diff --git a/weed/shell/command_remote_mount.go b/weed/shell/command_remote_mount.go
index e9237866c..5f995e9f3 100644
--- a/weed/shell/command_remote_mount.go
+++ b/weed/shell/command_remote_mount.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package shell
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"errors"
 	"flag"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
@@ -17,6 +18,13 @@ import (
 	"google.golang.org/protobuf/proto"
 )
 
+type MetadataCacheStrategy string
+
+const (
+	MetadataCacheEager MetadataCacheStrategy = "eager"
+	MetadataCacheLazy  MetadataCacheStrategy = "lazy"
+)
+
 func init() {
 	Commands = append(Commands, &commandRemoteMount{})
 }
@@ -29,13 +37,15 @@ func (c *commandRemoteMount) Name() string {
 }
 
 func (c *commandRemoteMount) Help() string {
-	return `mount remote storage and pull its metadata
+	return `mount remote storage and optionally pull its metadata
 
 	# assume a remote storage is configured to name "cloud1"
 	remote.configure -name=cloud1 -type=s3 -s3.access_key=xxx -s3.secret_key=yyy
 
-	# mount and pull one bucket
+	# mount and pull one bucket (full upfront metadata sync)
 	remote.mount -dir=/xxx -remote=cloud1/bucket
+	# mount without upfront sync; metadata is fetched lazily on access
+	remote.mount -dir=/xxx -remote=cloud1/bucket -metadataStrategy=lazy
 	# mount and pull one directory in the bucket
 	remote.mount -dir=/xxx -remote=cloud1/bucket/dir1
 
@@ -55,6 +65,7 @@ func (c *commandRemoteMount) Do(args []string, commandEnv *CommandEnv, writer io
 
 	dir := remoteMountCommand.String("dir", "", "a directory in filer")
 	nonEmpty := remoteMountCommand.Bool("nonempty", false, "allows the mounting over a non-empty directory")
+	metadataStrategy := remoteMountCommand.String("metadataStrategy", string(MetadataCacheEager), "lazy: skip upfront metadata pull; eager: full metadata pull (default)")
 	remote := remoteMountCommand.String("remote", "", "a directory in remote storage, ex. <storageName>/<bucket>/path/to/dir")
 
 	if err = remoteMountCommand.Parse(args); err != nil {
@@ -77,9 +88,19 @@ func (c *commandRemoteMount) Do(args []string, commandEnv *CommandEnv, writer io
 		return err
 	}
 
-	// sync metadata from remote
-	if err = syncMetadata(commandEnv, writer, *dir, *nonEmpty, remoteConf, remoteStorageLocation); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("pull metadata: %w", err)
+	strategy := MetadataCacheStrategy(strings.ToLower(*metadataStrategy))
+	if strategy != MetadataCacheLazy && strategy != MetadataCacheEager {
+		return fmt.Errorf("metadataStrategy must be %s or %s, got %q", MetadataCacheLazy, MetadataCacheEager, *metadataStrategy)
+	}
+
+	if err = ensureMountDirectory(commandEnv, *dir, *nonEmpty, remoteConf); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("mount setup: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	if strategy == MetadataCacheEager {
+		if err = pullMetadata(commandEnv, writer, util.FullPath(*dir), remoteStorageLocation, util.FullPath(*dir), remoteConf); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("cache metadata: %w", err)
+		}
 	}
 
 	// store a mount configuration in filer
@@ -108,17 +129,15 @@ func jsonPrintln(writer io.Writer, message proto.Message) error {
 	return filer.ProtoToText(writer, message)
 }
 
-func syncMetadata(commandEnv *CommandEnv, writer io.Writer, dir string, nonEmpty bool, remoteConf *remote_pb.RemoteConf, remote *remote_pb.RemoteStorageLocation) error {
-
-	// find existing directory, and ensure the directory is empty
-	err := commandEnv.WithFilerClient(false, func(client filer_pb.SeaweedFilerClient) error {
+func ensureMountDirectory(commandEnv *CommandEnv, dir string, nonEmpty bool, remoteConf *remote_pb.RemoteConf) error {
+	return commandEnv.WithFilerClient(false, func(client filer_pb.SeaweedFilerClient) error {
 		parent, name := util.FullPath(dir).DirAndName()
-		_, lookupErr := client.LookupDirectoryEntry(context.Background(), &filer_pb.LookupDirectoryEntryRequest{
+		_, lookupErr := filer_pb.LookupEntry(context.Background(), client, &filer_pb.LookupDirectoryEntryRequest{
 			Directory: parent,
 			Name:      name,
 		})
 		if lookupErr != nil {
-			if strings.Contains(lookupErr.Error(), filer_pb.ErrNotFound.Error()) {
+			if errors.Is(lookupErr, filer_pb.ErrNotFound) {
 				_, createErr := client.CreateEntry(context.Background(), &filer_pb.CreateEntryRequest{
 					Directory: parent,
 					Entry: &filer_pb.Entry{
@@ -127,7 +146,7 @@ func syncMetadata(commandEnv *CommandEnv, writer io.Writer, dir string, nonEmpty
 						Attributes: &filer_pb.FuseAttributes{
 							Mtime:    time.Now().Unix(),
 							Crtime:   time.Now().Unix(),
-							FileMode: uint32(0644 | os.ModeDir),
+							FileMode: uint32(0755 | os.ModeDir),
 						},
 						RemoteEntry: &filer_pb.RemoteEntry{
 							StorageName: remoteConf.Name,
@@ -136,6 +155,7 @@ func syncMetadata(commandEnv *CommandEnv, writer io.Writer, dir string, nonEmpty
 				})
 				return createErr
 			}
+			return lookupErr
 		}
 
 		mountToDirIsEmpty := true
@@ -156,16 +176,6 @@ func syncMetadata(commandEnv *CommandEnv, writer io.Writer, dir string, nonEmpty
 
 		return nil
 	})
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	// pull metadata from remote
-	if err = pullMetadata(commandEnv, writer, util.FullPath(dir), remote, util.FullPath(dir), remoteConf); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("cache metadata: %w", err)
-	}
-
-	return nil
 }
 
 // if an entry has synchronized metadata but has not synchronized content
diff --git a/weed/shell/command_remote_mount_buckets.go b/weed/shell/command_remote_mount_buckets.go
index 77aa1ba30..d1b664c69 100644
--- a/weed/shell/command_remote_mount_buckets.go
+++ b/weed/shell/command_remote_mount_buckets.go
@@ -109,9 +109,11 @@ func (c *commandRemoteMountBuckets) Do(args []string, commandEnv *CommandEnv, wr
 				Path:   "/",
 			}
 
-			// sync metadata from remote
-			if err = syncMetadata(commandEnv, writer, string(dir), true, remoteConf, remoteStorageLocation); err != nil {
-				return fmt.Errorf("pull metadata on %+v: %v", remoteStorageLocation, err)
+			if err = ensureMountDirectory(commandEnv, string(dir), true, remoteConf); err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("mount setup on %+v: %v", remoteStorageLocation, err)
+			}
+			if err = pullMetadata(commandEnv, writer, dir, remoteStorageLocation, dir, remoteConf); err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("cache metadata on %+v: %v", remoteStorageLocation, err)
 			}
 
 			// store a mount configuration in filer