diff --git a/weed/storage/disk_location_ec.go b/weed/storage/disk_location_ec.go
index 2aec1502b..bcc09a1c0 100644
--- a/weed/storage/disk_location_ec.go
+++ b/weed/storage/disk_location_ec.go
@@ -50,7 +50,15 @@ func (l *DiskLocation) LoadEcShard(collection string, vid needle.VolumeId, shard
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to create ec shard %d.%d: %v", vid, shardId, err)
 	}
 	l.ecVolumesLock.Lock()
-	l.ecVolumes[vid].AddEcVolumeShard(ecVolumeShard)
+	ecVolume, found := l.ecVolumes[vid]
+	if !found {
+		ecVolume, err = erasure_coding.NewEcVolume(l.Directory, collection, vid)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to create ec volume %d: %v", vid, err)
+		}
+		l.ecVolumes[vid] = ecVolume
+	}
+	ecVolume.AddEcVolumeShard(ecVolumeShard)
 	l.ecVolumesLock.Unlock()
 
 	return nil
@@ -69,6 +77,7 @@ func (l *DiskLocation) UnloadEcShard(vid needle.VolumeId, shardId erasure_coding
 		if len(ecVolume.Shards) == 0 {
 			delete(l.ecVolumes, vid)
 		}
+		ecVolume.Close()
 		return true
 	}
 
diff --git a/weed/storage/erasure_coding/ec_shard.go b/weed/storage/erasure_coding/ec_shard.go
index fa4bfcecd..037c4ba48 100644
--- a/weed/storage/erasure_coding/ec_shard.go
+++ b/weed/storage/erasure_coding/ec_shard.go
@@ -6,9 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"path"
 	"strconv"
 
-	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/storage/idx"
 	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/storage/needle"
-	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/storage/types"
 )
 
 type ShardId uint8
@@ -20,8 +18,6 @@ type EcVolumeShard struct {
 	dir         string
 	ecdFile     *os.File
 	ecdFileSize int64
-	ecxFile     *os.File
-	ecxFileSize int64
 }
 
 func NewEcVolumeShard(dirname string, collection string, id needle.VolumeId, shardId ShardId) (v *EcVolumeShard, e error) {
@@ -30,16 +26,6 @@ func NewEcVolumeShard(dirname string, collection string, id needle.VolumeId, sha
 
 	baseFileName := v.FileName()
 
-	// open ecx file
-	if v.ecxFile, e = os.OpenFile(baseFileName+".ecx", os.O_RDONLY, 0644); e != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("cannot read ec volume index %s.ecx: %v", baseFileName, e)
-	}
-	ecxFi, statErr := v.ecxFile.Stat()
-	if statErr != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("can not stat ec volume index %s.ecx: %v", baseFileName, statErr)
-	}
-	v.ecxFileSize = ecxFi.Size()
-
 	// open ecd file
 	if v.ecdFile, e = os.OpenFile(baseFileName+ToExt(int(shardId)), os.O_RDONLY, 0644); e != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("cannot read ec volume shard %s.%s: %v", baseFileName, ToExt(int(shardId)), e)
@@ -76,34 +62,6 @@ func (shard *EcVolumeShard) Close() {
 		_ = shard.ecdFile.Close()
 		shard.ecdFile = nil
 	}
-	if shard.ecxFile != nil {
-		_ = shard.ecxFile.Close()
-		shard.ecxFile = nil
-	}
-}
-
-func (shard *EcVolumeShard) findNeedleFromEcx(needleId types.NeedleId) (offset types.Offset, size uint32, err error) {
-	var key types.NeedleId
-	buf := make([]byte, types.NeedleMapEntrySize)
-	l, h := int64(0), shard.ecxFileSize/types.NeedleMapEntrySize
-	for l < h {
-		m := (l + h) / 2
-		if _, err := shard.ecxFile.ReadAt(buf, m*types.NeedleMapEntrySize); err != nil {
-			return types.Offset{}, 0, err
-		}
-		key, offset, size = idx.IdxFileEntry(buf)
-		if key == needleId {
-			return
-		}
-		if key < needleId {
-			l = m + 1
-		} else {
-			h = m
-		}
-	}
-
-	err = fmt.Errorf("needle id %d not found", needleId)
-	return
 }
 
 func (shard *EcVolumeShard) ReadAt(buf []byte, offset int64) (int, error) {
diff --git a/weed/storage/erasure_coding/ec_volume.go b/weed/storage/erasure_coding/ec_volume.go
index 5fba31f95..b4432c884 100644
--- a/weed/storage/erasure_coding/ec_volume.go
+++ b/weed/storage/erasure_coding/ec_volume.go
@@ -1,16 +1,42 @@
 package erasure_coding
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"math"
+	"os"
 	"sort"
 
