diff --git a/subsys/fs/nvs/nvs.c b/subsys/fs/nvs/nvs.c
index ef35e677710..a07f9b3198b 100644
--- a/subsys/fs/nvs/nvs.c
+++ b/subsys/fs/nvs/nvs.c
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ static int nvs_flash_erase_sector(struct nvs_fs *fs, uint32_t addr)
 #ifdef CONFIG_NVS_LOOKUP_CACHE
 	nvs_lookup_cache_invalidate(fs, addr >> ADDR_SECT_SHIFT);
 #endif
-	rc = flash_erase(fs->flash_device, offset, fs->sector_size);
+	rc = flash_flatten(fs->flash_device, offset, fs->sector_size);
 
 	if (rc) {
 		return rc;
diff --git a/tests/subsys/fs/nvs/src/main.c b/tests/subsys/fs/nvs/src/main.c
index 97e41f15b96..34a0080866d 100644
--- a/tests/subsys/fs/nvs/src/main.c
+++ b/tests/subsys/fs/nvs/src/main.c
@@ -207,7 +207,18 @@ ZTEST_F(nvs, test_nvs_corrupted_write)
 		   &flash_max_write_calls);
 	stats_walk(fixture->sim_stats, flash_sim_write_calls_find, &flash_write_stat);
 
+#if defined(CONFIG_FLASH_SIMULATOR_EXPLICIT_ERASE)
 	*flash_max_write_calls = *flash_write_stat - 1;
+#else
+	/* When there is no explicit erase, erase is done with write, which means
+	 * that there are more writes needed. The nvs_write here will cause erase
+	 * to be called, which in turn calls the flash_fill; flash_fill will
+	 * overwrite data using buffer of size CONFIG_FLASH_FILL_BUFFER_SIZE,
+	 * and then two additional real writes are allowed.
+	 */
+	*flash_max_write_calls = (fixture->fs.sector_size /
+				  CONFIG_FLASH_FILL_BUFFER_SIZE) + 2;
+#endif
 	*flash_write_stat = 0;
 
 	/* Flash simulator will lose part of the data at the end of this write.
diff --git a/tests/subsys/fs/nvs/testcase.yaml b/tests/subsys/fs/nvs/testcase.yaml
index f462a33ff0e..f02fc257fc1 100644
--- a/tests/subsys/fs/nvs/testcase.yaml
+++ b/tests/subsys/fs/nvs/testcase.yaml
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@ tests:
   filesystem.nvs.0x00:
     extra_args: DTC_OVERLAY_FILE=boards/qemu_x86_ev_0x00.overlay
     platform_allow: qemu_x86
+  filesystem.nvs.sim.no_erase:
+    extra_args: CONFIG_FLASH_SIMULATOR_EXPLICIT_ERASE=n
+    platform_allow: qemu_x86
   filesystem.nvs.cache:
     extra_args:
       - CONFIG_NVS_LOOKUP_CACHE=y