diff --git a/weed/storage/volume_backup.go b/weed/storage/volume_backup.go
index 7aad2b971..a8ec50cad 100644
--- a/weed/storage/volume_backup.go
+++ b/weed/storage/volume_backup.go
@@ -194,12 +194,31 @@ func (v *Volume) BinarySearchByAppendAtNs(sinceNs uint64) (offset Offset, isLast
 			err = fmt.Errorf("read entry %d: %v", m, err)
 			return
 		}
-		for ; offset.IsZero() && m < h; m++ {
-			offset, err = v.readOffsetFromIndex(m)
-			if err != nil {
-				err = fmt.Errorf("read entry %d: %v", m, err)
+		if offset.IsZero() {
+			leftIndex, _, leftNs, leftErr := v.readLeftNs(m)
+			if leftErr != nil {
+				err = leftErr
 				return
 			}
+			rightIndex, rightOffset, rightNs, rightErr := v.readRightNs(m)
+			if rightErr != nil {
+				err = rightErr
+				return
+			}
+			if rightNs <= sinceNs {
+				l = rightIndex
+				if l == entryCount {
+					return Offset{}, true, nil
+				} else {
+					continue
+				}
+			}
+			if sinceNs < leftNs {
+				h = leftIndex + 1
+				continue
+			}
+			return rightOffset, false, nil
+
 		}
 		if offset.IsZero() {
 			return Offset{}, true, nil
@@ -230,6 +249,38 @@ func (v *Volume) BinarySearchByAppendAtNs(sinceNs uint64) (offset Offset, isLast
 
 }
 
+func (v *Volume) readRightNs(m int64) (index int64, offset Offset, ts uint64, err error) {
+	index = m
+	for offset.IsZero() {
+		index++
+		offset, err = v.readOffsetFromIndex(index)
+		if err != nil {
+			err = fmt.Errorf("read entry %d: %v", index, err)
+			return
+		}
+	}
+	if !offset.IsZero() {
+		ts, err = v.readAppendAtNs(offset)
+	}
+	return
+}
+
+func (v *Volume) readLeftNs(m int64) (index int64, offset Offset, ts uint64, err error) {
+	index = m
+	for offset.IsZero() {
+		index--
+		offset, err = v.readOffsetFromIndex(index)
+		if err != nil {
+			err = fmt.Errorf("read entry %d: %v", index, err)
+			return
+		}
+	}
+	if !offset.IsZero() {
+		ts, err = v.readAppendAtNs(offset)
+	}
+	return
+}
+
 // bytes is of size NeedleMapEntrySize
 func (v *Volume) readOffsetFromIndex(m int64) (Offset, error) {
 	v.dataFileAccessLock.RLock()
diff --git a/weed/storage/volume_write_test.go b/weed/storage/volume_write_test.go
index e0ee3dac7..4245bdb52 100644
--- a/weed/storage/volume_write_test.go
+++ b/weed/storage/volume_write_test.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/storage/needle"
 	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/storage/super_block"
+	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/storage/types"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"testing"
@@ -22,7 +23,7 @@ func TestSearchVolumesWithDeletedNeedles(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("volume creation: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	count := 10
+	count := 20
 
 	for i:=1;i<count;i++{
 		n := newRandomNeedle(uint64(i))
@@ -32,9 +33,9 @@ func TestSearchVolumesWithDeletedNeedles(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	for i:=1;i<5;i++{
+	for i:=1;i<15;i++{
 		n := newEmptyNeedle(uint64(i))
-		_, err := v.doDeleteRequest(n)
+		err := v.nm.Put(n.Id, types.Offset{}, types.TombstoneFileSize)
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("delete needle %d: %v", i, err)
 		}
@@ -42,15 +43,12 @@ func TestSearchVolumesWithDeletedNeedles(t *testing.T) {
 
 	ts1 := time.Now().UnixNano()
 
-	var ts2 uint64
-
-	for i:=5;i<count;i++{
+	for i:=15;i<count;i++{
 		n := newEmptyNeedle(uint64(i))
 		_, err := v.doDeleteRequest(n)
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("delete needle %d: %v", i, err)
 		}
-		ts2 = n.AppendAtNs
 	}
 
 	offset, isLast, err := v.BinarySearchByAppendAtNs(uint64(ts1))
@@ -59,11 +57,4 @@ func TestSearchVolumesWithDeletedNeedles(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	fmt.Printf("offset: %v, isLast: %v\n", offset.ToActualOffset(), isLast)
 
-	offset, isLast, err = v.BinarySearchByAppendAtNs(uint64(ts2))
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("lookup by ts: %v", err)
-	}
-	fmt.Printf("offset: %v, isLast: %v\n", offset.ToActualOffset(), isLast)
-
-
 }
\ No newline at end of file