According to one configuration, a memory system includes a configuration manager and multiple memory devices. The configuration manager includes status detection logic, retrieval logic, and configuration management logic. The status detection logic receives notification of a failed attempt by a first memory device to be initialized with custom configuration settings stored in the first memory device. In response to the notification, the retrieval logic retrieves a backup copy of configuration settings information from a second memory device in the memory system. The configuration management logic utilizes the backup copy of the configuration settings information retrieved from the second memory device to initialize the first memory device.