An apparatus, according to one embodiment, includes non-volatile memory configured to store data, and a controller and logic integrated with and/or executable by the controller. The logic integrated with and/or executable by the controller is configured to: determine, by the controller, that at least one block of the non-volatile memory and/or portion of a block of the non-volatile memory meets a retirement condition, re-evaluate, by the controller, the at least one block and/or the portion of a block to determine whether to retire the at least one block and/or the portion of a block, indicate, by the controller, that the at least one block and/or the portion of a block remains usable when a result of the re-evaluation is not to retire the block, and indicate, by the controller, that the at least one block and/or the portion of a block is retired when the result of the re-evaluation is to retire the block.

A computer-implemented method is provided, according to another embodiment, where such computer may be implemented in or as a controller. The method includes determining that at least one block of the non-volatile memory and/or portion of a block of the non-volatile memory meets a retirement condition, re-evaluating the at least one block and/or the portion of a block to determine whether to retire the at least one block and/or the portion of a block, indicating that the at least one block and/or the portion of a block remains usable when a result of the re-evaluation is not to retire the block, and indicating that the at least one block and/or the portion of a block is retired when the result of the re-evaluation is to retire the block.