diff --git a/weed/filer/filer.go b/weed/filer/filer.go
index ecdb24c82..49f730370 100644
--- a/weed/filer/filer.go
+++ b/weed/filer/filer.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
+	"sync"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/s3api/s3bucket"
@@ -61,6 +62,7 @@ type Filer struct {
 	deletionQuit        chan struct{}
 	DeletionRetryQueue  *DeletionRetryQueue
 	EmptyFolderCleaner  *empty_folder_cleanup.EmptyFolderCleaner
+	remoteDeletionLoop  sync.Once
 }
 
 func NewFiler(masters pb.ServerDiscovery, grpcDialOption grpc.DialOption, filerHost pb.ServerAddress, filerGroup string, collection string, replication string, dataCenter string, maxFilenameLength uint32, notifyFn func()) *Filer {
@@ -85,7 +87,6 @@ func NewFiler(masters pb.ServerDiscovery, grpcDialOption grpc.DialOption, filerH
 	f.metaLogReplication = replication
 
 	go f.loopProcessingDeletion()
-	go f.loopProcessingRemoteMetadataDeletionPending()
 
 	return f
 }
@@ -152,6 +153,9 @@ func (f *Filer) ListExistingPeerUpdates(ctx context.Context) (existingNodes []*m
 
 func (f *Filer) SetStore(store FilerStore) (isFresh bool) {
 	f.Store = NewFilerStoreWrapper(store)
+	f.remoteDeletionLoop.Do(func() {
+		go f.loopProcessingRemoteMetadataDeletionPending()
+	})
 
 	return f.setOrLoadFilerStoreSignature(store)
 }
diff --git a/weed/filer/filer_delete_entry.go b/weed/filer/filer_delete_entry.go
index c7a902d21..e592efcc0 100644
--- a/weed/filer/filer_delete_entry.go
+++ b/weed/filer/filer_delete_entry.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package filer
 import (
 	"encoding/base64"
 	"context"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
@@ -19,6 +20,8 @@ const (
 	remoteMetadataDeletionPendingIndexKey = "filer.remote.metadata.deletion.pending.index"
 	remoteMetadataDeletionPendingKeyPrefix = "filer.remote.metadata.deletion.pending/"
 	remoteMetadataDeletionReconcileInterval = 1 * time.Minute
+	remoteMetadataDeletionMarkRetryAttempts = 3
+	remoteMetadataDeletionMarkRetryBackoff = 100 * time.Millisecond
 )
 
 type OnChunksFunc func([]*filer_pb.FileChunk) error
@@ -142,8 +145,21 @@ func (f *Filer) doDeleteEntryMetaAndData(ctx context.Context, entry *Entry, shou
 		return remoteDeletionErr
 	}
 	if remoteDeleted {
-		if markErr := f.markRemoteMetadataDeletionPending(ctx, entry.FullPath); markErr != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("mark remote metadata deletion pending %s: %w", entry.FullPath, markErr)
+		markBackoff := remoteMetadataDeletionMarkRetryBackoff
+		var markErr error
+		for attempt := 1; attempt <= remoteMetadataDeletionMarkRetryAttempts; attempt++ {
+			markErr = f.markRemoteMetadataDeletionPending(ctx, entry.FullPath)
+			if markErr == nil {
+				break
+			}
+			if attempt < remoteMetadataDeletionMarkRetryAttempts {
+				time.Sleep(markBackoff)
+				markBackoff *= 2
+			}
+		}
+		if markErr != nil {
+			glog.Errorf("CRITICAL: failed to mark remote metadata deletion pending for %s after %d attempts: %v", entry.FullPath, remoteMetadataDeletionMarkRetryAttempts, markErr)
+			return fmt.Errorf("mark remote metadata deletion pending %s after retries: %w", entry.FullPath, markErr)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -201,6 +217,10 @@ func (f *Filer) loopProcessingRemoteMetadataDeletionPending() {
 }
 
 func (f *Filer) reconcilePendingRemoteMetadataDeletions(ctx context.Context) error {
+	if f.Store == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	pendingPaths, err := f.listPendingRemoteMetadataDeletionPaths(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -208,7 +228,7 @@ func (f *Filer) reconcilePendingRemoteMetadataDeletions(ctx context.Context) err
 
 	for _, pendingPath := range pendingPaths {
 		entry, findErr := f.FindEntry(ctx, pendingPath)
-		if findErr == filer_pb.ErrNotFound || entry == nil {
+		if errors.Is(findErr, filer_pb.ErrNotFound) || entry == nil {
 			if clearErr := f.clearRemoteMetadataDeletionPending(ctx, pendingPath); clearErr != nil {
 				glog.Warningf("clear remote metadata deletion pending %s: %v", pendingPath, clearErr)
 			}
@@ -305,6 +325,10 @@ func (f *Filer) clearRemoteMetadataDeletionPending(ctx context.Context, path uti
 }
 
 func (f *Filer) listPendingRemoteMetadataDeletionPaths(ctx context.Context) ([]util.FullPath, error) {
+	if f.Store == nil {
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+
 	indexData, err := f.Store.KvGet(ctx, []byte(remoteMetadataDeletionPendingIndexKey))
 	if err != nil {
 		if err == ErrKvNotFound {