diff --git a/diskimage_builder/block_device/level1/partitioning.py b/diskimage_builder/block_device/level1/partitioning.py
index 83e5b7bf..078fd6a7 100644
--- a/diskimage_builder/block_device/level1/partitioning.py
+++ b/diskimage_builder/block_device/level1/partitioning.py
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ class Partitioning(PluginBase):
         # now all the partitions are created, get device-mapper to
         # mount them
         if not os.path.exists("/.dockerenv"):
-            exec_sudo(["kpartx", "-avs", self.device_path])
+            exec_sudo(["kpartx", "-uvs", self.device_path])
         else:
             # If running inside Docker, make our nodes manually,
             # because udev will not be working. kpartx cannot run in
diff --git a/diskimage_builder/block_device/tests/test_gpt.py b/diskimage_builder/block_device/tests/test_gpt.py
index db046282..c3978db4 100644
--- a/diskimage_builder/block_device/tests/test_gpt.py
+++ b/diskimage_builder/block_device/tests/test_gpt.py
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ class TestGPT(tc.TestGraphGeneration):
         cmd_sequence = [
             mock.call(parted_cmd),
             mock.call(['sync']),
-            mock.call(['kpartx', '-avs', '/dev/loopX'])
+            mock.call(['kpartx', '-uvs', '/dev/loopX'])
         ]
         self.assertEqual(mock_exec_sudo.call_count, len(cmd_sequence))
         mock_exec_sudo.assert_has_calls(cmd_sequence)
diff --git a/diskimage_builder/block_device/tests/test_lvm.py b/diskimage_builder/block_device/tests/test_lvm.py
index fd45f170..757453af 100644
--- a/diskimage_builder/block_device/tests/test_lvm.py
+++ b/diskimage_builder/block_device/tests/test_lvm.py
@@ -512,7 +512,7 @@ class TestLVM(tc.TestGraphGeneration):
                 mock.call.create_mbr(),
                 # now mount partitions
                 mock.call.sudo_part(['sync']),
-                mock.call.sudo_part(['kpartx', '-avs', '/dev/fake/image0']),
+                mock.call.sudo_part(['kpartx', '-uvs', '/dev/fake/image0']),
                 # now create lvm environment
                 mock.call.sudo_lvm(['pvcreate', '/dev/fake/root', '--force']),
                 mock.call.sudo_lvm(
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/block-device-update-partition-table-eb4ff077f90dfb19.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/block-device-update-partition-table-eb4ff077f90dfb19.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a807c05e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/block-device-update-partition-table-eb4ff077f90dfb19.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+fixes:
+  - Fix cases of 'mkfs' failing because the partitions never showed up.
+    Partition mappings will now be updated instead of just adding them with
+    'kpartx'. That means that 'kpartx' will also remove devmappings for deleted
+    partitions.