diff --git a/weed/filer/filer.go b/weed/filer/filer.go
index 5510645cd..2dec1afbf 100644
--- a/weed/filer/filer.go
+++ b/weed/filer/filer.go
@@ -317,11 +317,3 @@ func (f *Filer) Shutdown() {
 	f.LocalMetaLogBuffer.Shutdown()
 	f.Store.Shutdown()
 }
-
-func (f *Filer) maybeDeleteHardLinks(hardLinkIds []HardLinkId) {
-	for _, hardLinkId := range hardLinkIds {
-		if err := f.Store.DeleteHardLink(context.Background(), hardLinkId); err != nil {
-			glog.Errorf("delete hard link id %d : %v", hardLinkId, err)
-		}
-	}
-}
diff --git a/weed/filer/filer_deletion.go b/weed/filer/filer_deletion.go
index 9eee38277..b87d88d0b 100644
--- a/weed/filer/filer_deletion.go
+++ b/weed/filer/filer_deletion.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package filer
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
@@ -151,3 +152,11 @@ func (f *Filer) deleteChunksIfNotNew(oldEntry, newEntry *Entry) {
 	}
 	f.DeleteChunks(toDelete)
 }
+
+func (f *Filer) maybeDeleteHardLinks(hardLinkIds []HardLinkId) {
+	for _, hardLinkId := range hardLinkIds {
+		if err := f.Store.DeleteHardLink(context.Background(), hardLinkId); err != nil {
+			glog.Errorf("delete hard link id %d : %v", hardLinkId, err)
+		}
+	}
+}