diff --git a/weed/server/volume_grpc_erasure_coding.go b/weed/server/volume_grpc_erasure_coding.go
index 3cfb3b10a..dd39308de 100644
--- a/weed/server/volume_grpc_erasure_coding.go
+++ b/weed/server/volume_grpc_erasure_coding.go
@@ -88,6 +88,12 @@ func (vs *VolumeServer) VolumeEcShardsGenerate(ctx context.Context, req *volume_
 		os.Remove(erasure_coding.BitrotSidecarPath(baseFileName, 0))
 	}()
 
+	// Wipe any EC artifacts from a prior encode so a retry never mixes two runs.
+	// Evict the in-memory EcVolume first so the unlink frees the inodes instead
+	// of leaving open fds serving the old bytes. Scans the cap for custom ratios.
+	vs.store.UnloadEcVolume(needle.VolumeId(req.VolumeId))
+	removeStaleEcArtifacts(baseFileName, v.IndexFileName(), erasure_coding.MaxShardCount)
+
 	// IMPORTANT: Generate .ecx BEFORE EC shards to prevent a race condition.
 	// If .ecx were generated after EC shards, any write (e.g. from WriteNeedleBlob
 	// during replica sync) between the two steps would add entries to .idx that
@@ -482,6 +488,25 @@ func deleteEcShardIdsForEachLocation(bName string, location *storage.DiskLocatio
 	return nil
 }
 
+// removeStaleEcArtifacts deletes the shard, index, journal, and bitrot sidecar
+// files of a prior encode so a fresh encode never mixes runs. total is the
+// shard-id range to scan (pass the cap for custom ratios). Does not touch the
+// source .dat/.idx/.vif.
+func removeStaleEcArtifacts(dataBaseFileName, indexBaseFileName string, total int) {
+	for i := 0; i < total; i++ {
+		os.Remove(dataBaseFileName + erasure_coding.ToExt(i))
+	}
+	// .ecx/.ecj/.ecsum may sit in either dir depending on -dir.idx; clear both.
+	os.Remove(indexBaseFileName + ".ecx")
+	os.Remove(indexBaseFileName + ".ecj")
+	removeBitrotSidecars(indexBaseFileName)
+	if dataBaseFileName != indexBaseFileName {
+		os.Remove(dataBaseFileName + ".ecx")
+		os.Remove(dataBaseFileName + ".ecj")
+		removeBitrotSidecars(dataBaseFileName)
+	}
+}
+
 // removeBitrotSidecars removes the legacy <base>.ecsum and any versioned
 // <base>.ecsum.v<N> sidecars. Best-effort; logs nothing on absence.
 func removeBitrotSidecars(baseFilename string) {
diff --git a/weed/server/volume_grpc_erasure_coding_test.go b/weed/server/volume_grpc_erasure_coding_test.go
index d42ab547f..7c73a24aa 100644
--- a/weed/server/volume_grpc_erasure_coding_test.go
+++ b/weed/server/volume_grpc_erasure_coding_test.go
@@ -64,6 +64,59 @@ func TestCheckEcVolumeStatusCountOnlyDataShards(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestRemoveStaleEcArtifacts: a fresh encode deletes every prior EC artifact
+// (incl. shard ids beyond the default ratio and versioned bitrot sidecars)
+// while leaving the source .dat/.idx/.vif untouched.
+func TestRemoveStaleEcArtifacts(t *testing.T) {
+	tempDir := t.TempDir()
+	dataDir := filepath.Join(tempDir, "data")
+	idxDir := filepath.Join(tempDir, "idx")
+	for _, d := range []string{dataDir, idxDir} {
+		if err := os.MkdirAll(d, 0o755); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("mkdir %s: %v", d, err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	const baseName = "7"
+	dataBase := filepath.Join(dataDir, baseName)
+	idxBase := filepath.Join(idxDir, baseName)
+
+	// EC artifacts that must be removed, including a shard id past the default
+	// 10+4 ratio (proves the MaxShardCount scan) and a versioned sidecar.
+	var ecFiles []string
+	for _, id := range []int{0, 9, 13, 20, erasure_coding.MaxShardCount - 1} {
+		ecFiles = append(ecFiles, dataBase+erasure_coding.ToExt(id))
+	}
+	ecFiles = append(ecFiles,
+		dataBase+".ecx", dataBase+".ecj",
+		idxBase+".ecx", idxBase+".ecj",
+		dataBase+erasure_coding.BitrotSidecarExt,       // .ecsum (generation 0)
+		dataBase+erasure_coding.BitrotSidecarExt+".v2", // versioned sidecar
+	)
+
+	// Source files that must survive — the authoritative input for the encode.
+	srcFiles := []string{dataBase + ".dat", idxBase + ".idx", dataBase + ".vif"}
+
+	for _, f := range append(append([]string{}, ecFiles...), srcFiles...) {
+		if err := os.WriteFile(f, []byte("x"), 0o644); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("create %s: %v", f, err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	removeStaleEcArtifacts(dataBase, idxBase, erasure_coding.MaxShardCount)
+
+	for _, f := range ecFiles {
+		if util.FileExists(f) {
+			t.Errorf("expected EC artifact removed: %s", f)
+		}
+	}
+	for _, f := range srcFiles {
+		if !util.FileExists(f) {
+			t.Errorf("expected source file preserved: %s", f)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 // TestVolumeEcShardsInfo_AggregatesAcrossDisks pins the multi-disk path:
 // when a volume server mounts EC shards for the same volume on more than
 // one disk (each disk holds its own EcVolume entry — Store.FindEcVolume
diff --git a/weed/storage/store_ec.go b/weed/storage/store_ec.go
index 3ef81fd77..c3b4dfa62 100644
--- a/weed/storage/store_ec.go
+++ b/weed/storage/store_ec.go
@@ -349,6 +349,14 @@ func (s *Store) DestroyEcVolume(vid needle.VolumeId) {
 	}
 }
 
+// UnloadEcVolume drops any in-memory EcVolume for vid from every disk and closes
+// its fds without deleting files, so a following unlink frees the inodes.
+func (s *Store) UnloadEcVolume(vid needle.VolumeId) {
+	for _, location := range s.Locations {
+		location.unloadEcVolume(vid)
+	}
+}
+
 func (s *Store) ReadEcShardNeedle(vid needle.VolumeId, n *needle.Needle, onReadSizeFn func(size types.Size)) (int, error) {
 	for _, location := range s.Locations {
 		if localEcVolume, found := location.FindEcVolume(vid); found {