diff --git a/other/java/client/src/main/proto/filer.proto b/other/java/client/src/main/proto/filer.proto
index f0334a377..daa20c378 100644
--- a/other/java/client/src/main/proto/filer.proto
+++ b/other/java/client/src/main/proto/filer.proto
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ message Entry {
     repeated FileChunk chunks = 3;
     FuseAttributes attributes = 4;
     map<string, bytes> extended = 5;
-    int64 hard_link_id = 7;
+    bytes hard_link_id = 7;
     int32 hard_link_counter = 8; // only exists in hard link meta data
 }
 
diff --git a/weed/filer/entry.go b/weed/filer/entry.go
index 45ede0e8e..421e51432 100644
--- a/weed/filer/entry.go
+++ b/weed/filer/entry.go
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ func (entry *Entry) ToProtoEntry() *filer_pb.Entry {
 		Attributes:      EntryAttributeToPb(entry),
 		Chunks:          entry.Chunks,
 		Extended:        entry.Extended,
-		HardLinkId:      int64(entry.HardLinkId),
+		HardLinkId:      entry.HardLinkId,
 		HardLinkCounter: entry.HardLinkCounter,
 	}
 }
diff --git a/weed/filer/entry_codec.go b/weed/filer/entry_codec.go
index 21531ad7a..884fb2670 100644
--- a/weed/filer/entry_codec.go
+++ b/weed/filer/entry_codec.go
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ func (entry *Entry) EncodeAttributesAndChunks() ([]byte, error) {
 		Attributes:      EntryAttributeToPb(entry),
 		Chunks:          entry.Chunks,
 		Extended:        entry.Extended,
-		HardLinkId:      int64(entry.HardLinkId),
+		HardLinkId:      entry.HardLinkId,
 		HardLinkCounter: entry.HardLinkCounter,
 	}
 	return proto.Marshal(message)
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ func (entry *Entry) DecodeAttributesAndChunks(blob []byte) error {
 
 	entry.Chunks = message.Chunks
 
-	entry.HardLinkId = HardLinkId(message.HardLinkId)
+	entry.HardLinkId = message.HardLinkId
 	entry.HardLinkCounter = message.HardLinkCounter
 
 	return nil
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ func EqualEntry(a, b *Entry) bool {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if a.HardLinkId != b.HardLinkId {
+	if !bytes.Equal(a.HardLinkId, b.HardLinkId) {
 		return false
 	}
 	if a.HardLinkCounter != b.HardLinkCounter {
diff --git a/weed/filer/filer_delete_entry.go b/weed/filer/filer_delete_entry.go
index 693b93f8b..6c9ff56d3 100644
--- a/weed/filer/filer_delete_entry.go
+++ b/weed/filer/filer_delete_entry.go
@@ -10,12 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/util"
 )
 
-type HardLinkId int64
-func (hardLinkId HardLinkId) Key() []byte{
-	bytes := make([]byte, 8)
-	util.Uint64toBytes(bytes, uint64(hardLinkId))
-	return bytes
-}
+type HardLinkId []byte
 
 func (f *Filer) DeleteEntryMetaAndData(ctx context.Context, p util.FullPath, isRecursive, ignoreRecursiveError, shouldDeleteChunks, isFromOtherCluster bool, signatures []int32) (err error) {
 	if p == "/" {
@@ -95,7 +90,7 @@ func (f *Filer) doBatchDeleteFolderMetaAndData(ctx context.Context, entry *Entry
 				hardlinkIds = append(hardlinkIds, dirHardLinkIds...)
 			} else {
 				f.NotifyUpdateEvent(ctx, sub, nil, shouldDeleteChunks, isFromOtherCluster, nil)
-				if sub.HardLinkId != 0 {
+				if len(sub.HardLinkId) != 0 {
 					// hard link chunk data are deleted separately
 					hardlinkIds = append(hardlinkIds, sub.HardLinkId)
 				} else {
diff --git a/weed/filer/filerstore.go b/weed/filer/filerstore.go
index 888168581..11e30878d 100644
--- a/weed/filer/filerstore.go
+++ b/weed/filer/filerstore.go
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ func (fsw *FilerStoreWrapper) DeleteEntry(ctx context.Context, fp util.FullPath)
 	if findErr == filer_pb.ErrNotFound {
 		return nil
 	}
-	if existingEntry.HardLinkId != 0 {
+	if len(existingEntry.HardLinkId) != 0 {
 		// remove hard link
 		if err = fsw.DeleteHardLink(ctx, existingEntry.HardLinkId); err != nil {
 			return err
diff --git a/weed/filer/filerstore_hardlink.go b/weed/filer/filerstore_hardlink.go
index ec768b9cb..9cb32f27f 100644
--- a/weed/filer/filerstore_hardlink.go
+++ b/weed/filer/filerstore_hardlink.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package filer
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/glog"
@@ -8,7 +9,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func (fsw *FilerStoreWrapper) handleUpdateToHardLinks(ctx context.Context, entry *Entry) error {
-	if entry.HardLinkId == 0 {
+	if len(entry.HardLinkId) == 0 {
 		return nil
 	}
 	// handle hard links
@@ -23,7 +24,7 @@ func (fsw *FilerStoreWrapper) handleUpdateToHardLinks(ctx context.Context, entry
 	}
 