 	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/pb/master_pb"
+	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/storage/idx"
 	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/storage/needle"
 	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/storage/types"
 )
 
 type EcVolume struct {
-	Shards []*EcVolumeShard
+	Shards      []*EcVolumeShard
+	VolumeId    needle.VolumeId
+	Collection  string
+	dir         string
+	ecxFile     *os.File
+	ecxFileSize int64
+}
+
+func NewEcVolume(dir string, collection string, vid needle.VolumeId) (ev *EcVolume, err error) {
+	ev = &EcVolume{dir: dir, Collection: collection, VolumeId: vid}
+
+	baseFileName := EcShardFileName(collection, dir, int(vid))
+
+	// open ecx file
+	if ev.ecxFile, err = os.OpenFile(baseFileName+".ecx", os.O_RDONLY, 0644); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("cannot read ec volume index %s.ecx: %v", baseFileName, err)
+	}
+	ecxFi, statErr := ev.ecxFile.Stat()
+	if statErr != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("can not stat ec volume index %s.ecx: %v", baseFileName, statErr)
+	}
+	ev.ecxFileSize = ecxFi.Size()
+
+	return
 }
 
 func (ev *EcVolume) AddEcVolumeShard(ecVolumeShard *EcVolumeShard) bool {
@@ -55,6 +81,10 @@ func (ev *EcVolume) Close() {
 	for _, s := range ev.Shards {
 		s.Close()
 	}
+	if ev.ecxFile != nil {
+		_ = ev.ecxFile.Close()
+		ev.ecxFile = nil
+	}
 }
 
 func (ev *EcVolume) ToVolumeEcShardInformationMessage() (messages []*master_pb.VolumeEcShardInformationMessage) {
@@ -76,15 +106,40 @@ func (ev *EcVolume) ToVolumeEcShardInformationMessage() (messages []*master_pb.V
 
 func (ev *EcVolume) LocateEcShardNeedle(n *needle.Needle) (offset types.Offset, size uint32, intervals []Interval, err error) {
 
-	shard := ev.Shards[0]
 	// find the needle from ecx file
-	offset, size, err = shard.findNeedleFromEcx(n.Id)
+	offset, size, err = ev.findNeedleFromEcx(n.Id)
 	if err != nil {
 		return types.Offset{}, 0, nil, err
 	}
 
+	shard := ev.Shards[0]
+
 	// calculate the locations in the ec shards
-	intervals = LocateData(ErasureCodingLargeBlockSize, ErasureCodingSmallBlockSize, shard.ecxFileSize, offset.ToAcutalOffset(), size)
+	intervals = LocateData(ErasureCodingLargeBlockSize, ErasureCodingSmallBlockSize, DataShardsCount*shard.ecdFileSize, offset.ToAcutalOffset(), size)
 
 	return
 }
+
+func (ev *EcVolume) findNeedleFromEcx(needleId types.NeedleId) (offset types.Offset, size uint32, err error) {
+	var key types.NeedleId
+	buf := make([]byte, types.NeedleMapEntrySize)
+	l, h := int64(0), ev.ecxFileSize/types.NeedleMapEntrySize
+	for l < h {
+		m := (l + h) / 2
+		if _, err := ev.ecxFile.ReadAt(buf, m*types.NeedleMapEntrySize); err != nil {
+			return types.Offset{}, 0, err
+		}
+		key, offset, size = idx.IdxFileEntry(buf)
+		if key == needleId {
+			return
+		}
+		if key < needleId {
+			l = m + 1
+		} else {
+			h = m
+		}
+	}
+
+	err = fmt.Errorf("needle id %d not found", needleId)
+	return
+}