diff --git a/pkg/services/object_manager/placement/traverser.go b/pkg/services/object_manager/placement/traverser.go
index 7b9b26a0b3..47f79a6274 100644
--- a/pkg/services/object_manager/placement/traverser.go
+++ b/pkg/services/object_manager/placement/traverser.go
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ func NewTraverser(opts ...Option) (*Traverser, error) {
 	}
 
 	// backward compatibility for scalar `copies_number`
-	if len(cfg.copyNumbers) == 1 {
+	if len(cfg.copyNumbers) == 1 && cfg.copyNumbers[0] != 0 {
 		cfg.flatSuccess = &cfg.copyNumbers[0]
 	}