diff --git a/weed/filer2/filer_client_util.go b/weed/filer2/filer_client_util.go
index e80c4bf36..04da240b6 100644
--- a/weed/filer2/filer_client_util.go
+++ b/weed/filer2/filer_client_util.go
@@ -102,9 +102,9 @@ func GetEntry(filerClient FilerClient, fullFilePath FullPath) (entry *filer_pb.E
 		}
 
 		// glog.V(3).Infof("read %s request: %v", fullFilePath, request)
-		resp, err := client.LookupDirectoryEntry(context.Background(), request)
+		resp, err := filer_pb.LookupEntry(client, request)
 		if err != nil {
-			if err == ErrNotFound || strings.Contains(err.Error(), ErrNotFound.Error()) {
+			if err == ErrNotFound {
 				return nil
 			}
 			glog.V(3).Infof("read %s %v: %v", fullFilePath, resp, err)
diff --git a/weed/filesys/xattr.go b/weed/filesys/xattr.go
index 3ccecdf98..993e7ad93 100644
--- a/weed/filesys/xattr.go
+++ b/weed/filesys/xattr.go
@@ -1,9 +1,6 @@
 package filesys
 
 import (
-	"context"
-	"strings"
-
 	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/filer2"
 	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/glog"
 	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/pb/filer_pb"
@@ -124,9 +121,9 @@ func (wfs *WFS) maybeLoadEntry(dir, name string) (entry *filer_pb.Entry, err err
 			Directory: dir,
 		}
 
-		resp, err := client.LookupDirectoryEntry(context.Background(), request)
-		if err != nil || resp == nil || resp.Entry == nil {
-			if err == filer2.ErrNotFound || strings.Contains(err.Error(), filer2.ErrNotFound.Error()) {
+		resp, err := filer_pb.LookupEntry(client, request)
+		if err != nil {
+			if err == filer2.ErrNotFound {
 				glog.V(3).Infof("file attr read not found file %v: %v", request, err)
 				return fuse.ENOENT
 			}
diff --git a/weed/pb/filer_pb/filer_pb_helper.go b/weed/pb/filer_pb/filer_pb_helper.go
index 408caadcd..b69a83354 100644
--- a/weed/pb/filer_pb/filer_pb_helper.go
+++ b/weed/pb/filer_pb/filer_pb_helper.go
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@ package filer_pb
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"strings"
 
+	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/filer2"
 	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/glog"
 	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/storage/needle"
 )
@@ -84,3 +86,25 @@ func CreateEntry(client SeaweedFilerClient, request *CreateEntryRequest) error {
 	}
 	return nil
 }
+
+func LookupEntry(client SeaweedFilerClient, request *LookupDirectoryEntryRequest) (*LookupDirectoryEntryResponse, error) {
+	resp, err := filer_pb.LookupEntry(client, request)
+	if err != nil {
+		if err == filer2.ErrNotFound || strings.Contains(err.Error(), ErrNotFound.Error()) {
+			return nil, filer2.ErrNotFound
+		}
+		glog.V(3).Infof("read %s/%v: %v", request.Directory, request.Entry.Name, err)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("LookupEntry1: %v", err)
+	}
+	if resp.Error != "" && strings.Contains(resp.Error, ErrNotFound.Error()) {
+		return nil, filer2.ErrNotFound
+	}
+	if resp.Error != "" {
+		glog.V(3).Infof("lookup %s/%v: %v", request.Directory, request.Entry.Name, err)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("LookupEntry2: %v", err)
+	}
+	if resp.Entry == nil {
+		return nil, filer2.ErrNotFound
+	}
+	return resp, nil
+}
diff --git a/weed/replication/sink/filersink/filer_sink.go b/weed/replication/sink/filersink/filer_sink.go
index 6b82b90df..838c2c441 100644
--- a/weed/replication/sink/filersink/filer_sink.go
+++ b/weed/replication/sink/filersink/filer_sink.go
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ func (fs *FilerSink) CreateEntry(key string, entry *filer_pb.Entry) error {
 			Name:      name,
 		}
 		glog.V(1).Infof("lookup: %v", lookupRequest)
-		if resp, err := client.LookupDirectoryEntry(context.Background(), lookupRequest); err == nil && resp.Entry != nil {
+		if resp, err := filer_pb.LookupEntry(client, lookupRequest); err == nil {
 			if filer2.ETag(resp.Entry.Chunks) == filer2.ETag(entry.Chunks) {
 				glog.V(0).Infof("already replicated %s", key)
 				return nil
@@ -148,14 +148,11 @@ func (fs *FilerSink) UpdateEntry(key string, oldEntry *filer_pb.Entry, newParent
 		}
 
 		glog.V(4).Infof("lookup entry: %v", request)
-		resp, err := client.LookupDirectoryEntry(context.Background(), request)
+		resp, err := filer_pb.LookupEntry(client, request)
 		if err != nil {
 			glog.V(0).Infof("lookup %s: %v", key, err)
 			return err
 		}
-		if resp.Entry == nil {
-			return filer2.ErrNotFound
-		}
 
 		existingEntry = resp.Entry
 
diff --git a/weed/s3api/filer_util.go b/weed/s3api/filer_util.go
index b94b30a87..d43ca8e5d 100644
--- a/weed/s3api/filer_util.go
+++ b/weed/s3api/filer_util.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/filer2"
 	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/glog"
 	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/pb/filer_pb"
 )
@@ -202,15 +203,15 @@ func (s3a *S3ApiServer) exists(parentDirectoryPath string, entryName string, isD
 		}
 
