diff --git a/weed/storage/blockvol/batchio/batchio.go b/weed/storage/blockvol/batchio/batchio.go
index 693385a98..cb93c2338 100644
--- a/weed/storage/blockvol/batchio/batchio.go
+++ b/weed/storage/blockvol/batchio/batchio.go
@@ -13,7 +13,15 @@
 //	bio.Fsync(fd)
 package batchio
 
-import "os"
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"os"
+)
+
+// ErrIOUringUnavailable is returned by NewIOUring when io_uring cannot be
+// initialized (unsupported kernel, seccomp, non-Linux platform, etc.).
+// Callers decide whether to fall back to standard or fail.
+var ErrIOUringUnavailable = errors.New("batchio: io_uring unavailable")
 
 // Op represents a single I/O operation: read or write buf at offset.
 type Op struct {
diff --git a/weed/storage/blockvol/batchio/iouring_linux.go b/weed/storage/blockvol/batchio/iouring_linux.go
index abb53e135..fd71f265a 100644
--- a/weed/storage/blockvol/batchio/iouring_linux.go
+++ b/weed/storage/blockvol/batchio/iouring_linux.go
@@ -17,13 +17,11 @@ type ioUringBatchIO struct {
 }
 
 // NewIOUring creates a BatchIO backed by io_uring with the given ring size.
-// If io_uring is unavailable (kernel too old, seccomp, etc.), returns
-// NewStandard() with a nil error — silent fallback.
+// Returns ErrIOUringUnavailable if io_uring cannot be initialized.
 func NewIOUring(ringSize uint) (BatchIO, error) {
 	ring, err := iouring.New(ringSize)
 	if err != nil {
-		// Kernel doesn't support io_uring — fall back silently.
-		return NewStandard(), nil
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%w: %v", ErrIOUringUnavailable, err)
 	}
 	return &ioUringBatchIO{ring: ring, ringSize: int(ringSize)}, nil
 }
diff --git a/weed/storage/blockvol/batchio/iouring_other.go b/weed/storage/blockvol/batchio/iouring_other.go
index eb41e0849..784e566bf 100644
--- a/weed/storage/blockvol/batchio/iouring_other.go
+++ b/weed/storage/blockvol/batchio/iouring_other.go
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@
 
