diff --git a/seaweed-vector/crates/core/src/main.rs b/seaweed-vector/crates/core/src/main.rs
index 694b565ebe..687320d5ce 100644
--- a/seaweed-vector/crates/core/src/main.rs
+++ b/seaweed-vector/crates/core/src/main.rs
@@ -39,15 +39,6 @@ struct Args {
     )]
     filer_group: String,
 
-    /// Encrypt every chunk written for the volume servers, as `weed s3
-    /// -encryptVolumeData` does.
-    #[arg(
-        long = "encryptVolumeData",
-        alias = "encrypt-volume-data",
-        env = "WEED_ENCRYPT_VOLUME_DATA"
-    )]
-    encrypt_volume_data: bool,
-
     /// The `jwt.filer_signing.key` of the cluster, which the namespace
     /// authenticates cluster processes with; security.toml's by default.
     #[arg(long, env = "WEED_FILER_SIGNING_KEY")]
@@ -208,9 +199,7 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
         Some(masters) => {
             let cluster =
                 weed_lance_worker::cluster::Cluster::new(masters, &args.filer_group, &security)?;
-            Storage(Some(
-                cluster.storage(&security, args.encrypt_volume_data).await?,
-            ))
+            Storage(Some(cluster.storage(&security).await?))
         }
         None => Storage::default(),
     };
@@ -408,14 +397,16 @@ mod tests {
             "m:9333",
             "--filer-group",
             "eu",
-            "--encryptVolumeData",
             "describe",
             "t",
         ])
         .unwrap();
         assert_eq!(args.masters.as_deref(), Some("m:9333"));
         assert_eq!(args.filer_group, "eu");
-        assert!(args.encrypt_volume_data);
+        assert!(
+            Args::try_parse_from(["weed-vector", "--encryptVolumeData", "describe", "t"]).is_err(),
+            "volume encryption follows the filer"
+        );
     }
 
     #[test]
diff --git a/seaweed-vector/crates/server/src/main.rs b/seaweed-vector/crates/server/src/main.rs
index f244beb7c3..1144bfcd84 100644
--- a/seaweed-vector/crates/server/src/main.rs
+++ b/seaweed-vector/crates/server/src/main.rs
@@ -23,14 +23,6 @@ struct Args {
     /// through.
     #[arg(long, alias = "master", env = "WEED_VECTOR_MASTERS")]
     masters: String,
-    /// Encrypt every chunk written for the volume servers, as `weed s3
-    /// -encryptVolumeData` does.
-    #[arg(
-        long = "encryptVolumeData",
-        alias = "encrypt-volume-data",
-        env = "WEED_VECTOR_ENCRYPT_VOLUME_DATA"
-    )]
-    encrypt_volume_data: bool,
     /// The filer group whose filers the engine keeps tables through.
     #[arg(
         long,
@@ -135,7 +127,7 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
         .await
         .with_context(|| format!("listen on {}", args.listen))?;
     let cluster = Cluster::new(&args.masters, &args.filer_group, &security)?;
-    let reads = cluster.storage(&security, args.encrypt_volume_data).await?;
+    let reads = cluster.storage(&security).await?;
     let mut service = VectorServer::new()
         .with_nprobes(args.nprobes.map(std::num::NonZeroUsize::get))
         .with_storage(reads);
diff --git a/seaweed-worker/README.md b/seaweed-worker/README.md
index c92c89b3ba..c8b716f2c1 100644
--- a/seaweed-worker/README.md
+++ b/seaweed-worker/README.md
@@ -95,8 +95,9 @@ which `--masters` names the masters of (`--filer-group` picks the filers). What
 that takes comes from the same security.toml the weed processes use:
 `grpc.client` for the filers, `https.client` for volume servers under HTTPS,
 `jwt.signing.read.key` where volume reads are signed, and `s3.sse.kek` or
-`s3.sse.key` where a bucket encrypts with SSE-S3. `--encryptVolumeData` encrypts
-every chunk the worker writes for the volume servers, as the gateway's flag does.
+`s3.sse.key` where a bucket encrypts with SSE-S3. Chunks are encrypted for the
+volume servers when the filer is (`weed filer -encryptVolumeData`), as the S3
+gateway's are.
 
