diff --git a/weed/storage/volume.go b/weed/storage/volume.go
index 2053cd679..701d88760 100644
--- a/weed/storage/volume.go
+++ b/weed/storage/volume.go
@@ -299,23 +299,6 @@ func (v *Volume) ContentSize() uint64 {
 	return v.nm.ContentSize()
 }
 
-func checkFile(filename string) (exists, canRead, canWrite bool, modTime time.Time) {
-	exists = true
-	fi, err := os.Stat(filename)
-	if os.IsNotExist(err) {
-		exists = false
-		return
-	}
-	if fi.Mode()&0400 != 0 {
-		canRead = true
-	}
-	if fi.Mode()&0200 != 0 {
-		canWrite = true
-	}
-	modTime = fi.ModTime()
-	return
-}
-
 // volume is expired if modified time + volume ttl < now
 // except when volume is empty
 // or when the volume does not have a ttl
diff --git a/weed/storage/volume_loading.go b/weed/storage/volume_loading.go
index 968471620..f2099de83 100644
--- a/weed/storage/volume_loading.go
+++ b/weed/storage/volume_loading.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package storage
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/glog"
 )
@@ -87,3 +88,20 @@ func (v *Volume) load(alsoLoadIndex bool, createDatIfMissing bool, needleMapKind
 	}
 	return e
 }
+
+func checkFile(filename string) (exists, canRead, canWrite bool, modTime time.Time) {
+	exists = true
+	fi, err := os.Stat(filename)
+	if os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		exists = false
+		return
+	}
+	if fi.Mode()&0400 != 0 {
+		canRead = true
+	}
+	if fi.Mode()&0200 != 0 {
+		canWrite = true
+	}
+	modTime = fi.ModTime()
+	return
+}