diff --git a/weed/shell/command_volume_check_disk.go b/weed/shell/command_volume_check_disk.go
index 0e76f6ac9..669bbaf3b 100644
--- a/weed/shell/command_volume_check_disk.go
+++ b/weed/shell/command_volume_check_disk.go
@@ -5,6 +5,12 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"flag"
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"math"
+	"net/http"
+	"sync"
+	"time"
+
 	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/operation"
 	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/pb"
 	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/pb/master_pb"
@@ -13,11 +19,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/storage/needle_map"
 	"golang.org/x/exp/slices"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc"
-	"io"
-	"math"
-	"net/http"
-	"sync"
-	"time"
 )
 
 func init() {
@@ -141,23 +142,35 @@ func (c *commandVolumeCheckDisk) Do(args []string, commandEnv *CommandEnv, write
 		if *volumeId > 0 && replicas[0].info.Id != uint32(*volumeId) {
 			continue
 		}
-		slices.SortFunc(replicas, func(a, b *VolumeReplica) int {
+		// filter readonly replica
+		var writableReplicas []*VolumeReplica
+		for _, replica := range replicas {
+			if replica.info.ReadOnly {
+				fmt.Fprintf(writer, "skipping readonly volume %d on %s\n", replica.info.Id, replica.location.dataNode.Id)
+			} else {
+				writableReplicas = append(writableReplicas, replica)
+			}
+		}
+
+		slices.SortFunc(writableReplicas, func(a, b *VolumeReplica) int {
 			return int(b.info.FileCount - a.info.FileCount)
 		})
-		for len(replicas) >= 2 {
-			a, b := replicas[0], replicas[1]
-			replicas = replicas[1:]
-			if a.info.ReadOnly || b.info.ReadOnly {
-				fmt.Fprintf(writer, "skipping readonly volume %d on %s and %s\n",
-					a.info.Id, a.location.dataNode.Id, b.location.dataNode.Id)
-				continue
-			}
+		for len(writableReplicas) >= 2 {
+			a, b := writableReplicas[0], writableReplicas[1]
 			if !*slowMode && c.shouldSkipVolume(a, b, pulseTimeAtSecond, *syncDeletions, *verbose) {
+				// always choose the larger volume to be the source
+				writableReplicas = append(replicas[:1], writableReplicas[2:]...)
 				continue
 			}
 			if err := c.syncTwoReplicas(a, b, *applyChanges, *syncDeletions, *nonRepairThreshold, *verbose); err != nil {
 				fmt.Fprintf(writer, "sync volume %d on %s and %s: %v\n", a.info.Id, a.location.dataNode.Id, b.location.dataNode.Id, err)
 			}
+			// always choose the larger volume to be the source
+			if a.info.FileCount > b.info.FileCount {
+				writableReplicas = append(writableReplicas[:1], writableReplicas[2:]...)
+			} else {
+				writableReplicas = writableReplicas[1:]
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -191,13 +204,15 @@ func (c *commandVolumeCheckDisk) checkBoth(a *VolumeReplica, b *VolumeReplica, a
 	}
 
 	// find and make up the differences
-	if aHasChanges, err = doVolumeCheckDisk(bDB, aDB, b, a, verbose, c.writer, applyChanges, doSyncDeletions, nonRepairThreshold, readIndexDbCutoffFrom, c.env.option.GrpcDialOption); err != nil {
-		return true, true, fmt.Errorf("doVolumeCheckDisk source:%s target:%s volume %d: %v", b.location.dataNode.Id, a.location.dataNode.Id, b.info.Id, err)
+	aHasChanges, err1 := doVolumeCheckDisk(bDB, aDB, b, a, verbose, c.writer, applyChanges, doSyncDeletions, nonRepairThreshold, readIndexDbCutoffFrom, c.env.option.GrpcDialOption)
+	bHasChanges, err2 := doVolumeCheckDisk(aDB, bDB, a, b, verbose, c.writer, applyChanges, doSyncDeletions, nonRepairThreshold, readIndexDbCutoffFrom, c.env.option.GrpcDialOption)
+	if err1 != nil {
+		return aHasChanges, bHasChanges, fmt.Errorf("doVolumeCheckDisk source:%s target:%s volume %d: %v", b.location.dataNode.Id, a.location.dataNode.Id, b.info.Id, err1)
 	}
-	if bHasChanges, err = doVolumeCheckDisk(aDB, bDB, a, b, verbose, c.writer, applyChanges, doSyncDeletions, nonRepairThreshold, readIndexDbCutoffFrom, c.env.option.GrpcDialOption); err != nil {
-		return true, true, fmt.Errorf("doVolumeCheckDisk source:%s target:%s volume %d: %v", a.location.dataNode.Id, b.location.dataNode.Id, a.info.Id, err)
+	if err2 != nil {
+		return aHasChanges, bHasChanges, fmt.Errorf("doVolumeCheckDisk source:%s target:%s volume %d: %v", a.location.dataNode.Id, b.location.dataNode.Id, a.info.Id, err2)
 	}
-	return
+	return aHasChanges, bHasChanges, nil
 }
 
 func doVolumeCheckDisk(minuend, subtrahend *needle_map.MemDb, source, target *VolumeReplica, verbose bool, writer io.Writer, applyChanges bool, doSyncDeletions bool, nonRepairThreshold float64, cutoffFromAtNs uint64, grpcDialOption grpc.DialOption) (hasChanges bool, err error) {