 The namespace authenticates the worker by the cluster token it derives from
 `jwt.filer_signing.key`; the same key signs the admin stream when admin requires
diff --git a/seaweed-worker/crates/lance/src/cluster.rs b/seaweed-worker/crates/lance/src/cluster.rs
index aa8f79ad99..f8978f5ae8 100644
--- a/seaweed-worker/crates/lance/src/cluster.rs
+++ b/seaweed-worker/crates/lance/src/cluster.rs
@@ -221,11 +221,9 @@ impl Cluster {
     }
 
     /// Connects to the cluster's storage and follows the masters' filer list.
-    pub async fn storage(
-        &self,
-        security: &Security,
-        encrypt_volume_data: bool,
-    ) -> Result<DirectReads> {
+    /// Chunks are encrypted for the volume servers when the filer is
+    /// configured to (`weed filer -encryptVolumeData`), as `weed s3` does.
+    pub async fn storage(&self, security: &Security) -> Result<DirectReads> {
         // The filers are dialed as the masters are: grpc.client's credentials
         // and server allowlist, through this crate's own connector.
         let filer_dialer: Option<FilerDialer> = security
@@ -246,7 +244,6 @@ impl Cluster {
             grpc_tls: None,
             https_tls: security.https_client_tls()?,
             filer_dialer,
-            encrypt_volume_data,
             filer_group: self.filer_group.clone(),
         };
         let storage = DirectReads::connect(&conn)
diff --git a/seaweed-worker/crates/lance/src/direct_read.rs b/seaweed-worker/crates/lance/src/direct_read.rs
index b1f09ea341..4019ff9173 100644
--- a/seaweed-worker/crates/lance/src/direct_read.rs
+++ b/seaweed-worker/crates/lance/src/direct_read.rs
@@ -472,9 +472,6 @@ pub struct Connection {
     /// Dials the filers in place of `grpc_tls`, for a TLS setup sw-client
     /// cannot express, such as a server allowlist.
     pub filer_dialer: Option<FilerDialer>,
-    /// Encrypt every chunk written for the volume servers, as `weed s3
-    /// -encryptVolumeData` does; the filer's own setting turns it on too.
-    pub encrypt_volume_data: bool,
     /// The filer group, which the gateway prefixes a bucket's collection with.
     pub filer_group: String,
 }
@@ -488,7 +485,6 @@ impl fmt::Debug for Connection {
             .field("grpc_tls", &self.grpc_tls)
             .field("https_tls", &self.https_tls)
             .field("filer_dialer", &self.filer_dialer.is_some())
-            .field("encrypt_volume_data", &self.encrypt_volume_data)
             .field("filer_group", &self.filer_group)
             .finish()
     }
@@ -548,7 +544,7 @@ impl DirectReads {
         {
             let shared = Arc::get_mut(&mut reads.shared).expect("just created");
             shared.chunk_size = chunk_size;
-            shared.cipher = config.cipher || conn.encrypt_volume_data;
+            shared.cipher = config.cipher;
             shared.filer_group = conn.filer_group.clone();
         }
         reads.report_every(Duration::from_secs(30));
diff --git a/seaweed-worker/crates/lance/src/main.rs b/seaweed-worker/crates/lance/src/main.rs
index 5c58141c53..66c8aff5e7 100644
--- a/seaweed-worker/crates/lance/src/main.rs
+++ b/seaweed-worker/crates/lance/src/main.rs
@@ -48,14 +48,6 @@ struct Args {
         default_value = ""
     )]
     filer_group: String,
-    /// Encrypt every chunk written for the volume servers, as `weed s3
-    /// -encryptVolumeData` does.
-    #[arg(
-        long = "encryptVolumeData",
-        alias = "encrypt-volume-data",
-        env = "WEED_ENCRYPT_VOLUME_DATA"
-    )]
-    encrypt_volume_data: bool,
     /// The cluster's security.toml; by default the file weed processes find
     /// in -config_dir, ., ~/.seaweedfs and /etc/seaweedfs.
     #[arg(long, env = "WEED_WORKER_SECURITY_TOML")]
@@ -195,9 +187,7 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
 
     let cluster =
         weed_lance_worker::cluster::Cluster::new(&args.masters, &args.filer_group, &security)?;
-    let storage = weed_lance_worker::dataset::Storage(Some(
-        cluster.storage(&security, args.encrypt_volume_data).await?,
-    ));
+    let storage = weed_lance_worker::dataset::Storage(Some(cluster.storage(&security).await?));
 
     let metrics = Metrics::new(&options.worker_id, &options.worker_version)?;
     let lance_metrics = LanceMetrics::new(&metrics)?;
diff --git a/seaweed-worker/crates/lance/tests/common/mod.rs b/seaweed-worker/crates/lance/tests/common/mod.rs
index 510c5597f7..dc623ab09d 100644
--- a/seaweed-worker/crates/lance/tests/common/mod.rs
+++ b/seaweed-worker/crates/lance/tests/common/mod.rs
@@ -93,9 +93,7 @@ pub async fn storage() -> weed_lance_worker::dataset::Storage {
     let security = security();
     let cluster =
         weed_lance_worker::cluster::Cluster::new(&masters, "", &security).expect("masters");
-    weed_lance_worker::dataset::Storage(Some(
-        cluster.storage(&security, false).await.expect("storage"),
-    ))
+    weed_lance_worker::dataset::Storage(Some(cluster.storage(&security).await.expect("storage")))
 }
 
