diff --git a/weed/filer/filer_lazy_remote.go b/weed/filer/filer_lazy_remote.go
index 6d8cce3593..ba43bdcc50 100644
--- a/weed/filer/filer_lazy_remote.go
+++ b/weed/filer/filer_lazy_remote.go
@@ -438,3 +438,17 @@ func (f *Filer) RemoteCopyLocations(ctx context.Context, entry *Entry, oldPath,
 	dst = MapFullPathToRemoteStorageLocation(mountDir, remoteLoc, newPath)
 	return src, dst, copier, nil
 }
+
+// PrefetchRemoteEntries runs the lazy remote fetch for the paths a store
+// transaction is about to read. Inside the transaction the fetch is off,
+// so an object the filer has not seen yet would read as absent there.
+func (f *Filer) PrefetchRemoteEntries(ctx context.Context, paths ...util.FullPath) {
+	if ctx.Value("tx") != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	for _, p := range paths {
+		if _, err := f.FindEntry(ctx, p); err != nil && !errors.Is(err, filer_pb.ErrNotFound) {
+			glog.V(1).InfofCtx(ctx, "prefetch remote entry %s: %v", p, err)
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/weed/filer/filer_lazy_remote_test.go b/weed/filer/filer_lazy_remote_test.go
index b1d4c6c436..d366c9cae7 100644
--- a/weed/filer/filer_lazy_remote_test.go
+++ b/weed/filer/filer_lazy_remote_test.go
@@ -756,6 +756,39 @@ func TestMaybeLazyFetchFromRemote_SkipsInsideStoreTransaction(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NotZero(t, countingStub.statCalls, "the same lookup outside a transaction consults the remote")
 }
 
+func TestPrefetchRemoteEntries_MaterializesBeforeATransaction(t *testing.T) {
+	const storageType = "stub_lazy_prefetch"
+	countingStub := &countingRemoteClient{
+		stubRemoteClient: stubRemoteClient{
+			statResult: &filer_pb.RemoteEntry{RemoteMtime: 1, RemoteSize: 1},
+		},
+	}
+	f, store := newMountedTestFiler(t, storageType, countingStub, 0)
+	putDirEntry(store, "/buckets/mybucket/dir")
+	target := util.FullPath("/buckets/mybucket/dir/target.txt")
+	txCtx := context.WithValue(context.Background(), "tx", struct{}{})
+
+	// unseen on the filer, present on the remote: inside a transaction it
+	// reads as absent
+	_, err := f.FindEntry(txCtx, target)
+	require.ErrorIs(t, err, filer_pb.ErrNotFound)
+	assert.Equal(t, 0, countingStub.statCalls)
+
+	// the prefetch outside the transaction materializes it, and the
+	// transaction then finds it in the store
+	f.PrefetchRemoteEntries(context.Background(), target, "/buckets/mybucket/dir/absent.txt")
+	assert.NotZero(t, countingStub.statCalls)
+	entry, err := f.FindEntry(txCtx, target)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NotNil(t, entry)
+	assert.True(t, entry.IsInRemoteOnly())
+
+	// a prefetch that itself runs inside a transaction does nothing
+	before := countingStub.statCalls
+	f.PrefetchRemoteEntries(txCtx, "/buckets/mybucket/dir/other.txt")
+	assert.Equal(t, before, countingStub.statCalls)
+}
+
 func TestMaybeLazyFetchFromRemote_GuardedClientRejectsEndpoint(t *testing.T) {
 	const storageType = "stub_lazy_guarded"
 	countingStub := &countingRemoteClient{
diff --git a/weed/server/filer_grpc_server_rename.go b/weed/server/filer_grpc_server_rename.go
index 62097e478d..68ed0c6fe7 100644
--- a/weed/server/filer_grpc_server_rename.go
+++ b/weed/server/filer_grpc_server_rename.go
@@ -47,6 +47,10 @@ func (fs *FilerServer) AtomicRenameEntry(ctx context.Context, req *filer_pb.Atom
 
 	defer fs.acquireRenamePathLocks("AtomicRenameEntry", oldParent.Child(req.OldName), newParent.Child(req.NewName))()
 
+	// the lazy remote fetch is off inside the transaction: a source or
+	// target the filer only holds on the remote is materialized first
+	fs.filer.PrefetchRemoteEntries(ctx, oldParent.Child(req.OldName), newParent.Child(req.NewName))
+
 	// a SQL store keeps the transaction in the context and refuses calls
 	// through it once committed; the work after the commit uses this one
 	afterCommitCtx := ctx
@@ -118,6 +122,7 @@ func (fs *FilerServer) StreamRenameEntry(req *filer_pb.StreamRenameEntryRequest,
 	defer fs.acquireRenamePathLocks("StreamRenameEntry", oldParent.Child(req.OldName), newParent.Child(req.NewName))()
 
 	ctx := context.Background()
+	fs.filer.PrefetchRemoteEntries(ctx, oldParent.Child(req.OldName), newParent.Child(req.NewName))
 
 	afterCommitCtx := ctx
 	ctx, err = fs.filer.BeginTransaction(ctx)