diff --git a/src/app/clusters/ias-zone-server/ias-zone-server.cpp b/src/app/clusters/ias-zone-server/ias-zone-server.cpp
index cee9b1d3275b7f..29c3abd2fa7332 100644
--- a/src/app/clusters/ias-zone-server/ias-zone-server.cpp
+++ b/src/app/clusters/ias-zone-server/ias-zone-server.cpp
@@ -590,10 +590,10 @@ uint8_t emberAfPluginIasZoneServerGetZoneId(EndpointId endpoint)
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 static bool areZoneServerAttributesNonVolatile(EndpointId endpoint)
 {
-    if (!emberAfIsNonVolatileAttribute(endpoint, IasZone::Id, Attributes::IasCieAddress::Id) ||
-        !emberAfIsNonVolatileAttribute(endpoint, IasZone::Id, Attributes::ZoneState::Id) ||
-        !emberAfIsNonVolatileAttribute(endpoint, IasZone::Id, Attributes::ZoneType::Id) ||
-        !emberAfIsNonVolatileAttribute(endpoint, IasZone::Id, Attributes::ZoneId::Id))
+    if (emberAfIsKnownVolatileAttribute(endpoint, IasZone::Id, Attributes::IasCieAddress::Id) ||
+        emberAfIsKnownVolatileAttribute(endpoint, IasZone::Id, Attributes::ZoneState::Id) ||
+        emberAfIsKnownVolatileAttribute(endpoint, IasZone::Id, Attributes::ZoneType::Id) ||
+        emberAfIsKnownVolatileAttribute(endpoint, IasZone::Id, Attributes::ZoneId::Id))
     {
         return false;
     }
diff --git a/src/app/clusters/level-control/level-control.cpp b/src/app/clusters/level-control/level-control.cpp
index bb479039bac543..8807846ee69ca3 100644
--- a/src/app/clusters/level-control/level-control.cpp
+++ b/src/app/clusters/level-control/level-control.cpp
@@ -1122,12 +1122,8 @@ void emberAfLevelControlClusterServerInitCallback(EndpointId endpoint)
 #ifndef IGNORE_LEVEL_CONTROL_CLUSTER_START_UP_CURRENT_LEVEL
 static bool areStartUpLevelControlServerAttributesNonVolatile(EndpointId endpoint)
 {
-    if (emberAfIsNonVolatileAttribute(endpoint, LevelControl::Id, Attributes::CurrentLevel::Id))
-    {
-        return emberAfIsNonVolatileAttribute(endpoint, LevelControl::Id, Attributes::StartUpCurrentLevel::Id);
-    }
-
-    return false;
+    return !emberAfIsKnownVolatileAttribute(endpoint, LevelControl::Id, Attributes::CurrentLevel::Id) &&
+        !emberAfIsKnownVolatileAttribute(endpoint, LevelControl::Id, Attributes::StartUpCurrentLevel::Id);
 }
 #endif // IGNORE_LEVEL_CONTROL_CLUSTER_START_UP_CURRENT_LEVEL
 
