diff --git a/weed/command/backup.go b/weed/command/backup.go
index 58eda638e..bbb6c6724 100644
--- a/weed/command/backup.go
+++ b/weed/command/backup.go
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ func runBackup(cmd *Command, args []string) bool {
 
 	if datSize > stats.TailOffset {
 		// remove the old data
-		v.Destroy()
+		v.Destroy(false)
 		// recreate an empty volume
 		v, err = storage.NewVolume(util.ResolvePath(*s.dir), util.ResolvePath(*s.dir), *s.collection, vid, storage.NeedleMapInMemory, replication, ttl, 0, 0, 0)
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/weed/shell/command_volume_delete_empty.go b/weed/shell/command_volume_delete_empty.go
index f02cf87d9..bb0a194e0 100644
--- a/weed/shell/command_volume_delete_empty.go
+++ b/weed/shell/command_volume_delete_empty.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/pb"
 	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/pb/master_pb"
 	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/storage/needle"
+	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/storage/super_block"
 	"io"
 	"log"
 	"time"
@@ -57,7 +58,7 @@ func (c *commandVolumeDeleteEmpty) Do(args []string, commandEnv *CommandEnv, wri
 	eachDataNode(topologyInfo, func(dc string, rack RackId, dn *master_pb.DataNodeInfo) {
 		for _, diskInfo := range dn.DiskInfos {
 			for _, v := range diskInfo.VolumeInfos {
-				if v.Size <= 8 && v.ModifiedAtSecond > 0 && v.ModifiedAtSecond+quietSeconds < nowUnixSeconds {
+				if v.Size <= super_block.SuperBlockSize && v.ModifiedAtSecond > 0 && v.ModifiedAtSecond+quietSeconds < nowUnixSeconds {
 					if *applyBalancing {
 						log.Printf("deleting empty volume %d from %s", v.Id, dn.Id)
 						if deleteErr := deleteVolume(commandEnv.option.GrpcDialOption, needle.VolumeId(v.Id),
diff --git a/weed/storage/disk_location.go b/weed/storage/disk_location.go
index 0629acff7..2ee1548a2 100644
--- a/weed/storage/disk_location.go
+++ b/weed/storage/disk_location.go
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ func (l *DiskLocation) DeleteCollectionFromDiskLocation(collection string) (e er
 	wg.Add(2)
 	go func() {
 		for _, v := range delVolsMap {
-			if err := v.Destroy(); err != nil {
+			if err := v.Destroy(false); err != nil {
 				errChain <- err
 			}
 		}
@@ -276,12 +276,12 @@ func (l *DiskLocation) DeleteCollectionFromDiskLocation(collection string) (e er
 	return
 }
 
-func (l *DiskLocation) deleteVolumeById(vid needle.VolumeId) (found bool, e error) {
+func (l *DiskLocation) deleteVolumeById(vid needle.VolumeId, onlyEmpty bool) (found bool, e error) {
 	v, ok := l.volumes[vid]
 	if !ok {
 		return
 	}
-	e = v.Destroy()
+	e = v.Destroy(onlyEmpty)
 	if e != nil {
 		return
 	}
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ func (l *DiskLocation) LoadVolume(vid needle.VolumeId, needleMapKind NeedleMapKi
 
 var ErrVolumeNotFound = fmt.Errorf("volume not found")
 
-func (l *DiskLocation) DeleteVolume(vid needle.VolumeId) error {
+func (l *DiskLocation) DeleteVolume(vid needle.VolumeId, onlyEmpty bool) error {
 	l.volumesLock.Lock()
 	defer l.volumesLock.Unlock()
 
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ func (l *DiskLocation) DeleteVolume(vid needle.VolumeId) error {
 	if !ok {
 		return ErrVolumeNotFound
 	}
-	_, err := l.deleteVolumeById(vid)
+	_, err := l.deleteVolumeById(vid, onlyEmpty)
 	return err
 }
 
