diff --git a/c_src/eleveldb.cc b/c_src/eleveldb.cc
index 89013bdd..3e3a2b9b 100644
--- a/c_src/eleveldb.cc
+++ b/c_src/eleveldb.cc
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ ERL_NIF_TERM ATOM_FIRST;
 ERL_NIF_TERM ATOM_LAST;
 ERL_NIF_TERM ATOM_NEXT;
 ERL_NIF_TERM ATOM_PREV;
+ERL_NIF_TERM ATOM_PREFETCH;
 ERL_NIF_TERM ATOM_INVALID_ITERATOR;
 ERL_NIF_TERM ATOM_CACHE_SIZE;
 ERL_NIF_TERM ATOM_PARANOID_CHECKS;
@@ -539,9 +540,7 @@ async_iterator_move(
 
     itr_ptr.assign(ItrObject::RetrieveItrObject(env, itr_handle_ref));
 
-    // prefetch logic broke PREV and not fixing for Riak
-    if(NULL==itr_ptr.get()
-       || (enif_is_atom(env, action_or_target) && ATOM_PREV==action_or_target))
+    if(NULL==itr_ptr.get())
         return enif_make_badarg(env);
 
     // Reuse ref from iterator creation
@@ -558,26 +557,22 @@ async_iterator_move(
         if(ATOM_LAST == action_or_target)   action = eleveldb::MoveTask::LAST;
         if(ATOM_NEXT == action_or_target)   action = eleveldb::MoveTask::NEXT;
         if(ATOM_PREV == action_or_target)   action = eleveldb::MoveTask::PREV;
+        if(ATOM_PREFETCH == action_or_target)   action = eleveldb::MoveTask::PREFETCH;
     }   // if
 
 
     //
     // Three situations:
-    //  - not a NEXT call
-    //  - NEXT call and no prefetch waiting
-    //  - NEXT call and prefetch is waiting
-    if (eleveldb::MoveTask::NEXT != action)
-    {
-        // is a prefetch potentially in play (cut it loose and its Iterator)
-        if (itr_ptr->ReleaseReuseMove())
-        {
-            leveldb::Iterator * iterator;
+    //  #1 not a PREFETCH next call
+    //  #2 PREFETCH call and no prefetch waiting
+    //  #3 PREFETCH call and prefetch is waiting
 
-            // NewIterator is fast, background not needed
-            iterator = itr_ptr->m_DbPtr->m_Db->NewIterator(*itr_ptr->m_ReadOptions);
-            itr_ptr->m_Iter.assign(new LevelIteratorWrapper(itr_ptr->m_DbPtr.get(), itr_ptr->m_Snapshot.get(),
-                                                        iterator, itr_ptr->keys_only));
-        }   // if
+    // case #1
+    if (eleveldb::MoveTask::PREFETCH != action)
+    {
+        // current move object could still be in later stages of
+        //  worker thread completion ... race condition ...don't reuse
+        itr_ptr->ReleaseReuseMove();
 
         submit_new_request=true;
         ret_term = enif_make_copy(env, itr_ptr->m_Snapshot->itr_ref);
@@ -586,6 +581,7 @@ async_iterator_move(
         itr_ptr->m_Iter->m_HandoffAtomic=1;
     }   // if
 
+    // case #2
     // before we launch a background job for "next iteration", see if there is a
     //  prefetch waiting for us
     else if (eleveldb::compare_and_swap(&itr_ptr->m_Iter->m_HandoffAtomic, 0, 1))
@@ -593,8 +589,25 @@ async_iterator_move(
         // nope, no prefetch ... await a message to erlang queue
         ret_term = enif_make_copy(env, itr_ptr->m_Snapshot->itr_ref);
 
-        submit_new_request=false;
+        // is this truly a wait for prefetch ... or actually the first prefetch request
+        if (!itr_ptr->m_Iter->m_PrefetchStarted)
+        {
+            submit_new_request=true;
+            itr_ptr->m_Iter->m_PrefetchStarted=true;
+            itr_ptr->ReleaseReuseMove();
+
+            // first must return via message
+            itr_ptr->m_Iter->m_HandoffAtomic=1;
+        }   // if
+
+        else
+        {
+            // await message that is already in the making
+            submit_new_request=false;
+        }   // else
     }   // else if
+
+    // case #3
     else
     {
         // why yes there is.  copy the key/value info into a return tuple before
@@ -717,6 +730,8 @@ eleveldb_iterator_close(
 
     if (NULL!=itr_ptr)
     {
+        itr_ptr->ReleaseReuseMove();
+
         // set closing flag ... atomic likely unnecessary (but safer)
         eleveldb::ErlRefObject::InitiateCloseRequest(itr_ptr);
 
@@ -981,6 +996,7 @@ try
     ATOM(eleveldb::ATOM_LAST, "last");
     ATOM(eleveldb::ATOM_NEXT, "next");
     ATOM(eleveldb::ATOM_PREV, "prev");
+    ATOM(eleveldb::ATOM_PREFETCH, "prefetch");
     ATOM(eleveldb::ATOM_INVALID_ITERATOR, "invalid_iterator");
     ATOM(eleveldb::ATOM_CACHE_SIZE, "cache_size");
     ATOM(eleveldb::ATOM_PARANOID_CHECKS, "paranoid_checks");
diff --git a/c_src/refobjects.h b/c_src/refobjects.h
index 2309afd2..ec2112d5 100644
--- a/c_src/refobjects.h
+++ b/c_src/refobjects.h
@@ -273,11 +273,12 @@ class LevelIteratorWrapper : public RefObject
     leveldb::Iterator * m_Iterator;
     volatile uint32_t m_HandoffAtomic;        //!< matthew's atomic foreground/background prefetch flag.
     bool m_KeysOnly;                          //!< only return key values
+    bool m_PrefetchStarted;                   //!< true after first prefetch command
 