 fn security() -> weed_lance_worker::security::Security {
diff --git a/test/s3vectors/conftest.py b/test/s3vectors/conftest.py
index bdea56ce31..0311d242d5 100644
--- a/test/s3vectors/conftest.py
+++ b/test/s3vectors/conftest.py
@@ -301,9 +301,13 @@ def run_cluster(param, tmp_path_factory, identities):
             "max": 64, "preStopSeconds": 0,
         }.items()])
         wait_for(lambda: listening(vol_grpc), processes, "volume not ready")
+        # VECTOR_ENCRYPT_VOLUMES=1 turns on the filer's volume encryption, which
+        # the gateway, the engine and the worker all follow: every chunk they
+        # store is encrypted, and direct reads must undo it.
+        encrypt = ["-encryptVolumeData"] if os.environ.get("VECTOR_ENCRYPT_VOLUMES") else []
         start("filer", [weed, "filer", f"-master={master_addr}", "-ip=127.0.0.1",
                         "-ip.bind=127.0.0.1", f"-port={filer}", f"-port.grpc={filer_grpc}",
-                        f"-defaultStoreDir={directory / 'filer'}"])
+                        f"-defaultStoreDir={directory / 'filer'}", *encrypt])
         wait_for(lambda: listening(filer_grpc), processes, "filer not ready")
         endpoint = f"http://127.0.0.1:{s3}"
         # weed s3 turns AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID into an admin identity.
@@ -311,10 +315,7 @@ def run_cluster(param, tmp_path_factory, identities):
             config, unset = [f"-config={HERE / 's3.json'}"], ()
         else:
             config, unset = [], ("AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID", "AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY")
-        # VECTOR_ENCRYPT_VOLUMES=1 has the gateway encrypt every chunk it
-        # stores, which direct reads must undo.
-        encrypt = ["-encryptVolumeData"] if os.environ.get("VECTOR_ENCRYPT_VOLUMES") else []
-        start("s3", [weed, "-v=1", "s3", f"-filer={filer_addr}", *config, *encrypt,
+        start("s3", [weed, "-v=1", "s3", f"-filer={filer_addr}", *config,
                      "-ip=127.0.0.1", "-ip.bind=127.0.0.1", f"-port={s3}",
                      f"-port.grpc={s3_grpc}", "-port.iceberg=0", f"-port.lance={lance}"], unset)
         wait_for(lambda: http_ready(f"http://127.0.0.1:{lance}/v1/namespace/root/list"), processes, "catalog not ready")
@@ -324,7 +325,7 @@ def run_cluster(param, tmp_path_factory, identities):
         # The engine keeps tables on the filers and volume servers itself; it
         # has no S3 credentials to be given, and encrypts its chunks for the
         # volume servers as the gateway does.
-        start("vector", [engine, "--masters", master_addr, "--listen", f"127.0.0.1:{vector}", *encrypt])
+        start("vector", [engine, "--masters", master_addr, "--listen", f"127.0.0.1:{vector}"])
         wait_for(lambda: listening(vector), processes, "vector engine not ready")
         if os.environ.get("VECTOR_TLS"):
             wait_for(lambda: listening(s3_grpc), processes, "s3 gRPC not ready")
@@ -362,7 +363,7 @@ def run_cluster(param, tmp_path_factory, identities):
             wait_for(lambda: http_ready(f"{admin_url}/api/plugin/job-types"), processes, "admin not ready")
             start("lance-worker", [lance_worker, "--admin", f"127.0.0.1:{admin}.{admin_grpc}",
                                    "--namespace", f"http://127.0.0.1:{lance}", "--id", "vectors-test-worker",
-                                   "--masters", master_addr, *(["--encryptVolumeData"] if encrypt else [])])
+                                   "--masters", master_addr])
             wait_for(lambda: "lance_vector_index" in
                      [jt["job_type"] for jt in json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(f"{admin_url}/api/plugin/job-types", timeout=2))],
                      processes, "the Lance worker never registered with admin")
diff --git a/test/s3vectors/s3vectors_test.py b/test/s3vectors/s3vectors_test.py
index cf0899ff76..feda356895 100644
--- a/test/s3vectors/s3vectors_test.py
+++ b/test/s3vectors/s3vectors_test.py
@@ -118,8 +118,9 @@ def index(vectors):
 
 def assert_engine_wrote_like_the_gateway(cluster, index):
     """The engine writes the table's files itself: the filer holds entries the
-    gateway could have written (an ETag, chunks, no inline content), and under
-    VECTOR_ENCRYPT_VOLUMES every chunk carries a cipher key."""
+    gateway could have written (an ETag, chunks, no inline content), and every
+    chunk carries a cipher key exactly when VECTOR_ENCRYPT_VOLUMES encrypts at
+    the filer."""
     import os
     import urllib.request
 
