diff --git a/weed/storage/store_ec.go b/weed/storage/store_ec.go
index e934df841..92a63da8f 100644
--- a/weed/storage/store_ec.go
+++ b/weed/storage/store_ec.go
@@ -157,13 +157,17 @@ func (s *Store) readOneEcShardInterval(ctx context.Context, ecVolume *erasure_co
 		}
 	} else {
 		ecVolume.ShardLocationsLock.RLock()
-		sourceDataNodes, _ := ecVolume.ShardLocations[shardId]
+		sourceDataNodes, hasShardIdLocation := ecVolume.ShardLocations[shardId]
 		ecVolume.ShardLocationsLock.RUnlock()
 
 		// try reading directly
-		_, err = s.readRemoteEcShardInterval(ctx, sourceDataNodes, ecVolume.VolumeId, shardId, data, actualOffset)
-		if err == nil {
-			return
+		if hasShardIdLocation {
+			_, err = s.readRemoteEcShardInterval(ctx, sourceDataNodes, ecVolume.VolumeId, shardId, data, actualOffset)
+			if err == nil {
+				return
+			}
+			glog.V(0).Infof("clearing ec shard %d.%d locations: %v", ecVolume.VolumeId, shardId, err)
+			forgetShardId(ecVolume, shardId)
 		}
 
 		// try reading by recovering from other shards
@@ -176,6 +180,13 @@ func (s *Store) readOneEcShardInterval(ctx context.Context, ecVolume *erasure_co
 	return
 }
 
+func forgetShardId(ecVolume *erasure_coding.EcVolume, shardId erasure_coding.ShardId) {
+	// failed to access the source data nodes, clear it up
+	ecVolume.ShardLocationsLock.Lock()
+	delete(ecVolume.ShardLocations, shardId)
+	ecVolume.ShardLocationsLock.Unlock()
+}
+
 func (s *Store) cachedLookupEcShardLocations(ctx context.Context, ecVolume *erasure_coding.EcVolume) (err error) {
 
 	if ecVolume.ShardLocationsRefreshTime.Add(10 * time.Minute).After(time.Now()) {
@@ -265,7 +276,7 @@ func (s *Store) doReadRemoteEcShardInterval(ctx context.Context, sourceDataNode
 }
 
 func (s *Store) recoverOneRemoteEcShardInterval(ctx context.Context, ecVolume *erasure_coding.EcVolume, shardIdToRecover erasure_coding.ShardId, buf []byte, offset int64) (n int, err error) {
-	glog.V(1).Infof("recover ec shard %d.%d from other locations", ecVolume.VolumeId, shardIdToRecover)
+	glog.V(4).Infof("recover ec shard %d.%d from other locations", ecVolume.VolumeId, shardIdToRecover)
 
 	enc, err := reedsolomon.New(erasure_coding.DataShardsCount, erasure_coding.ParityShardsCount)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -294,7 +305,8 @@ func (s *Store) recoverOneRemoteEcShardInterval(ctx context.Context, ecVolume *e
 			data := make([]byte, len(buf))
 			nRead, readErr := s.readRemoteEcShardInterval(ctx, locations, ecVolume.VolumeId, shardId, data, offset)
 			if readErr != nil {
-				glog.V(4).Infof("recover: readRemoteEcShardInterval %d.%d %d bytes from %+v: %v", ecVolume.VolumeId, shardId, nRead, locations, readErr)
+				glog.V(3).Infof("recover: readRemoteEcShardInterval %d.%d %d bytes from %+v: %v", ecVolume.VolumeId, shardId, nRead, locations, readErr)
+				forgetShardId(ecVolume, shardId)
 			}
 			if nRead == len(buf) {
 				bufs[shardId] = data
@@ -309,7 +321,7 @@ func (s *Store) recoverOneRemoteEcShardInterval(ctx context.Context, ecVolume *e
 		glog.V(3).Infof("recovered ec shard %d.%d failed: %v", ecVolume.VolumeId, shardIdToRecover, err)
 		return 0, err
 	}
-	glog.V(3).Infof("recovered ec shard %d.%d from other locations", ecVolume.VolumeId, shardIdToRecover)
+	glog.V(4).Infof("recovered ec shard %d.%d from other locations", ecVolume.VolumeId, shardIdToRecover)
 
 	copy(buf, bufs[shardIdToRecover])