 		glog.V(4).Infof("exists entry %v/%v: %v", parentDirectoryPath, entryName, request)
-		resp, err := client.LookupDirectoryEntry(context.Background(), request)
+		resp, err := filer_pb.LookupEntry(client, request)
 		if err != nil {
+			if err == filer2.ErrNotFound {
+				exists = false
+				return nil
+			}
 			glog.V(0).Infof("exists entry %v: %v", request, err)
 			return fmt.Errorf("exists entry %s/%s: %v", parentDirectoryPath, entryName, err)
 		}
-		if resp.Entry == nil {
-			exists = false
-			return nil
-		}
 
 		exists = resp.Entry.IsDirectory == isDirectory
 
diff --git a/weed/s3api/s3api_bucket_handlers.go b/weed/s3api/s3api_bucket_handlers.go
index a40c6244c..c165ae2c4 100644
--- a/weed/s3api/s3api_bucket_handlers.go
+++ b/weed/s3api/s3api_bucket_handlers.go
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/service/s3"
 	"github.com/gorilla/mux"
 
+	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/filer2"
 	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/glog"
 	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/pb/filer_pb"
 )
@@ -117,7 +118,10 @@ func (s3a *S3ApiServer) HeadBucketHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request
 		}
 
 		glog.V(1).Infof("lookup bucket: %v", request)
-		if resp, err := client.LookupDirectoryEntry(context.Background(), request); err != nil || resp.Entry == nil {
+		if _, err := filer_pb.LookupEntry(client, request); err != nil {
+			if err == filer2.ErrNotFound {
+				return filer2.ErrNotFound
+			}
 			return fmt.Errorf("lookup bucket %s/%s: %v", s3a.option.BucketsPath, bucket, err)
 		}
 
diff --git a/weed/shell/command_fs_cat.go b/weed/shell/command_fs_cat.go
index 8364e0de1..3db487979 100644
--- a/weed/shell/command_fs_cat.go
+++ b/weed/shell/command_fs_cat.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package shell
 
 import (
-	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"math"
@@ -50,13 +49,10 @@ func (c *commandFsCat) Do(args []string, commandEnv *CommandEnv, writer io.Write
 			Name:      name,
 			Directory: dir,
 		}
-		respLookupEntry, err := client.LookupDirectoryEntry(context.Background(), request)
+		respLookupEntry, err := filer_pb.LookupEntry(client, request)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		if respLookupEntry.Entry == nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("file not found: %s", path)
-		}
 
 		return filer2.StreamContent(commandEnv.MasterClient, writer, respLookupEntry.Entry.Chunks, 0, math.MaxInt32)
 
diff --git a/weed/shell/command_fs_meta_cat.go b/weed/shell/command_fs_meta_cat.go
index ec5a093df..52e2ee6c0 100644
--- a/weed/shell/command_fs_meta_cat.go
+++ b/weed/shell/command_fs_meta_cat.go
@@ -49,13 +49,10 @@ func (c *commandFsMetaCat) Do(args []string, commandEnv *CommandEnv, writer io.W
 			Name:      name,
 			Directory: dir,
 		}
-		respLookupEntry, err := client.LookupDirectoryEntry(context.Background(), request)
+		respLookupEntry, err := filer_pb.LookupEntry(client, request)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		if respLookupEntry.Entry == nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("file not found: %s", path)
-		}
 
 		m := jsonpb.Marshaler{
 			EmitDefaults: true,
diff --git a/weed/shell/command_fs_mv.go b/weed/shell/command_fs_mv.go
index 9b74e85e9..85275058e 100644
--- a/weed/shell/command_fs_mv.go
+++ b/weed/shell/command_fs_mv.go
@@ -58,12 +58,12 @@ func (c *commandFsMv) Do(args []string, commandEnv *CommandEnv, writer io.Writer
 			Name:      destinationDir,
 			Directory: destinationName,
 		}
-		respDestinationLookupEntry, err := client.LookupDirectoryEntry(context.Background(), destinationRequest)
+		respDestinationLookupEntry, err := filer_pb.LookupEntry(client, destinationRequest)
 
 		var targetDir, targetName string
 
 		// moving a file or folder
-		if err == nil && respDestinationLookupEntry.Entry != nil && respDestinationLookupEntry.Entry.IsDirectory {
+		if err == nil && respDestinationLookupEntry.Entry.IsDirectory {
 			// to a directory
 			targetDir = filepath.ToSlash(filepath.Join(destinationDir, destinationName))
 			targetName = sourceName
diff --git a/weed/shell/commands.go b/weed/shell/commands.go
index 93a4c94bb..2239fa435 100644
--- a/weed/shell/commands.go
+++ b/weed/shell/commands.go
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ func (ce *CommandEnv) checkDirectory(filerServer string, filerPort int64, path s
 
 	return ce.withFilerClient(filerServer, filerPort, func(client filer_pb.SeaweedFilerClient) error {
 
-		resp, lookupErr := client.LookupDirectoryEntry(context.Background(), &filer_pb.LookupDirectoryEntryRequest{
+		resp, lookupErr := filer_pb.LookupEntry(client, &filer_pb.LookupDirectoryEntryRequest{
 			Directory: dir,
 			Name:      name,
 		})
@@ -79,10 +79,6 @@ func (ce *CommandEnv) checkDirectory(filerServer string, filerPort int64, path s
 			return lookupErr
 		}
 
-		if resp.Entry == nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("entry not found")
-		}
-
 		if !resp.Entry.IsDirectory {
 			return fmt.Errorf("not a directory")
 		}