diff --git a/weed/command/filer_backup.go b/weed/command/filer_backup.go
index 060c5fc837..f184dd23dc 100644
--- a/weed/command/filer_backup.go
+++ b/weed/command/filer_backup.go
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ func doFilerBackup(grpcDialOption grpc.DialOption, backupOption *FilerBackupOpti
 		} else {
 			lastOffsetTsNs, err := getOffsetWithFallback(grpcDialOption, sourceFiler, BackupKeyPrefix, sinkId, BackupKeyPrefix, legacySinkId)
 			if err != nil {
-				glog.V(0).Infof("starting from %v (offset read failed: %v)", startFrom, err)
+				return 0, fmt.Errorf("read backup offset: %w", err)
 			} else if lastOffsetTsNs > 0 {
 				startFrom = time.Unix(0, lastOffsetTsNs)
 				glog.V(0).Infof("resuming from %v", startFrom)
diff --git a/weed/command/filer_backup_offset_test.go b/weed/command/filer_backup_offset_test.go
index 7ae18a3c36..e42efdaa2b 100644
--- a/weed/command/filer_backup_offset_test.go
+++ b/weed/command/filer_backup_offset_test.go
@@ -3,11 +3,14 @@ package command
 import (
 	"context"
 	"net"
+	"strings"
 	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/pb"
 	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/pb/filer_pb"
+	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/util"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/credentials/insecure"
 )
@@ -34,14 +37,35 @@ func (s *kvFilerServer) KvPut(_ context.Context, req *filer_pb.KvPutRequest) (*f
 	return &filer_pb.KvPutResponse{}, nil
 }
 
+type failingKvFilerServer struct {
+	filer_pb.UnimplementedSeaweedFilerServer
+	calls atomic.Int32
+}
+
+func (s *failingKvFilerServer) KvGet(context.Context, *filer_pb.KvGetRequest) (*filer_pb.KvGetResponse, error) {
+	if s.calls.Add(1) == 1 {
+		return &filer_pb.KvGetResponse{Error: "kv store unavailable"}, nil
+	}
+	return &filer_pb.KvGetResponse{}, nil
+}
+
+// a miss reads as ErrNotFound so the retried attempt skips the KEK retry loop
+func (s *failingKvFilerServer) LookupDirectoryEntry(context.Context, *filer_pb.LookupDirectoryEntryRequest) (*filer_pb.LookupDirectoryEntryResponse, error) {
+	return &filer_pb.LookupDirectoryEntryResponse{}, nil
+}
+
 func startKvFiler(t *testing.T) (pb.ServerAddress, grpc.DialOption) {
+	return startFiler(t, &kvFilerServer{kv: map[string][]byte{}})
+}
+
+func startFiler(t *testing.T, server filer_pb.SeaweedFilerServer) (pb.ServerAddress, grpc.DialOption) {
 	t.Helper()
 	listener, err := net.Listen("tcp", "127.0.0.1:0")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("listen: %v", err)
 	}
 	grpcServer := grpc.NewServer()
-	filer_pb.RegisterSeaweedFilerServer(grpcServer, &kvFilerServer{kv: map[string][]byte{}})
+	filer_pb.RegisterSeaweedFilerServer(grpcServer, server)
 	go func() { _ = grpcServer.Serve(listener) }()
 	t.Cleanup(func() { grpcServer.Stop() })
 	grpcPort := listener.Addr().(*net.TCPAddr).Port
@@ -110,3 +134,38 @@ func TestBackupOffset_DistinctDestinationsDoNotShare(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("B reads (%d, %v), want (2000, nil)", got, err)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestFilerBackup_OffsetReadFailureFailsAttempt(t *testing.T) {
+	server := &failingKvFilerServer{}
+	filerAddr, dial := startFiler(t, server)
+
+	config := util.GetViper()
+	config.Set("sink.local.enabled", true)
+	config.Set("sink.local.directory", t.TempDir())
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		config.Set("sink.local.enabled", false)
+		config.Set("sink.local.directory", "")
+	})
+
+	options := filerBackupOptions
+	address := string(filerAddr)
+	options.filer = &address
+
+	resumeTsNs, err := doFilerBackup(dial, &options, nil, nil, nil, 1, 1, 0)
+	if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "kv store unavailable") {
+		t.Fatalf("doFilerBackup error = %v, want the offset read failure", err)
+	}
+	if resumeTsNs != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("resume position = %d, want 0", resumeTsNs)
+	}
+
+	// the next attempt re-reads the checkpoint and gets past it once the KV
+	// recovers, so it must fail later, not on the offset read
+	_, err = doFilerBackup(dial, &options, nil, nil, nil, 1, 2, resumeTsNs)
+	if err == nil || strings.Contains(err.Error(), "kv store unavailable") {
+		t.Fatalf("retried doFilerBackup error = %v, want a later-stage failure", err)
+	}
+	if got := server.calls.Load(); got < 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("checkpoint reads across attempts = %d, want a re-read", got)
+	}
+}