@@ -135,6 +136,8 @@ def assert_engine_wrote_like_the_gateway(cluster, index):
         assert "Seaweed-X-Amz-ETag" in (meta.get("Extended") or {}), meta.get("Extended")
         if os.environ.get("VECTOR_ENCRYPT_VOLUMES"):
             assert all(chunk.get("cipher_key") for chunk in meta["chunks"]), meta["chunks"]
+        else:
+            assert not any(chunk.get("cipher_key") for chunk in meta["chunks"]), meta["chunks"]
 
 
 def run_cli(cluster, *args):
diff --git a/weed/command/filer.go b/weed/command/filer.go
index f791deacc8..f91bffaa81 100644
--- a/weed/command/filer.go
+++ b/weed/command/filer.go
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ func init() {
 	filerS3Options.concurrentUploadLimitMB = cmdFiler.Flag.Int("s3.concurrentUploadLimitMB", 0, "limit total concurrent upload size for S3, 0 means unlimited")
 	filerS3Options.concurrentFileUploadLimit = cmdFiler.Flag.Int("s3.concurrentFileUploadLimit", 0, "limit number of concurrent file uploads for S3, 0 means unlimited")
 	filerS3Options.enableIam = cmdFiler.Flag.Bool("s3.iam", true, "enable embedded IAM API on the same S3 port")
-	filerS3Options.cipher = cmdFiler.Flag.Bool("s3.encryptVolumeData", false, "encrypt data on volume servers for S3 uploads")
+	filerS3Options.cipher = cmdFiler.Flag.Bool("s3.encryptVolumeData", false, "encrypt data on volume servers for S3 uploads; on whenever -encryptVolumeData is")
 	filerS3Options.iamReadOnly = cmdFiler.Flag.Bool("s3.iam.readOnly", true, "disable IAM write operations on this server")
 	filerS3Options.portIceberg = cmdFiler.Flag.Int("s3.port.iceberg", 8181, "Iceberg REST Catalog server listen port (0 to disable)")
 	filerS3Options.portLance = cmdFiler.Flag.Int("s3.port.lance", 9101, "Lance Namespace server listen port (0 to disable)")
diff --git a/weed/command/mini.go b/weed/command/mini.go
index 2d963f7bda..5f906cdd6c 100644
--- a/weed/command/mini.go
+++ b/weed/command/mini.go
@@ -550,7 +550,7 @@ func initMiniS3Flags() {
 	miniS3Options.enableIam = cmdMini.Flag.Bool("s3.iam", true, "enable embedded IAM API on the same port")
 	miniS3Options.iamReadOnly = miniS3IamReadOnly
 	miniS3Options.dataCenter = cmdMini.Flag.String("s3.dataCenter", "", "prefer to read and write to volumes in this data center")
-	miniS3Options.cipher = cmdMini.Flag.Bool("s3.encryptVolumeData", false, "encrypt data on volume servers for S3 uploads")
+	miniS3Options.cipher = cmdMini.Flag.Bool("s3.encryptVolumeData", false, "encrypt data on volume servers for S3 uploads; on whenever -filer.encryptVolumeData is")
 	miniS3Options.config = miniS3Config
 	miniS3Options.iamConfig = miniIamConfig
 	miniS3Options.auditLogConfig = cmdMini.Flag.String("s3.auditLogConfig", "", "path to the audit log config file")
diff --git a/weed/command/s3.go b/weed/command/s3.go
index b6eb942b7d..12b293d1de 100644
--- a/weed/command/s3.go
+++ b/weed/command/s3.go
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ func init() {
 	s3StandaloneOptions.iamReadOnly = cmdS3.Flag.Bool("iam.readOnly", true, "disable IAM write operations on this server")
 	s3StandaloneOptions.debug = cmdS3.Flag.Bool("debug", false, "serves runtime profiling data via pprof on the port specified by -debug.port")
 	s3StandaloneOptions.debugPort = cmdS3.Flag.Int("debug.port", 6060, "http port for debugging")
-	s3StandaloneOptions.cipher = cmdS3.Flag.Bool("encryptVolumeData", false, "encrypt data on volume servers")
+	s3StandaloneOptions.cipher = cmdS3.Flag.Bool("encryptVolumeData", false, "encrypt data on volume servers; on whenever the filer's -encryptVolumeData is")
 	s3StandaloneOptions.externalUrl = cmdS3.Flag.String("externalUrl", "", "the external URL clients use to connect (e.g. https://api.example.com:9000). Advertised to Iceberg and Lance clients, and tried first when verifying S3 signatures behind a reverse proxy. Falls back to S3_EXTERNAL_URL env var.")
 	s3StandaloneOptions.defaultFileMode = cmdS3.Flag.String("defaultFileMode", "", "default file mode for S3 uploaded objects, e.g. 0660, 0644, 0666")
 	s3StandaloneOptions.cacheSizeMB = cmdS3.Flag.Int64("cacheCapacityMB", 0, "in-memory chunk cache capacity in MB for S3 GETs shared across requests (0 disables)")
@@ -315,6 +315,8 @@ func (s3opt *S3Options) startS3Server() bool {
 
