diff --git a/drivers/eeprom/eeprom_custom.c-template b/drivers/eeprom/eeprom_custom.c-template
index 5f915f7fab..fb1f0a3a97 100644
--- a/drivers/eeprom/eeprom_custom.c-template
+++ b/drivers/eeprom/eeprom_custom.c-template
@@ -23,6 +23,17 @@ void eeprom_driver_init(void) {
     /* Any initialisation code */
  }
 
+void eeprom_driver_format(bool erase) {
+    /* If erase=false, then only do the absolute minimum initialisation necessary
+       to make sure that the eeprom driver is usable. It doesn't need to guarantee
+       that the content of the eeprom is reset to any particular value. For many
+       eeprom drivers this may be a no-op.
+
+       If erase=true, then in addition to making sure the eeprom driver is in a
+       usable state, also make sure that it is erased.
+     */
+}
+
 void eeprom_driver_erase(void) {
     /* Wipe out the EEPROM, setting values to zero */
 }
diff --git a/drivers/eeprom/eeprom_driver.c b/drivers/eeprom/eeprom_driver.c
index 885cf21981..1f3f96f006 100644
--- a/drivers/eeprom/eeprom_driver.c
+++ b/drivers/eeprom/eeprom_driver.c
@@ -77,3 +77,9 @@ void eeprom_update_dword(uint32_t *addr, uint32_t value) {
         eeprom_write_dword(addr, value);
     }
 }
+
+void eeprom_driver_format(bool erase) __attribute__((weak));
+void eeprom_driver_format(bool erase) {
+    (void)erase; /* The default implementation assumes that the eeprom must be erased in order to be usable. */
+    eeprom_driver_erase();
+}
diff --git a/drivers/eeprom/eeprom_driver.h b/drivers/eeprom/eeprom_driver.h
index 74592bc8f0..0c55c497d4 100644
--- a/drivers/eeprom/eeprom_driver.h
+++ b/drivers/eeprom/eeprom_driver.h
@@ -16,7 +16,9 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
+#include <stdbool.h>
 #include "eeprom.h"
 
 void eeprom_driver_init(void);
+void eeprom_driver_format(bool erase);
 void eeprom_driver_erase(void);
diff --git a/drivers/eeprom/eeprom_i2c.c b/drivers/eeprom/eeprom_i2c.c
index 0d3d5ccbe5..d29aff5f85 100644
--- a/drivers/eeprom/eeprom_i2c.c
+++ b/drivers/eeprom/eeprom_i2c.c
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 #include "wait.h"
 #include "i2c_master.h"
 #include "eeprom.h"
+#include "eeprom_driver.h"
 #include "eeprom_i2c.h"
 
 // #define DEBUG_EEPROM_OUTPUT
@@ -62,6 +63,13 @@ void eeprom_driver_init(void) {
 #endif
 }
 
+void eeprom_driver_format(bool erase) {
+    /* i2c eeproms do not need to be formatted before use */
+    if (erase) {
+        eeprom_driver_erase();
+    }
+}
+
 void eeprom_driver_erase(void) {
 #if defined(CONSOLE_ENABLE) && defined(DEBUG_EEPROM_OUTPUT)
     uint32_t start = timer_read32();
diff --git a/drivers/eeprom/eeprom_spi.c b/drivers/eeprom/eeprom_spi.c
index 51ba25dece..14f0afa68b 100644
--- a/drivers/eeprom/eeprom_spi.c
+++ b/drivers/eeprom/eeprom_spi.c
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 #include "timer.h"
 #include "spi_master.h"
 #include "eeprom.h"
+#include "eeprom_driver.h"
 #include "eeprom_spi.h"
 
 #define CMD_WREN 6
@@ -92,6 +93,13 @@ void eeprom_driver_init(void) {
     spi_init();
 }
 
+void eeprom_driver_format(bool erase) {
+    /* spi eeproms do not need to be formatted before use */
+    if (erase) {
+        eeprom_driver_erase();
+    }
+}
+
 void eeprom_driver_erase(void) {
 #if defined(CONSOLE_ENABLE) && defined(DEBUG_EEPROM_OUTPUT)
     uint32_t start = timer_read32();
diff --git a/drivers/eeprom/eeprom_transient.c b/drivers/eeprom/eeprom_transient.c
index 9dc4289c27..d9f5db9853 100644
--- a/drivers/eeprom/eeprom_transient.c
+++ b/drivers/eeprom/eeprom_transient.c
@@ -30,8 +30,13 @@ size_t clamp_length(intptr_t offset, size_t len) {
     return len;
 }
 
