder fromProperties(Properties properties) {
       if (hoodieConfig.contains(HoodieTableConfig.DROP_PARTITION_COLUMNS)) {
         setDropPartitionColumnsWhenWrite(hoodieConfig.getBoolean(HoodieTableConfig.DROP_PARTITION_COLUMNS));
       }
+
+      if (hoodieConfig.contains(HoodieTableConfig.TABLE_METADATA_PARTITIONS)) {
+        setMetadataPartitions(hoodieConfig.getString(HoodieTableConfig.TABLE_METADATA_PARTITIONS));
+      }
+
+      if (hoodieConfig.contains(HoodieTableConfig.TABLE_METADATA_PARTITIONS_INFLIGHT)) {
+        setInflightMetadataPartitions(hoodieConfig.getString(HoodieTableConfig.TABLE_METADATA_PARTITIONS_INFLIGHT));
+      }
       return this;
     }
 
@@ -1012,6 +1032,14 @@ public Properties build() {
       if (null != dropPartitionColumnsWhenWrite) {
         tableConfig.setValue(HoodieTableConfig.DROP_PARTITION_COLUMNS, Boolean.toString(dropPartitionColumnsWhenWrite));
       }
+
+      if (null != metadataPartitions) {
+        tableConfig.setValue(HoodieTableConfig.TABLE_METADATA_PARTITIONS, metadataPartitions);
+      }
+
+      if (null != inflightMetadataPartitions) {
+        tableConfig.setValue(HoodieTableConfig.TABLE_METADATA_PARTITIONS_INFLIGHT, inflightMetadataPartitions);
+      }
       return tableConfig.getProps();
     }