 package batchio
 
-// NewIOUring returns a standard (sequential) BatchIO on non-Linux platforms
+// NewIOUring returns ErrIOUringUnavailable on non-Linux platforms
 // or when io_uring is disabled via the no_iouring build tag.
 func NewIOUring(ringSize uint) (BatchIO, error) {
-	return NewStandard(), nil
+	return nil, ErrIOUringUnavailable
 }
diff --git a/weed/storage/blockvol/batchio/standard_test.go b/weed/storage/blockvol/batchio/standard_test.go
index 40e0afaf5..0a89c64b3 100644
--- a/weed/storage/blockvol/batchio/standard_test.go
+++ b/weed/storage/blockvol/batchio/standard_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package batchio
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"errors"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"testing"
@@ -217,29 +218,16 @@ func TestStandard_PwriteBatch_ErrorOnReadOnly(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestNewIOUring_Fallback(t *testing.T) {
+func TestNewIOUring_Unavailable(t *testing.T) {
 	// On non-Linux (or without io_uring support), NewIOUring returns
-	// a working BatchIO (standard fallback).
-	bio, err := NewIOUring(256)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("NewIOUring: %v", err)
-	}
-	defer bio.Close()
-
-	// Verify it works by doing a write+read cycle.
-	f := tempFile(t)
-	data := []byte("iouring fallback test")
-	if err := bio.PwriteBatch(f, []Op{{Buf: data, Offset: 0}}); err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("PwriteBatch: %v", err)
-	}
-	if err := bio.Fsync(f); err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("Fsync: %v", err)
-	}
-	got := make([]byte, len(data))
-	if err := bio.PreadBatch(f, []Op{{Buf: got, Offset: 0}}); err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("PreadBatch: %v", err)
-	}
-	if !bytes.Equal(got, data) {
-		t.Errorf("got %q, want %q", got, data)
+	// ErrIOUringUnavailable instead of silently falling back.
+	_, err := NewIOUring(256)
+	if err == nil {
+		// io_uring is actually available (Linux with kernel 5.6+).
+		// This test validates the error path, so skip on supported systems.
+		t.Skip("io_uring is available on this system")
+	}
+	if !errors.Is(err, ErrIOUringUnavailable) {
+		t.Fatalf("expected ErrIOUringUnavailable, got: %v", err)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/weed/storage/blockvol/blockvol.go b/weed/storage/blockvol/blockvol.go
index d32812b37..721cdf788 100644
--- a/weed/storage/blockvol/blockvol.go
+++ b/weed/storage/blockvol/blockvol.go
@@ -152,6 +152,12 @@ func CreateBlockVol(path string, opts CreateOptions, cfgs ...BlockVolConfig) (*B
 		Metrics:        v.Metrics,
 	})
 	go v.groupCommit.Run()
+	bio, _, err := newBatchIO(cfg.IOBackend, log.Default())
+	if err != nil {
+		fd.Close()
+		os.Remove(path)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("blockvol: %w", err)
+	}
 	v.flusher = NewFlusher(FlusherConfig{
 		FD:       fd,
 		Super:    &v.super,
@@ -159,7 +165,7 @@ func CreateBlockVol(path string, opts CreateOptions, cfgs ...BlockVolConfig) (*B
 		DirtyMap: dm,
 		Interval: cfg.FlushInterval,
 		Metrics:  v.Metrics,
-		BatchIO:  newBatchIO(cfg.UseIOUring),
+		BatchIO:  bio,
 	})
 	go v.flusher.Run()
 	v.walAdmission = NewWALAdmission(WALAdmissionConfig{
@@ -238,6 +244,11 @@ func OpenBlockVol(path string, cfgs ...BlockVolConfig) (*BlockVol, error) {
 		Metrics:        v.Metrics,
 	})
 	go v.groupCommit.Run()
+	bio, _, err := newBatchIO(cfg.IOBackend, log.Default())
+	if err != nil {
+		fd.Close()
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("blockvol: %w", err)
+	}
 	v.flusher = NewFlusher(FlusherConfig{
 		FD:       fd,
 		Super:    &v.super,
@@ -245,7 +256,7 @@ func OpenBlockVol(path string, cfgs ...BlockVolConfig) (*BlockVol, error) {
 		DirtyMap: dirtyMap,
 		Interval: cfg.FlushInterval,
 		Metrics:  v.Metrics,
-		BatchIO:  newBatchIO(cfg.UseIOUring),
+		BatchIO:  bio,
 	})
 	go v.flusher.Run()
 
