diff --git a/weed/filer/stream.go b/weed/filer/stream.go
index 7da9fd0a0..d1b66e88d 100644
--- a/weed/filer/stream.go
+++ b/weed/filer/stream.go
@@ -18,6 +18,12 @@ import (
 	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/wdclient"
 )
 
+var getLookupFileIdBackoffSchedule = []time.Duration{
+	150 * time.Millisecond,
+	600 * time.Millisecond,
+	1800 * time.Millisecond,
+}
+
 func HasData(entry *filer_pb.Entry) bool {
 
 	if len(entry.Content) > 0 {
@@ -69,14 +75,22 @@ func StreamContent(masterClient wdclient.HasLookupFileIdFunction, writer io.Writ
 	fileId2Url := make(map[string][]string)
 
 	for _, chunkView := range chunkViews {
-
-		urlStrings, err := masterClient.GetLookupFileIdFunction()(chunkView.FileId)
+		var urlStrings []string
+		var err error
+		for _, backoff := range getLookupFileIdBackoffSchedule {
+			urlStrings, err = masterClient.GetLookupFileIdFunction()(chunkView.FileId)
+			if err == nil && len(urlStrings) > 0 {
+				time.Sleep(backoff)
+				break
+			}
+		}
 		if err != nil {
 			glog.V(1).Infof("operation LookupFileId %s failed, err: %v", chunkView.FileId, err)
 			return err
 		} else if len(urlStrings) == 0 {
-			glog.Errorf("operation LookupFileId %s failed, err: urls not found", chunkView.FileId)
-			return fmt.Errorf("operation LookupFileId %s failed, err: urls not found", chunkView.FileId)
+			errUrlNotFound := fmt.Errorf("operation LookupFileId %s failed, err: urls not found", chunkView.FileId)
+			glog.Error(errUrlNotFound)
+			return errUrlNotFound
 		}
 		fileId2Url[chunkView.FileId] = urlStrings
 	}
diff --git a/weed/wdclient/masterclient.go b/weed/wdclient/masterclient.go
index 3e76dc0c5..d6a06bb57 100644
--- a/weed/wdclient/masterclient.go
+++ b/weed/wdclient/masterclient.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package wdclient
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"fmt"
 	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/stats"
 	"math/rand"
 	"time"
@@ -44,7 +45,7 @@ func (mc *MasterClient) GetLookupFileIdFunction() LookupFileIdFunctionType {
 
 func (mc *MasterClient) LookupFileIdWithFallback(fileId string) (fullUrls []string, err error) {
 	fullUrls, err = mc.vidMap.LookupFileId(fileId)
-	if err == nil {
+	if err == nil && len(fullUrls) > 0 {
 		return
 	}
 	err = pb.WithMasterClient(false, mc.currentMaster, mc.grpcDialOption, func(client master_pb.SeaweedClient) error {
@@ -52,7 +53,7 @@ func (mc *MasterClient) LookupFileIdWithFallback(fileId string) (fullUrls []stri
 			VolumeOrFileIds: []string{fileId},
 		})
 		if err != nil {
-			return err
+			return fmt.Errorf("LookupVolume failed: %v", err)
 		}
 		for vid, vidLocation := range resp.VolumeIdLocations {
 			for _, vidLoc := range vidLocation.Locations {
@@ -65,7 +66,6 @@ func (mc *MasterClient) LookupFileIdWithFallback(fileId string) (fullUrls []stri
 				fullUrls = append(fullUrls, "http://"+loc.Url+"/"+fileId)
 			}
 		}
-
 		return nil
 	})
 	return