     LevelIteratorWrapper(DbObject * DbPtr, LevelSnapshotWrapper * Snapshot,
                          leveldb::Iterator * Iterator, bool KeysOnly)
         : m_DbPtr(DbPtr), m_Snap(Snapshot), m_Iterator(Iterator),
-        m_HandoffAtomic(0), m_KeysOnly(KeysOnly)
+        m_HandoffAtomic(0), m_KeysOnly(KeysOnly), m_PrefetchStarted(false)
     {
     };
 
diff --git a/c_src/workitems.cc b/c_src/workitems.cc
index 79cf7ff4..03f5373a 100644
--- a/c_src/workitems.cc
+++ b/c_src/workitems.cc
@@ -193,6 +193,7 @@ MoveTask::operator()()
 
         case LAST:  itr->SeekToLast();  break;
 
+        case PREFETCH:
         case NEXT:  if(itr->Valid()) itr->Next(); break;
 
         case PREV:  if(itr->Valid()) itr->Prev(); break;
@@ -216,7 +217,6 @@ MoveTask::operator()()
 
 
     // who got back first, us or the erlang loop
-//    if (eleveldb::detail::compare_and_swap(&m_ItrPtr->m_handoff_atomic, 0, 1))
     if (compare_and_swap(&m_ItrWrap->m_HandoffAtomic, 0, 1))
     {
         // this is prefetch of next iteration.  It returned faster than actual
@@ -230,11 +230,8 @@ MoveTask::operator()()
 
         if(itr->Valid())
         {
-            if (NEXT==action || SEEK==action || FIRST==action)
-            {
+            if (PREFETCH==action)
                 prepare_recycle();
-                action=NEXT;
-            }   // if
 
             // erlang is waiting, send message
             if(m_ItrWrap->m_KeysOnly)
diff --git a/c_src/workitems.h b/c_src/workitems.h
index 807a4fc2..cd837152 100644
--- a/c_src/workitems.h
+++ b/c_src/workitems.h
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ class IterTask : public WorkTask
 class MoveTask : public WorkTask
 {
 public:
-    typedef enum { FIRST, LAST, NEXT, PREV, SEEK } action_t;
+    typedef enum { FIRST, LAST, NEXT, PREV, SEEK, PREFETCH } action_t;
 
 protected:
     ReferencePtr<LevelIteratorWrapper> m_ItrWrap;             //!< access to database, and holds reference
diff --git a/src/eleveldb.erl b/src/eleveldb.erl
index 60bb2f88..5e416529 100644
--- a/src/eleveldb.erl
+++ b/src/eleveldb.erl
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ init() ->
                           {delete, Key::binary()} |
                           clear].
 
--type iterator_action() :: first | last | next | prev | binary().
+-type iterator_action() :: first | last | next | prev | prefetch | binary().
 
 -opaque db_ref() :: binary().
 
@@ -308,10 +308,10 @@ fold_loop({error, invalid_iterator}, _Itr, _Fun, Acc0) ->
     Acc0;
 fold_loop({ok, K}, Itr, Fun, Acc0) ->
     Acc = Fun(K, Acc0),
-    fold_loop(iterator_move(Itr, next), Itr, Fun, Acc);
+    fold_loop(iterator_move(Itr, prefetch), Itr, Fun, Acc);
 fold_loop({ok, K, V}, Itr, Fun, Acc0) ->
     Acc = Fun({K, V}, Acc0),
-    fold_loop(iterator_move(Itr, next), Itr, Fun, Acc).
+    fold_loop(iterator_move(Itr, prefetch), Itr, Fun, Acc).
 
 validate_type({_Key, bool}, true)                            -> true;
 validate_type({_Key, bool}, false)                           -> true;
diff --git a/test/iterators.erl b/test/iterators.erl
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d3ca6c9a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/iterators.erl
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+%% -------------------------------------------------------------------
+%%
+%%  eleveldb: Erlang Wrapper for LevelDB (http://code.google.com/p/leveldb/)
+%%
+%% Copyright (c) 2010-2013 Basho Technologies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
+%%
+%% This file is provided to you under the Apache License,
+%% Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may not use this file
+%% except in compliance with the License.  You may obtain
+%% a copy of the License at
+%%
+%%   http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+%%
+%% Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing,
+%% software distributed under the License is distributed on an
+%% "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY
+%% KIND, either express or implied.  See the License for the
+%% specific language governing permissions and limitations
+%% under the License.
+%%
+%% -------------------------------------------------------------------
+-module(iterators).
+
+-compile(export_all).
+
+-include_lib("eunit/include/eunit.hrl").
+
+prev_test() ->
+    os:cmd("rm -rf ltest"),  % NOTE
+    {ok, Ref} = eleveldb:open("ltest", [{create_if_missing, true}]),
+    try
+      eleveldb:put(Ref, <<"a">>, <<"x">>, []),
+      eleveldb:put(Ref, <<"b">>, <<"y">>, []),
+      {ok, I} = eleveldb:iterator(Ref, []),
+        ?assertEqual({ok, <<"a">>, <<"x">>},eleveldb:iterator_move(I, <<>>)),
+        ?assertEqual({ok, <<"b">>, <<"y">>},eleveldb:iterator_move(I, next)),
+        ?assertEqual({ok, <<"a">>, <<"x">>},eleveldb:iterator_move(I, prev))
+    after
+      eleveldb:close(Ref)
+    end.