diff --git a/src/app/clusters/mode-select-server/mode-select-server.cpp b/src/app/clusters/mode-select-server/mode-select-server.cpp
index adee979e052911..0266c4dc6e0992 100644
--- a/src/app/clusters/mode-select-server/mode-select-server.cpp
+++ b/src/app/clusters/mode-select-server/mode-select-server.cpp
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ void emberAfModeSelectClusterServerInitCallback(EndpointId endpointId)
                 Attributes::OnMode::TypeInfo::Type onMode;
                 bool onOffValueForStartUp = 0;
                 if (Attributes::OnMode::Get(endpointId, onMode) == EMBER_ZCL_STATUS_SUCCESS &&
-                    emberAfIsNonVolatileAttribute(endpointId, OnOff::Id, OnOff::Attributes::StartUpOnOff::Id) &&
+                    !emberAfIsKnownVolatileAttribute(endpointId, OnOff::Id, OnOff::Attributes::StartUpOnOff::Id) &&
                     OnOffServer::Instance().getOnOffValueForStartUp(endpointId, onOffValueForStartUp) == EMBER_ZCL_STATUS_SUCCESS)
                 {
                     if (onOffValueForStartUp && !onMode.IsNull())
@@ -189,8 +189,8 @@ namespace {
  */
 inline bool areStartUpModeAndCurrentModeNonVolatile(EndpointId endpointId)
 {
-    return emberAfIsNonVolatileAttribute(endpointId, ModeSelect::Id, Attributes::CurrentMode::Id) &&
-        emberAfIsNonVolatileAttribute(endpointId, ModeSelect::Id, Attributes::StartUpMode::Id);
+    return !emberAfIsKnownVolatileAttribute(endpointId, ModeSelect::Id, Attributes::CurrentMode::Id) &&
+        !emberAfIsKnownVolatileAttribute(endpointId, ModeSelect::Id, Attributes::StartUpMode::Id);
 }
 
 } // namespace
diff --git a/src/app/clusters/on-off-server/on-off-server.cpp b/src/app/clusters/on-off-server/on-off-server.cpp
index 12299050929586..c0006c70c25134 100644
--- a/src/app/clusters/on-off-server/on-off-server.cpp
+++ b/src/app/clusters/on-off-server/on-off-server.cpp
@@ -580,12 +580,8 @@ void OnOffServer::updateOnOffTimeCommand(chip::EndpointId endpoint)
 #ifndef IGNORE_ON_OFF_CLUSTER_START_UP_ON_OFF
 bool OnOffServer::areStartUpOnOffServerAttributesNonVolatile(EndpointId endpoint)
 {
-    if (emberAfIsNonVolatileAttribute(endpoint, OnOff::Id, Attributes::OnOff::Id))
-    {
-        return emberAfIsNonVolatileAttribute(endpoint, OnOff::Id, Attributes::StartUpOnOff::Id);
-    }
-
-    return false;
+    return !emberAfIsKnownVolatileAttribute(endpoint, OnOff::Id, Attributes::OnOff::Id) &&
+        !emberAfIsKnownVolatileAttribute(endpoint, OnOff::Id, Attributes::StartUpOnOff::Id);
 }
 #endif // IGNORE_ON_OFF_CLUSTER_START_UP_ON_OFF
 
diff --git a/src/app/util/attribute-metadata.h b/src/app/util/attribute-metadata.h
index b4f2256b1443dc..cf8b04c2bb126b 100644
--- a/src/app/util/attribute-metadata.h
+++ b/src/app/util/attribute-metadata.h
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ struct EmberAfAttributeMetadata
      * Check whether this attribute is automatically stored in non-volatile
      * memory.
      */
-    bool IsNonVolatile() const { return (mask & ATTRIBUTE_MASK_NONVOLATILE) && !IsExternal(); }
+    bool IsAutomaticallyPersisted() const { return (mask & ATTRIBUTE_MASK_NONVOLATILE) && !IsExternal(); }
 };
 
 /** @brief Returns true if the given attribute type is a string. */
diff --git a/src/app/util/attribute-storage.cpp b/src/app/util/attribute-storage.cpp
index b0872604442468..7e8bad31264561 100644
--- a/src/app/util/attribute-storage.cpp
+++ b/src/app/util/attribute-storage.cpp
@@ -1227,7 +1227,7 @@ void emAfLoadAttributeDefaults(EndpointId endpoint, bool ignoreStorage, Optional
                 ptr                                 = nullptr; // Will get set to the value to write, as needed.
 