 	// remove old hard link
-	if err == nil && existingEntry.HardLinkId != entry.HardLinkId {
+	if err == nil && bytes.Compare(existingEntry.HardLinkId, entry.HardLinkId) != 0 {
 		if err = fsw.DeleteHardLink(ctx, existingEntry.HardLinkId); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -32,10 +33,10 @@ func (fsw *FilerStoreWrapper) handleUpdateToHardLinks(ctx context.Context, entry
 }
 
 func (fsw *FilerStoreWrapper) setHardLink(ctx context.Context, entry *Entry) error {
-	if entry.HardLinkId == 0 {
+	if len(entry.HardLinkId) == 0 {
 		return nil
 	}
-	key := entry.HardLinkId.Key()
+	key := entry.HardLinkId
 
 	newBlob, encodeErr := entry.EncodeAttributesAndChunks()
 	if encodeErr != nil {
@@ -46,10 +47,10 @@ func (fsw *FilerStoreWrapper) setHardLink(ctx context.Context, entry *Entry) err
 }
 
 func (fsw *FilerStoreWrapper) maybeReadHardLink(ctx context.Context, entry *Entry) error {
-	if entry.HardLinkId == 0 {
+	if len(entry.HardLinkId) == 0 {
 		return nil
 	}
-	key := entry.HardLinkId.Key()
+	key := entry.HardLinkId
 
 	value, err := fsw.KvGet(ctx, key)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -66,7 +67,7 @@ func (fsw *FilerStoreWrapper) maybeReadHardLink(ctx context.Context, entry *Entr
 }
 
 func (fsw *FilerStoreWrapper) DeleteHardLink(ctx context.Context, hardLinkId HardLinkId) error {
-	key := hardLinkId.Key()
+	key := hardLinkId
 	value, err := fsw.KvGet(ctx, key)
 	if err == ErrKvNotFound {
 		return nil
diff --git a/weed/filesys/dir_link.go b/weed/filesys/dir_link.go
index ddc3248bd..f36918734 100644
--- a/weed/filesys/dir_link.go
+++ b/weed/filesys/dir_link.go
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ func (dir *Dir) Link(ctx context.Context, req *fuse.LinkRequest, old fs.Node) (f
 	}
 
 	// update old file to hardlink mode
-	if oldFile.entry.HardLinkId == 0 {
-		oldFile.entry.HardLinkId = util.RandomInt64()
+	if oldFile.entry.HardLinkId == nil {
+		oldFile.entry.HardLinkId = util.RandomBytes(16)
 		oldFile.entry.HardLinkCounter = 1
 	}
 	oldFile.entry.HardLinkCounter++
diff --git a/weed/filesys/file.go b/weed/filesys/file.go
index f501e1ec8..98ee010d8 100644
--- a/weed/filesys/file.go
+++ b/weed/filesys/file.go
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ func (file *File) Forget() {
 }
 
 func (file *File) maybeLoadEntry(ctx context.Context) error {
-	if (file.entry == nil || file.entry.HardLinkId != 0) && file.isOpen <= 0 {
+	if (file.entry == nil || len(file.entry.HardLinkId) != 0) && file.isOpen <= 0 {
 		entry, err := file.wfs.maybeLoadEntry(file.dir.FullPath(), file.Name)
 		if err != nil {
 			glog.V(3).Infof("maybeLoadEntry file %s/%s: %v", file.dir.FullPath(), file.Name, err)
diff --git a/weed/pb/filer.proto b/weed/pb/filer.proto
index f0334a377..daa20c378 100644
--- a/weed/pb/filer.proto
+++ b/weed/pb/filer.proto
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ message Entry {
     repeated FileChunk chunks = 3;
     FuseAttributes attributes = 4;
     map<string, bytes> extended = 5;
-    int64 hard_link_id = 7;
+    bytes hard_link_id = 7;
     int32 hard_link_counter = 8; // only exists in hard link meta data
 }
 
