diff --git a/weed/filer/filer_conf.go b/weed/filer/filer_conf.go
index ed53cbca98..f6ca74a053 100644
--- a/weed/filer/filer_conf.go
+++ b/weed/filer/filer_conf.go
@@ -252,11 +252,30 @@ func ClonePathConf(src *filer_pb.FilerConf_PathConf) *filer_pb.FilerConf_PathCon
 	}
 }
 
+// MatchInodeIndexRule reports whether an inode_index rule covers path. Unlike
+// MatchStorageRule it requires the rule's location to end at a path boundary,
+// so a rule on /exports does not index /exports2 or /exports_old.
+func (fc *FilerConf) MatchInodeIndexRule(path string) bool {
+	active := false
+	fc.rules.MatchPrefix([]byte(path), func(key []byte, value *filer_pb.FilerConf_PathConf) bool {
+		if !value.InodeIndex {
+			return true
+		}
+		rulePath := strings.TrimSuffix(string(key), "/")
+		if path == rulePath || strings.HasPrefix(path, rulePath+"/") {
+			active = true
+			return false
+		}
+		return true
+	})
+	return active
+}
+
 // InodeIndexActiveUnder reports whether entries inside dirPath may carry inode
 // index rows: either dirPath itself is covered by an inode_index rule, or such
 // a rule applies to a subtree inside dirPath.
 func (fc *FilerConf) InodeIndexActiveUnder(dirPath string) bool {
-	if fc.MatchStorageRule(dirPath).InodeIndex {
+	if fc.MatchInodeIndexRule(dirPath) {
 		return true
 	}
 	prefix := dirPath
diff --git a/weed/filer/filer_inode_index.go b/weed/filer/filer_inode_index.go
index d1a6b4fa21..5ea81f0ba0 100644
--- a/weed/filer/filer_inode_index.go
+++ b/weed/filer/filer_inode_index.go
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ func (fsw *FilerStoreWrapper) inodeIndexInScope(path util.FullPath) bool {
 	if fc == nil {
 		return false
 	}
-	return fc.MatchStorageRule(string(path)).InodeIndex
+	return fc.MatchInodeIndexRule(string(path))
 }
 
 // inodeIndexUnder reports whether any entry inside dirPath may carry an inode
diff --git a/weed/filer/filer_inode_index_test.go b/weed/filer/filer_inode_index_test.go
index 034c1fd3ec..a28ef0cbb6 100644
--- a/weed/filer/filer_inode_index_test.go
+++ b/weed/filer/filer_inode_index_test.go
@@ -301,3 +301,16 @@ func TestInodeIndexActiveUnder(t *testing.T) {
 
 	assert.False(t, NewFilerConf().InodeIndexActiveUnder("/"))
 }
+
+func TestMatchInodeIndexRule(t *testing.T) {
+	fc := inodeIndexConf("/exports")
+	assert.True(t, fc.MatchInodeIndexRule("/exports"))
+	assert.True(t, fc.MatchInodeIndexRule("/exports/sub/file"))
+	assert.False(t, fc.MatchInodeIndexRule("/exports2"))
+	assert.False(t, fc.MatchInodeIndexRule("/exports_old/x"))
+	assert.False(t, fc.MatchInodeIndexRule("/exp"))
+	assert.False(t, fc.MatchInodeIndexRule("/other"))
+
+	assert.True(t, inodeIndexConf("/").MatchInodeIndexRule("/anything"))
+	assert.False(t, NewFilerConf().MatchInodeIndexRule("/exports"))
+}