diff --git a/weed/server/master_grpc_server_assign.go b/weed/server/master_grpc_server_assign.go
index 02f45269a..cbd4bc0f0 100644
--- a/weed/server/master_grpc_server_assign.go
+++ b/weed/server/master_grpc_server_assign.go
@@ -136,13 +136,24 @@ func (ms *MasterServer) Assign(ctx context.Context, req *master_pb.AssignRequest
 			}
 			if shouldGrow {
 				if ms.Topo.AvailableSpaceFor(option) <= 0 {
-					if ms.Topo.CapacityFor(option) > 0 {
-						break // out of space: surface the real error, not a retryable shed
+					// Fail fast whenever any capacity is registered: full for
+					// this medium, or a medium no volume server serves — a
+					// state a heartbeat won't change, so a retryable shed
+					// would loop until the client's deadline. Shed retryably
+					// only while nothing at all has registered, a just-started
+					// cluster whose volume servers have not heartbeated, so
+					// the first write rides out the startup window instead of
+					// failing outright.
+					if ms.Topo.CapacityForAnyDisk() > 0 {
+						if ms.Topo.CapacityFor(option) <= 0 {
+							// Wrapped here, not beside the "no free volumes left"
+							// wrap above, so followers and growth-disabled
+							// masters name the unserved medium too — the
+							// initiator block is skipped for both.
+							lastErr = fmt.Errorf("%s and no volume server carries disk type %q for %s", err.Error(), option.DiskType.ReadableString(), option.String())
+						}
+						break // surface the real error, not a retryable shed
 					}
-					// No capacity registered for this disk type yet, typically a
-					// just-started cluster whose volume servers have not
-					// heartbeated. Shed retryably so the first write rides out
-					// the startup window instead of failing outright.
 					return nil, status.Errorf(codes.ResourceExhausted, "no volume server capacity registered yet for %s", option.String())
 				}
 				// Only the initiator waits, and only while the growth it triggered
diff --git a/weed/server/master_grpc_server_assign_test.go b/weed/server/master_grpc_server_assign_test.go
index acd8ea60a..8446b18e6 100644
--- a/weed/server/master_grpc_server_assign_test.go
+++ b/weed/server/master_grpc_server_assign_test.go
@@ -228,3 +228,48 @@ func TestAssignShedsRetryablyBeforeCapacityRegisters(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, codes.ResourceExhausted, st.Code())
 	assert.Less(t, elapsed, 2*time.Second)
 }
+
+// A cluster serving only other media is not one still starting up: capacity for
+// the requested disk type will never register, so the startup shed would loop
+// until the client's deadline. Assign must fail fast with the real error and
+// name the unserved medium — for the growth initiator, for a follower whose
+// growth is already in flight, and when growth is disabled outright.
+func TestAssignFailsFastWhenDiskTypeUnserved(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name  string
+		setup func(t *testing.T, ms *MasterServer, req *master_pb.AssignRequest)
+	}{
+		{"initiator", func(t *testing.T, ms *MasterServer, req *master_pb.AssignRequest) {}},
+		{"follower joins growth in flight", func(t *testing.T, ms *MasterServer, req *master_pb.AssignRequest) {
+			markGrowthInFlight(t, ms.Topo, req)
+		}},
+		{"growth disabled", func(t *testing.T, ms *MasterServer, req *master_pb.AssignRequest) {
+			ms.option.VolumeGrowthDisabled = true
+		}},
+	}
+	for _, tc := range tests {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			ms := newLeaderMaster()
+			// ssd capacity registered, but the request asks for the default (hdd).
+			ms.Topo.GetOrCreateDataCenter("dc1").GetOrCreateRack("rack1").
+				GetOrCreateDataNode("127.0.0.1", 8080, 18080, "127.0.0.1", "dn1", map[string]uint32{"ssd": 1})
+
+			req := &master_pb.AssignRequest{Count: 1, Replication: "000", Collection: "fresh"}
+			tc.setup(t, ms, req)
+
+			start := time.Now()
+			resp, err := ms.Assign(context.Background(), req)
+			elapsed := time.Since(start)
+
+			require.Error(t, err)
+			require.Nil(t, resp)
+			if st, ok := status.FromError(err); ok {
+				assert.NotEqual(t, codes.Unavailable, st.Code())
+				assert.NotEqual(t, codes.ResourceExhausted, st.Code())
+			}
+			assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), topology.NoWritableVolumes)
+			assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), `no volume server carries disk type "hdd"`)
+			assert.Less(t, elapsed, 2*time.Second)
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/weed/topology/node.go b/weed/topology/node.go
index 8d82fdfe2..f0bb84297 100644
--- a/weed/topology/node.go
+++ b/weed/topology/node.go
@@ -320,6 +320,18 @@ func (n *NodeImpl) CapacityFor(option *VolumeGrowOption) int64 {
 	return atomic.LoadInt64(&t.maxVolumeCount) + atomic.LoadInt64(&t.remoteVolumeCount)
 }
 
+// CapacityForAnyDisk is the total registered volume slots across every disk
+// type. CapacityFor answers zero both while a cluster is still starting and
+// when it never serves the option's medium; this tells the two apart.
+func (n *NodeImpl) CapacityForAnyDisk() (total int64) {
+	n.diskUsages.RLock()
+	defer n.diskUsages.RUnlock()
+	for _, t := range n.diskUsages.usages {
+		total += atomic.LoadInt64(&t.maxVolumeCount) + atomic.LoadInt64(&t.remoteVolumeCount)
+	}
+	return
+}
+
 // AvailableSpaceForReservation returns available space considering existing reservations
 func (n *NodeImpl) AvailableSpaceForReservation(option *VolumeGrowOption) int64 {
 	baseAvailable := n.AvailableSpaceFor(option)