diff --git a/cmd/metacache-server-pool.go b/cmd/metacache-server-pool.go
index c78a1e7f36748..f034fa268aa1c 100644
--- a/cmd/metacache-server-pool.go
+++ b/cmd/metacache-server-pool.go
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ func (z *erasureServerPools) listPath(ctx context.Context, o *listPathOptions) (
 	o.parseMarker()
 	o.BaseDir = baseDirFromPrefix(o.Prefix)
 	o.Transient = o.Transient || isReservedOrInvalidBucket(o.Bucket, false)
+	o.SetFilter()
 	if o.Transient {
 		o.Create = false
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/metacache-walk.go b/cmd/metacache-walk.go
index 5825e3ed7ad2d..622f7a3e7e48a 100644
--- a/cmd/metacache-walk.go
+++ b/cmd/metacache-walk.go
@@ -110,6 +110,11 @@ func (s *xlStorage) WalkDir(ctx context.Context, opts WalkDirOptions, wr io.Writ
 	var scanDir func(path string) error
 
 	scanDir = func(current string) error {
+		// always skip the directory that doesn't match the prefix
+		if len(current) > 0 && !strings.HasPrefix(current, prefix) {
+			return nil
+		}
+
 		// Skip forward, if requested...
 		forward := ""
 		if len(opts.ForwardTo) > 0 && strings.HasPrefix(opts.ForwardTo, current) {
@@ -138,9 +143,6 @@ func (s *xlStorage) WalkDir(ctx context.Context, opts WalkDirOptions, wr io.Writ
 		}
 		dirObjects := make(map[string]struct{})
 		for i, entry := range entries {
-			if len(prefix) > 0 && !strings.HasPrefix(entry, prefix) {
-				continue
-			}
 			if len(forward) > 0 && entry < forward {
 				continue
 			}
@@ -197,7 +199,6 @@ func (s *xlStorage) WalkDir(ctx context.Context, opts WalkDirOptions, wr io.Writ
 		// Process in sort order.
 		sort.Strings(entries)
 		dirStack := make([]string, 0, 5)
-		prefix = "" // Remove prefix after first level.
 		if len(forward) > 0 {
 			idx := sort.SearchStrings(entries, forward)
 			if idx > 0 {