diff --git a/weed/filer/filer_rename.go b/weed/filer/filer_rename.go
index fdd6051a8..cf4a2b79f 100644
--- a/weed/filer/filer_rename.go
+++ b/weed/filer/filer_rename.go
@@ -2,16 +2,23 @@ package filer
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/util"
 	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/util"
 )
 
-func (f *Filer) CanRename(source, target util.FullPath) error {
+func (f *Filer) CanRename(source, target util.FullPath, oldName string) error {
+	sourcePath := source.Child(oldName)
+	if strings.HasPrefix(string(target), string(sourcePath)) {
+		return fmt.Errorf("mv: can not move directory to a subdirectory of itself")
+	}
+
 	sourceBucket := f.DetectBucket(source)
 	targetBucket := f.DetectBucket(target)
 	if sourceBucket != targetBucket {
 		return fmt.Errorf("can not move across collection %s => %s", sourceBucket, targetBucket)
 	}
+
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/weed/server/filer_grpc_server_rename.go b/weed/server/filer_grpc_server_rename.go
index ff682da43..016d37b60 100644
--- a/weed/server/filer_grpc_server_rename.go
+++ b/weed/server/filer_grpc_server_rename.go
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ func (fs *FilerServer) AtomicRenameEntry(ctx context.Context, req *filer_pb.Atom
 	oldParent := util.FullPath(filepath.ToSlash(req.OldDirectory))
 	newParent := util.FullPath(filepath.ToSlash(req.NewDirectory))
 
-	if err := fs.filer.CanRename(oldParent, newParent); err != nil {
+	if err := fs.filer.CanRename(oldParent, newParent, req.OldName); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ func (fs *FilerServer) StreamRenameEntry(req *filer_pb.StreamRenameEntryRequest,
 	oldParent := util.FullPath(filepath.ToSlash(req.OldDirectory))
 	newParent := util.FullPath(filepath.ToSlash(req.NewDirectory))
 
-	if err := fs.filer.CanRename(oldParent, newParent); err != nil {
+	if err := fs.filer.CanRename(oldParent, newParent, req.OldName); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}