diff --git a/weed/storage/store.go b/weed/storage/store.go
index 43d4595bf..c7904c5c2 100644
--- a/weed/storage/store.go
+++ b/weed/storage/store.go
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ func (s *Store) CollectHeartbeat() *master_pb.Heartbeat {
 			// delete expired volumes.
 			location.volumesLock.Lock()
 			for _, vid := range deleteVids {
-				found, err := location.deleteVolumeById(vid)
+				found, err := location.deleteVolumeById(vid, false)
 				if err == nil {
 					if found {
 						glog.V(0).Infof("volume %d is deleted", vid)
@@ -512,9 +512,6 @@ func (s *Store) DeleteVolume(i needle.VolumeId, onlyEmpty bool) error {
 	if v == nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("delete volume %d not found on disk", i)
 	}
-	if onlyEmpty && !v.IsEmpty() {
-		return fmt.Errorf("delete volume %d not empty", i)
-	}
 	message := master_pb.VolumeShortInformationMessage{
 		Id:               uint32(v.Id),
 		Collection:       v.Collection,
@@ -524,13 +521,15 @@ func (s *Store) DeleteVolume(i needle.VolumeId, onlyEmpty bool) error {
 		DiskType:         string(v.location.DiskType),
 	}
 	for _, location := range s.Locations {
-		err := location.DeleteVolume(i)
+		err := location.DeleteVolume(i, onlyEmpty)
 		if err == nil {
 			glog.V(0).Infof("DeleteVolume %d", i)
 			s.DeletedVolumesChan <- message
 			return nil
 		} else if err == ErrVolumeNotFound {
 			continue
+		} else if err == ErrVolumeNotEmpty {
+			return fmt.Errorf("DeleteVolume %d: %v", i, err)
 		} else {
 			glog.Errorf("DeleteVolume %d: %v", i, err)
 		}
diff --git a/weed/storage/volume.go b/weed/storage/volume.go
index 79b0059d6..81c466f8f 100644
--- a/weed/storage/volume.go
+++ b/weed/storage/volume.go
@@ -133,6 +133,25 @@ func (v *Volume) ContentSize() uint64 {
 	return v.nm.ContentSize()
 }
 
+func (v *Volume) doIsEmpty() (bool, error) {
+	if v.DataBackend != nil {
+		datFileSize, _, e := v.DataBackend.GetStat()
+		if e != nil {
+			glog.V(0).Infof("Failed to read file size %s %v", v.DataBackend.Name(), e)
+			return false, e
+		}
+		if datFileSize > super_block.SuperBlockSize {
+			return false, nil
+		}
+	}
+	if v.nm != nil {
+		if v.nm.ContentSize() > 0 {
+			return false, nil
+		}
+	}
+	return true, nil
+}
+
 func (v *Volume) DeletedSize() uint64 {
 	v.dataFileAccessLock.RLock()
 	defer v.dataFileAccessLock.RUnlock()
@@ -202,6 +221,10 @@ func (v *Volume) Close() {
 	v.dataFileAccessLock.Lock()
 	defer v.dataFileAccessLock.Unlock()
 
+	v.doClose()
+}
+
+func (v *Volume) doClose() {
 	for v.isCommitCompacting {
 		time.Sleep(521 * time.Millisecond)
 		glog.Warningf("Volume Close wait for compaction %d", v.Id)
@@ -332,7 +355,3 @@ func (v *Volume) IsReadOnly() bool {
 	defer v.noWriteLock.RUnlock()
 	return v.noWriteOrDelete || v.noWriteCanDelete || v.location.isDiskSpaceLow
 }
-func (v *Volume) IsEmpty() bool {
-	datSize, _, _ := v.FileStat()
-	return datSize <= super_block.SuperBlockSize && v.ContentSize() == 0
-}
diff --git a/weed/storage/volume_write.go b/weed/storage/volume_write.go
index edee8465c..ae607e691 100644
--- a/weed/storage/volume_write.go
+++ b/weed/storage/volume_write.go
@@ -50,8 +50,24 @@ func (v *Volume) isFileUnchanged(n *needle.Needle) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
+var ErrVolumeNotEmpty = fmt.Errorf("volume not empty")
+
 // Destroy removes everything related to this volume
-func (v *Volume) Destroy() (err error) {
+func (v *Volume) Destroy(onlyEmpty bool) (err error) {
+	v.dataFileAccessLock.Lock()
+	defer v.dataFileAccessLock.Unlock()
+
+	if onlyEmpty {
+		isEmpty, e := v.doIsEmpty()
+		if e != nil {
+			err = fmt.Errorf("failed to read isEmpty %v", e)
+			return
+		}
+		if !isEmpty {
+			err = ErrVolumeNotEmpty
+			return
+		}
+	}
 	if v.isCompacting || v.isCommitCompacting {
 		err = fmt.Errorf("volume %d is compacting", v.Id)
 		return
@@ -63,7 +79,7 @@ func (v *Volume) Destroy() (err error) {
 			backendStorage.DeleteFile(storageKey)
 		}
 	}
-	v.Close()
+	v.doClose()
 	removeVolumeFiles(v.DataFileName())
 	removeVolumeFiles(v.IndexFileName())
 	return
diff --git a/weed/storage/volume_write_test.go b/weed/storage/volume_write_test.go
index 9979aa8f5..63815aecd 100644
--- a/weed/storage/volume_write_test.go
+++ b/weed/storage/volume_write_test.go
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 package storage
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"os"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -53,3 +56,111 @@ func TestSearchVolumesWithDeletedNeedles(t *testing.T) {
 	fmt.Printf("offset: %v, isLast: %v\n", offset.ToActualOffset(), isLast)
 