                 // First check for a persisted value.
-                if (!ignoreStorage && am->IsNonVolatile())
+                if (!ignoreStorage && am->IsAutomaticallyPersisted())
                 {
                     VerifyOrDie(attrStorage && "Attribute persistence needs a persistence provider");
                     MutableByteSpan bytes(attrData);
@@ -1331,7 +1331,7 @@ void emAfSaveAttributeToStorageIfNeeded(uint8_t * data, EndpointId endpoint, Clu
                                         const EmberAfAttributeMetadata * metadata)
 {
     // Get out of here if this attribute isn't marked non-volatile.
-    if (!metadata->IsNonVolatile())
+    if (!metadata->IsAutomaticallyPersisted())
     {
         return;
     }
diff --git a/src/app/util/attribute-table.cpp b/src/app/util/attribute-table.cpp
index e8de154d2b28fb..e0fa107bb24853 100644
--- a/src/app/util/attribute-table.cpp
+++ b/src/app/util/attribute-table.cpp
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ void emberAfPrintAttributeTable(void)
                 emberAfAttributesPrint(
                     " / %x (%x) / %p / %p / ", metaData->attributeType, emberAfAttributeSize(metaData),
                     (metaData->IsReadOnly() ? "RO" : "RW"),
-                    (metaData->IsNonVolatile() ? " nonvolatile " : (metaData->IsExternal() ? " extern " : "  RAM  ")));
+                    (metaData->IsAutomaticallyPersisted() ? " nonvolatile " : (metaData->IsExternal() ? " extern " : "  RAM  ")));
                 emberAfAttributesFlush();
                 status =
                     emAfReadAttribute(ep->endpoint, cluster->clusterId, metaData->attributeId, data, ATTRIBUTE_LARGEST, nullptr);
diff --git a/src/app/util/util.cpp b/src/app/util/util.cpp
index 02d68a315fa3d2..4ffc01a0143120 100644
--- a/src/app/util/util.cpp
+++ b/src/app/util/util.cpp
@@ -768,7 +768,7 @@ bool emberAfContainsAttribute(chip::EndpointId endpoint, chip::ClusterId cluster
     return (emberAfGetServerAttributeIndexByAttributeId(endpoint, clusterId, attributeId) != UINT16_MAX);
 }
 
-bool emberAfIsNonVolatileAttribute(chip::EndpointId endpoint, chip::ClusterId clusterId, chip::AttributeId attributeId)
+bool emberAfIsKnownVolatileAttribute(chip::EndpointId endpoint, chip::ClusterId clusterId, chip::AttributeId attributeId)
 {
     const EmberAfAttributeMetadata * metadata = emberAfLocateAttributeMetadata(endpoint, clusterId, attributeId);
 
@@ -777,7 +777,7 @@ bool emberAfIsNonVolatileAttribute(chip::EndpointId endpoint, chip::ClusterId cl
         return false;
     }
 
-    return metadata->IsNonVolatile();
+    return !metadata->IsAutomaticallyPersisted() && !metadata->IsExternal();
 }
 
 chip::Messaging::ExchangeManager * chip::ExchangeManager()
diff --git a/src/app/util/util.h b/src/app/util/util.h
index 4d8910a15d4bb8..2948f665674261 100644
--- a/src/app/util/util.h
+++ b/src/app/util/util.h
@@ -275,7 +275,11 @@ uint8_t emberAfGetChannelFrom8bitEncodedChanPg(uint8_t chanPg);
 uint8_t emberAfMake8bitEncodedChanPg(uint8_t page, uint8_t channel);
 
 bool emberAfContainsAttribute(chip::EndpointId endpoint, chip::ClusterId clusterId, chip::AttributeId attributeId);
-bool emberAfIsNonVolatileAttribute(chip::EndpointId endpoint, chip::ClusterId clusterId, chip::AttributeId attributeId);
+
+/* @brief returns true if the attribute is known to be volatile (i.e. RAM
+ * storage).
+ */
+bool emberAfIsKnownVolatileAttribute(chip::EndpointId endpoint, chip::ClusterId clusterId, chip::AttributeId attributeId);
 
 namespace chip {
 chip::Messaging::ExchangeManager * ExchangeManager();