-void eeprom_driver_init(void) {
-    eeprom_driver_erase();
+void eeprom_driver_init(void) {}
+
+void eeprom_driver_format(bool erase) {
+    /* The transient eeprom driver doesn't necessarily need to be formatted before use, and it always starts up filled with zeros, due to placement in the .bss section */
+    if (erase) {
+        eeprom_driver_erase();
+    }
 }
 
 void eeprom_driver_erase(void) {
diff --git a/drivers/eeprom/eeprom_wear_leveling.c b/drivers/eeprom/eeprom_wear_leveling.c
index bd77eef35c..24ca6c3c6b 100644
--- a/drivers/eeprom/eeprom_wear_leveling.c
+++ b/drivers/eeprom/eeprom_wear_leveling.c
@@ -10,6 +10,12 @@ void eeprom_driver_init(void) {
     wear_leveling_init();
 }
 
+void eeprom_driver_format(bool erase) {
+    /* wear leveling requires the write log data structures to be erased before use. */
+    (void)erase;
+    eeprom_driver_erase();
+}
+
 void eeprom_driver_erase(void) {
     wear_leveling_erase();
 }
diff --git a/platforms/chibios/drivers/eeprom/eeprom_legacy_emulated_flash.c b/platforms/chibios/drivers/eeprom/eeprom_legacy_emulated_flash.c
index a81fe3353c..9857ac046b 100644
--- a/platforms/chibios/drivers/eeprom/eeprom_legacy_emulated_flash.c
+++ b/platforms/chibios/drivers/eeprom/eeprom_legacy_emulated_flash.c
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include "debug.h"
 #include "eeprom_legacy_emulated_flash.h"
 #include "legacy_flash_ops.h"
+#include "eeprom_driver.h"
 
 /*
  * We emulate eeprom by writing a snapshot compacted view of eeprom contents,
@@ -564,6 +565,12 @@ void eeprom_driver_init(void) {
     EEPROM_Init();
 }
 
+void eeprom_driver_format(bool erase) {
+    /* emulated eepron requires the write log data structures to be erased before use. */
+    (void)erase;
+    eeprom_driver_erase();
+}
+
 void eeprom_driver_erase(void) {
     EEPROM_Erase();
 }
diff --git a/platforms/chibios/drivers/eeprom/eeprom_stm32_L0_L1.c b/platforms/chibios/drivers/eeprom/eeprom_stm32_L0_L1.c
index ed26cc7145..628137a0b3 100644
--- a/platforms/chibios/drivers/eeprom/eeprom_stm32_L0_L1.c
+++ b/platforms/chibios/drivers/eeprom/eeprom_stm32_L0_L1.c
@@ -52,6 +52,12 @@ static inline void STM32_L0_L1_EEPROM_Lock(void) {
 
 void eeprom_driver_init(void) {}
 
+void eeprom_driver_format(bool erase) {
+    if (erase) {
+        eeprom_driver_erase();
+    }
+}
+
 void eeprom_driver_erase(void) {
     STM32_L0_L1_EEPROM_Unlock();
 
diff --git a/quantum/eeconfig.c b/quantum/eeconfig.c
index 40690d6a97..ffbbf43a95 100644
--- a/quantum/eeconfig.c
+++ b/quantum/eeconfig.c
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ __attribute__((weak)) void eeconfig_init_kb(void) {
  */
 void eeconfig_init_quantum(void) {
 #if defined(EEPROM_DRIVER)
-    eeprom_driver_erase();
+    eeprom_driver_format(false);
 #endif
 
     eeprom_update_word(EECONFIG_MAGIC, EECONFIG_MAGIC_NUMBER);
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ void eeconfig_enable(void) {
  */
 void eeconfig_disable(void) {
 #if defined(EEPROM_DRIVER)
-    eeprom_driver_erase();
+    eeprom_driver_format(false);
 #endif
     eeprom_update_word(EECONFIG_MAGIC, EECONFIG_MAGIC_NUMBER_OFF);
 }