 }
+
+func isFileExist(path string) (bool, error) {
+	if _, err := os.Stat(path); err == nil {
+		return true, nil
+	} else if errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
+		return false, nil
+	} else {
+		return false, err
+	}
+}
+
+func assertFileExist(t *testing.T, expected bool, path string) {
+	exist, err := isFileExist(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("isFileExist: %v", err)
+	}
+	assert.Equal(t, expected, exist)
+}
+
+func TestDestroyEmptyVolumeWithOnlyEmpty(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+
+	v, err := NewVolume(dir, dir, "", 1, NeedleMapInMemory, &super_block.ReplicaPlacement{}, &needle.TTL{}, 0, 0, 0)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("volume creation: %v", err)
+	}
+	path := v.DataBackend.Name()
+
+	// should can Destroy empty volume with onlyEmpty
+	assertFileExist(t, true, path)
+	err = v.Destroy(true)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("destroy volume: %v", err)
+	}
+	assertFileExist(t, false, path)
+}
+
+func TestDestroyEmptyVolumeWithoutOnlyEmpty(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+
+	v, err := NewVolume(dir, dir, "", 1, NeedleMapInMemory, &super_block.ReplicaPlacement{}, &needle.TTL{}, 0, 0, 0)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("volume creation: %v", err)
+	}
+	path := v.DataBackend.Name()
+
+	// should can Destroy empty volume without onlyEmpty
+	assertFileExist(t, true, path)
+	err = v.Destroy(false)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("destroy volume: %v", err)
+	}
+	assertFileExist(t, false, path)
+}
+
+func TestDestroyNonemptyVolumeWithOnlyEmpty(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+
+	v, err := NewVolume(dir, dir, "", 1, NeedleMapInMemory, &super_block.ReplicaPlacement{}, &needle.TTL{}, 0, 0, 0)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("volume creation: %v", err)
+	}
+	path := v.DataBackend.Name()
+
+	// should return "volume not empty" error and do not delete file when Destroy non-empty volume
+	_, _, _, err = v.writeNeedle2(newRandomNeedle(1), true, false)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("write needle: %v", err)
+	}
+	assert.Equal(t, uint64(1), v.FileCount())
+
+	assertFileExist(t, true, path)
+	err = v.Destroy(true)
+	assert.EqualError(t, err, "volume not empty")
+	assertFileExist(t, true, path)
+
+	// should keep working after "volume not empty"
+	_, _, _, err = v.writeNeedle2(newRandomNeedle(2), true, false)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("write needle: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	assert.Equal(t, uint64(2), v.FileCount())
+}
+
+func TestDestroyNonemptyVolumeWithoutOnlyEmpty(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+
+	v, err := NewVolume(dir, dir, "", 1, NeedleMapInMemory, &super_block.ReplicaPlacement{}, &needle.TTL{}, 0, 0, 0)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("volume creation: %v", err)
+	}
+	path := v.DataBackend.Name()
+
+	// should can Destroy non-empty volume without onlyEmpty
+	_, _, _, err = v.writeNeedle2(newRandomNeedle(1), true, false)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("write needle: %v", err)
+	}
+	assert.Equal(t, uint64(1), v.FileCount())
+
+	assertFileExist(t, true, path)
+	err = v.Destroy(false)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("destroy volume: %v", err)
+	}
+	assertFileExist(t, false, path)
+}