@@ -1147,15 +1158,32 @@ func (v *BlockVol) Close() error {
 	return closeErr
 }
 
-// newBatchIO creates a BatchIO backend based on config.
-// When useIOUring is true, attempts io_uring with silent fallback to standard.
-func newBatchIO(useIOUring bool) batchio.BatchIO {
-	if useIOUring {
+// newBatchIO creates a BatchIO backend based on the IOBackend config mode.
+//
+// Returns (backend, selectedName, error):
+//   - "standard": always succeeds
+//   - "auto": tries io_uring, falls back to standard with warning
+//   - "io_uring": requires io_uring, returns error if unavailable
+func newBatchIO(mode IOBackendMode, logger *log.Logger) (batchio.BatchIO, string, error) {
+	switch mode {
+	case IOBackendIOUring:
+		bio, err := batchio.NewIOUring(256)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, "", fmt.Errorf("io_uring requested but unavailable: %w", err)
+		}
+		logger.Printf("io backend: requested=io_uring selected=io_uring")
+		return bio, "io_uring", nil
+
+	case IOBackendAuto:
 		bio, err := batchio.NewIOUring(256)
 		if err != nil {
-			return batchio.NewStandard()
+			logger.Printf("io backend: requested=auto selected=standard reason=%v", err)
+			return batchio.NewStandard(), "standard", nil
 		}
-		return bio
+		logger.Printf("io backend: requested=auto selected=io_uring")
+		return bio, "io_uring", nil
+
+	default: // IOBackendStandard or empty
+		return batchio.NewStandard(), "standard", nil
 	}
-	return batchio.NewStandard()
 }
diff --git a/weed/storage/blockvol/config.go b/weed/storage/blockvol/config.go
index dbc87b435..ab1800a42 100644
--- a/weed/storage/blockvol/config.go
+++ b/weed/storage/blockvol/config.go
@@ -19,9 +19,25 @@ type BlockVolConfig struct {
 	WALSoftWatermark       float64       // WAL fraction above which writes begin throttling (default 0.7)
 	WALHardWatermark       float64       // WAL fraction above which writes block until drain (default 0.9)
 	WALMaxConcurrentWrites int           // max concurrent writers in WAL append path (default 16)
-	UseIOUring             bool          // opt-in: use io_uring for batch flusher I/O (Linux 5.6+ only)
+	IOBackend              IOBackendMode // flusher I/O backend: "auto", "standard", "io_uring" (default "standard")
 }
 
+// IOBackendMode selects the batch I/O backend for the flusher.
+type IOBackendMode string
+
+const (
+	// IOBackendStandard uses sequential pread/pwrite/fdatasync (default).
+	IOBackendStandard IOBackendMode = "standard"
+
+	// IOBackendAuto uses io_uring if available, falls back to standard.
+	// Logs which backend was selected.
+	IOBackendAuto IOBackendMode = "auto"
+
+	// IOBackendIOUring requires io_uring. Fails volume open/create if unavailable.
+	// Use for benchmarking to guarantee the io_uring path is active.
+	IOBackendIOUring IOBackendMode = "io_uring"
+)
+
 // DefaultConfig returns a BlockVolConfig with production defaults.
 func DefaultConfig() BlockVolConfig {
 	return BlockVolConfig{
diff --git a/weed/storage/blockvol/iscsi/cmd/iscsi-target/main.go b/weed/storage/blockvol/iscsi/cmd/iscsi-target/main.go
index cebce459a..ab71fd94a 100644
--- a/weed/storage/blockvol/iscsi/cmd/iscsi-target/main.go
+++ b/weed/storage/blockvol/iscsi/cmd/iscsi-target/main.go
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ func main() {
 	nqn := flag.String("nqn", "", "NVMe NQN (defaults to nqn.2024-01.com.seaweedfs:vol.<sanitized iqn suffix>)")
 	walMaxCW := flag.Int("wal-max-concurrent-writes", 0, "max concurrent writers in WAL append path (0 = use default 16)")
 	nvmeIOQueues := flag.Int("nvme-io-queues", 0, "max NVMe IO queues (0 = use default 4)")
+	ioBackend := flag.String("io-backend", "standard", "flusher I/O backend: standard, auto, io_uring")
 	flag.Parse()
 
 	if *volPath == "" {
@@ -59,14 +60,14 @@ func main() {
 
 	logger := log.New(os.Stdout, "[iscsi] ", log.LstdFlags)
 
-	// Build config with optional WAL concurrency override.
-	var cfgs []blockvol.BlockVolConfig
+	// Build config.
+	cfg := blockvol.DefaultConfig()
+	cfg.IOBackend = blockvol.IOBackendMode(*ioBackend)
 	if *walMaxCW > 0 {
-		cfg := blockvol.DefaultConfig()
 		cfg.WALMaxConcurrentWrites = *walMaxCW
-		cfgs = append(cfgs, cfg)
 		logger.Printf("WALMaxConcurrentWrites = %d", *walMaxCW)
 	}
+	cfgs := []blockvol.BlockVolConfig{cfg}
 
 	var vol *blockvol.BlockVol
 	var err error