diff --git a/weed/server/master_grpc_server_volume.go b/weed/server/master_grpc_server_volume.go
index c0b4d7edc1..756c1c91af 100644
--- a/weed/server/master_grpc_server_volume.go
+++ b/weed/server/master_grpc_server_volume.go
@@ -493,22 +493,24 @@ func (ms *MasterServer) VolumeGrow(ctx context.Context, req *master_pb.VolumeGro
 		Reason: "grpc volume grow",
 	}
 
+	// Report the layout's fill observed at request time whether or not
+	// growth was triggered, so callers can tell an empty layout from a
+	// skipped one. A missing collection/layout reports zeros.
+	var avgFill float64
+	var writableCount int
+	if vl := ms.Topo.FindVolumeLayout(req.Collection, replicaPlacement, ttl, types.ToDiskType(req.DiskType)); vl != nil {
+		avgFill, writableCount = vl.WritableAvgFill()
+	}
+
 	// Conditional grow: with a threshold set, grow only when the layout's
 	// writable volumes have reached this average fill. A layout with no
 	// writable volumes (none yet, or all just filled) skips the check — that
 	// is the case growth exists to fix.
-	var avgFill float64
-	var writableCount int
-	if req.GrowAvgFillThreshold > 0 {
-		if vl := ms.Topo.FindVolumeLayout(req.Collection, replicaPlacement, ttl, types.ToDiskType(req.DiskType)); vl != nil {
-			avgFill, writableCount = vl.WritableAvgFill()
-		}
-		if writableCount > 0 && avgFill < float64(req.GrowAvgFillThreshold) {
-			return &master_pb.VolumeGrowResponse{
-				AvgFill:       float32(avgFill),
-				WritableCount: uint32(writableCount),
-			}, nil
-		}
+	if req.GrowAvgFillThreshold > 0 && writableCount > 0 && avgFill < float64(req.GrowAvgFillThreshold) {
+		return &master_pb.VolumeGrowResponse{
+			AvgFill:       float32(avgFill),
+			WritableCount: uint32(writableCount),
+		}, nil
 	}
 
 	replicaCount := int64(req.WritableVolumeCount * uint32(replicaPlacement.GetCopyCount()))