diff --git a/weed/pb/filer_pb/filer.pb.go b/weed/pb/filer_pb/filer.pb.go
index 79c47548f..bf3adb78a 100644
--- a/weed/pb/filer_pb/filer.pb.go
+++ b/weed/pb/filer_pb/filer.pb.go
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ type Entry struct {
 	Chunks          []*FileChunk      `protobuf:"bytes,3,rep,name=chunks,proto3" json:"chunks,omitempty"`
 	Attributes      *FuseAttributes   `protobuf:"bytes,4,opt,name=attributes,proto3" json:"attributes,omitempty"`
 	Extended        map[string][]byte `protobuf:"bytes,5,rep,name=extended,proto3" json:"extended,omitempty" protobuf_key:"bytes,1,opt,name=key,proto3" protobuf_val:"bytes,2,opt,name=value,proto3"`
-	HardLinkId      int64             `protobuf:"varint,7,opt,name=hard_link_id,json=hardLinkId,proto3" json:"hard_link_id,omitempty"`
+	HardLinkId      []byte            `protobuf:"bytes,7,opt,name=hard_link_id,json=hardLinkId,proto3" json:"hard_link_id,omitempty"`
 	HardLinkCounter int32             `protobuf:"varint,8,opt,name=hard_link_counter,json=hardLinkCounter,proto3" json:"hard_link_counter,omitempty"` // only exists in hard link meta data
 }
 
@@ -338,11 +338,11 @@ func (x *Entry) GetExtended() map[string][]byte {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (x *Entry) GetHardLinkId() int64 {
+func (x *Entry) GetHardLinkId() []byte {
 	if x != nil {
 		return x.HardLinkId
 	}
-	return 0
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (x *Entry) GetHardLinkCounter() int32 {
@@ -2947,7 +2947,7 @@ var file_filer_proto_rawDesc = []byte{
 	0x5f, 0x70, 0x62, 0x2e, 0x45, 0x6e, 0x74, 0x72, 0x79, 0x2e, 0x45, 0x78, 0x74, 0x65, 0x6e, 0x64,
 	0x65, 0x64, 0x45, 0x6e, 0x74, 0x72, 0x79, 0x52, 0x08, 0x65, 0x78, 0x74, 0x65, 0x6e, 0x64, 0x65,
 	0x64, 0x12, 0x20, 0x0a, 0x0c, 0x68, 0x61, 0x72, 0x64, 0x5f, 0x6c, 0x69, 0x6e, 0x6b, 0x5f, 0x69,
-	0x64, 0x18, 0x07, 0x20, 0x01, 0x28, 0x03, 0x52, 0x0a, 0x68, 0x61, 0x72, 0x64, 0x4c, 0x69, 0x6e,
+	0x64, 0x18, 0x07, 0x20, 0x01, 0x28, 0x0c, 0x52, 0x0a, 0x68, 0x61, 0x72, 0x64, 0x4c, 0x69, 0x6e,
 	0x6b, 0x49, 0x64, 0x12, 0x2a, 0x0a, 0x11, 0x68, 0x61, 0x72, 0x64, 0x5f, 0x6c, 0x69, 0x6e, 0x6b,
 	0x5f, 0x63, 0x6f, 0x75, 0x6e, 0x74, 0x65, 0x72, 0x18, 0x08, 0x20, 0x01, 0x28, 0x05, 0x52, 0x0f,
 	0x68, 0x61, 0x72, 0x64, 0x4c, 0x69, 0x6e, 0x6b, 0x43, 0x6f, 0x75, 0x6e, 0x74, 0x65, 0x72, 0x1a,
diff --git a/weed/server/filer_grpc_server.go b/weed/server/filer_grpc_server.go
index 3ac3357ca..ecd23413f 100644
--- a/weed/server/filer_grpc_server.go
+++ b/weed/server/filer_grpc_server.go
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ func (fs *FilerServer) LookupDirectoryEntry(ctx context.Context, req *filer_pb.L
 			Attributes:  filer.EntryAttributeToPb(entry),
 			Chunks:      entry.Chunks,
 			Extended:    entry.Extended,
-			HardLinkId:  int64(entry.HardLinkId),
+			HardLinkId:  entry.HardLinkId,
 			HardLinkCounter: entry.HardLinkCounter,
 		},
 	}, nil
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ func (fs *FilerServer) ListEntries(req *filer_pb.ListEntriesRequest, stream file
 					Chunks:      entry.Chunks,
 					Attributes:  filer.EntryAttributeToPb(entry),
 					Extended:    entry.Extended,
-					HardLinkId:  int64(entry.HardLinkId),
+					HardLinkId:  entry.HardLinkId,
 					HardLinkCounter: entry.HardLinkCounter,
 				},
 			}); err != nil {
diff --git a/weed/util/bytes.go b/weed/util/bytes.go
index a7e0c20e2..67e6876fa 100644
--- a/weed/util/bytes.go
+++ b/weed/util/bytes.go
@@ -143,8 +143,8 @@ func RandomInt32() int32 {
 	return int32(BytesToUint32(buf))
 }
 
-func RandomInt64() int64 {
-	buf := make([]byte, 8)
+func RandomBytes(byteCount int) []byte {
+	buf := make([]byte, byteCount)
 	rand.Read(buf)
-	return int64(BytesToUint64(buf))
+	return buf
 }