diff --git a/weed/filer/filer.go b/weed/filer/filer.go
index df377a135..91ba0819a 100644
--- a/weed/filer/filer.go
+++ b/weed/filer/filer.go
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ func (f *Filer) ensureParentDirectoryEntry(ctx context.Context, entry *Entry, di
 	}
 
 	dirPath := "/" + util.Join(dirParts[:level]...)
-	// fmt.Printf("%d directory: %+v\n", i, dirPath)
+	// fmt.Printf("%d dirPath: %+v\n", level, dirPath)
 
 	// check the store directly
 	glog.V(4).Infof("find uncached directory: %s", dirPath)
@@ -257,9 +257,11 @@ func (f *Filer) ensureParentDirectoryEntry(ctx context.Context, entry *Entry, di
 	// no such existing directory
 	if dirEntry == nil {
 
-		if len(dirParts) >= 2 && level == 2 && dirParts[0] == "buckets" {
-			if err := s3bucket.VerifyS3BucketName(dirParts[1]); err != nil {
-				return fmt.Errorf("invalid bucket name %s: %v", dirParts[1], err)
+		// fmt.Printf("dirParts: %v %v %v\n", dirParts[0], dirParts[1], dirParts[2])
+		// dirParts[0] == "" and dirParts[1] == "buckets"
+		if len(dirParts) >= 3 && dirParts[1] == "buckets" {
+			if err := s3bucket.VerifyS3BucketName(dirParts[2]); err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("invalid bucket name %s: %v", dirParts[2], err)
 			}
 		}
 
diff --git a/weed/s3api/s3bucket/s3api_bucket_test.go b/weed/s3api/s3bucket/s3api_bucket_test.go
index b331a793a..9ada225ef 100644
--- a/weed/s3api/s3bucket/s3api_bucket_test.go
+++ b/weed/s3api/s3bucket/s3api_bucket_test.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ func Test_verifyBucketName(t *testing.T) {
 		"123.12.153.10",
 		"abc214..2",
 		"d",
+		"aa",
 		".ewfs3253543",
 		"grehtrry-",
 		"----------",