 	// chunk size for S3 uploads, read from the filer's -maxMB
 	var filerMaxMB int32
+	// the filer's -encryptVolumeData, which turns on chunk encryption here too
+	var filerCipher bool
 
 	for {
 		err := pb.WithOneOfGrpcFilerClients(false, filerAddresses, grpcDialOption, func(client filer_pb.SeaweedFilerClient) error {
@@ -328,6 +330,7 @@ func (s3opt *S3Options) startS3Server() bool {
 			masterAddresses = pb.ServerAddresses(strings.Join(resp.Masters, ",")).ToAddresses()
 			metricsAddress, metricsIntervalSec = resp.MetricsAddress, int(resp.MetricsIntervalSec)
 			filerMaxMB = int32(resp.MaxMb)
+			filerCipher = resp.Cipher
 			glog.V(0).Infof("S3 read filer buckets dir: %s", filerBucketsPath)
 			glog.V(0).Infof("S3 read filer maxMB: %d", filerMaxMB)
 			if len(masterAddresses) > 0 {
@@ -406,7 +409,7 @@ func (s3opt *S3Options) startS3Server() bool {
 		ConcurrentFileUploadLimit: int64(*s3opt.concurrentFileUploadLimit),
 		EnableIam:                 *s3opt.enableIam, // Embedded IAM API (enabled by default)
 		IamReadOnly:               *s3opt.iamReadOnly,
-		Cipher:                    *s3opt.cipher, // encrypt data on volume servers
+		Cipher:                    *s3opt.cipher || filerCipher, // encrypt data on volume servers
 		Ip:                        *s3opt.ip,
 		BindIp:                    *s3opt.bindIp,
 		GrpcPort:                  *s3opt.portGrpc,
diff --git a/weed/command/server.go b/weed/command/server.go
index d1af84da6e..6dd4cb3b53 100644
--- a/weed/command/server.go
+++ b/weed/command/server.go
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ func init() {
 	s3Options.concurrentFileUploadLimit = cmdServer.Flag.Int("s3.concurrentFileUploadLimit", 0, "limit number of concurrent file uploads for S3, 0 means unlimited")
 	s3Options.enableIam = cmdServer.Flag.Bool("s3.iam", true, "enable embedded IAM API on the same S3 port")
 	s3Options.iamReadOnly = cmdServer.Flag.Bool("s3.iam.readOnly", true, "disable IAM write operations on this server")
-	s3Options.cipher = cmdServer.Flag.Bool("s3.encryptVolumeData", false, "encrypt data on volume servers for S3 uploads")
+	s3Options.cipher = cmdServer.Flag.Bool("s3.encryptVolumeData", false, "encrypt data on volume servers for S3 uploads; on whenever -filer.encryptVolumeData is")
 	s3Options.externalUrl = cmdServer.Flag.String("s3.externalUrl", "", "the external URL clients use to connect (e.g. https://api.example.com:9000). Advertised to Iceberg and Lance clients, and tried first when verifying S3 signatures behind a reverse proxy. Falls back to S3_EXTERNAL_URL env var.")
 	s3Options.allowBackslashInKey = cmdServer.Flag.Bool("s3.allowBackslashInKey", false, allowBackslashInKeyUsage)
 	s3Options.defaultFileMode = cmdServer.Flag.String("s3.defaultFileMode", "", "default file mode for S3 uploaded objects, e.g. 0660, 0644, 0666")