diff --git a/seaweed-volume/src/storage/volume_report_hash.rs b/seaweed-volume/src/storage/volume_report_hash.rs
index c661d4d7f..26b3d1347 100644
--- a/seaweed-volume/src/storage/volume_report_hash.rs
+++ b/seaweed-volume/src/storage/volume_report_hash.rs
@@ -35,8 +35,9 @@ pub fn report_hash(m: &master_pb::VolumeInformationMessage) -> u64 {
     h = fold(h, xxh64(&(m.modified_at_second as u64).to_le_bytes(), 0));
     h = fold(h, xxh64(m.collection.as_bytes(), 0));
     h = fold(h, xxh64(m.disk_type.as_bytes(), 0));
+    // Not the remote storage key: the master does not keep it, so a change to
+    // it alters nothing its copy holds.
     h = fold(h, xxh64(m.remote_storage_name.as_bytes(), 0));
-    h = fold(h, xxh64(m.remote_storage_key.as_bytes(), 0));
     h
 }
 
@@ -67,11 +68,11 @@ mod tests {
     #[test]
     fn report_hash_vectors() {
         let empty = master_pb::VolumeInformationMessage::default();
-        assert_eq!(report_hash(&empty), 17122085700329870549);
+        assert_eq!(report_hash(&empty), 10988706248825469653);
 
         let mut one = master_pb::VolumeInformationMessage::default();
         one.id = 1;
-        assert_eq!(report_hash(&one), 12867601919960834066);
+        assert_eq!(report_hash(&one), 2035849960016744285);
 
         let full = master_pb::VolumeInformationMessage {
             id: 42,
@@ -91,7 +92,7 @@ mod tests {
             disk_type: "ssd".to_string(),
             disk_id: 2,
         };
-        assert_eq!(report_hash(&full), 12500327696413250175);
+        assert_eq!(report_hash(&full), 2748844479819636032);
     }
 
     #[test]
diff --git a/weed/admin/dash/volume_export.go b/weed/admin/dash/volume_export.go
index 58a63d9ef..c6de3264c 100644
--- a/weed/admin/dash/volume_export.go
+++ b/weed/admin/dash/volume_export.go
@@ -93,7 +93,6 @@ type ExportVolume struct {
 	DiskType          string  `json:"disk_type"`
 	DiskId            uint32  `json:"disk_id"`
 	RemoteStorageName string  `json:"remote_storage_name,omitempty"`
-	RemoteStorageKey  string  `json:"remote_storage_key,omitempty"`
 }
 
 type ExportEcShard struct {
@@ -251,7 +250,6 @@ func buildExportVolume(m *master_pb.VolumeInformationMessage, volumeSizeLimit ui
 		DiskType:          m.DiskType,
 		DiskId:            m.DiskId,
 		RemoteStorageName: m.RemoteStorageName,
-		RemoteStorageKey:  m.RemoteStorageKey,
 	}
 	// Decode replica placement and TTL the way volume.list does.
 	if vi, err := storage.NewVolumeInfo(m); err == nil {
diff --git a/weed/server/volume_server_handlers_ui.go b/weed/server/volume_server_handlers_ui.go
index a8dabf507..d5a78a98a 100644
--- a/weed/server/volume_server_handlers_ui.go
+++ b/weed/server/volume_server_handlers_ui.go
@@ -15,6 +15,13 @@ import (
 	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/storage"
 )
 
+// remoteVolumeRow carries the remote key the store no longer keeps per volume,
+// read from the volume this server holds rather than relayed by a master.
+type remoteVolumeRow struct {
+	*storage.VolumeInfo
+	RemoteStorageKey string
+}
+
 func (vs *VolumeServer) uiStatusHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	w.Header().Set("Server", "SeaweedFS Volume "+version.VERSION)
 	infos := make(map[string]interface{})
@@ -28,13 +35,18 @@ func (vs *VolumeServer) uiStatusHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request)
 		}
 	}
 	volumeInfos := vs.store.VolumeInfos()
-	var normalVolumeInfos, remoteVolumeInfos []*storage.VolumeInfo
+	var normalVolumeInfos []*storage.VolumeInfo
+	var remoteVolumeInfos []remoteVolumeRow
 	for _, vinfo := range volumeInfos {
-		if vinfo.IsRemote() {
-			remoteVolumeInfos = append(remoteVolumeInfos, vinfo)
-		} else {
+		if !vinfo.IsRemote() {
 			normalVolumeInfos = append(normalVolumeInfos, vinfo)
+			continue
 		}
+		row := remoteVolumeRow{VolumeInfo: vinfo}
+		if v := vs.store.GetVolume(vinfo.Id); v != nil {
+			_, row.RemoteStorageKey = v.RemoteStorageNameKey()
+		}
+		remoteVolumeInfos = append(remoteVolumeInfos, row)
 	}
 	args := struct {
 		Version       string
diff --git a/weed/shell/command_ec_encode.go b/weed/shell/command_ec_encode.go
index a22c1f1f3..f7e2e47bc 100644
--- a/weed/shell/command_ec_encode.go
+++ b/weed/shell/command_ec_encode.go
@@ -964,11 +964,11 @@ func selectVolumeIdsFromTopology(topologyInfo *master_pb.TopologyInfo, volumeSiz
 				totalVolumes++
 
 				// ignore remote volumes
-				if v.RemoteStorageName != "" && v.RemoteStorageKey != "" {
+				if v.RemoteStorageName != "" {
 					remoteVolumes++
 					if verbose {
-						fmt.Printf("skip volume %d on %s: remote volume (storage: %s, key: %s)\n",
-							v.Id, dn.Id, v.RemoteStorageName, v.RemoteStorageKey)
+						fmt.Printf("skip volume %d on %s: remote volume (storage: %s)\n",
+							v.Id, dn.Id, v.RemoteStorageName)
 					}
 					continue
 				}
diff --git a/weed/shell/command_volume_tier_compact.go b/weed/shell/command_volume_tier_compact.go
index f26af60a6..1b31ddce1 100644
--- a/weed/shell/command_volume_tier_compact.go
+++ b/weed/shell/command_volume_tier_compact.go
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ func findRemoteVolumeInTopology(topoInfo *master_pb.TopologyInfo, vid needle.Vol
 		}
 		for _, diskInfo := range dn.DiskInfos {
 			for _, v := range diskInfo.VolumeInfos {
-				if needle.VolumeId(v.Id) == vid && v.RemoteStorageName != "" && v.RemoteStorageKey != "" {
+				if needle.VolumeId(v.Id) == vid && v.RemoteStorageName != "" {
 					if !matchesCollection(v.Collection) {
 						continue
 					}
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ func collectRemoteVolumesWithInfo(topoInfo *master_pb.TopologyInfo, collectionPa
 	eachDataNode(topoInfo, func(dc DataCenterId, rack RackId, dn *master_pb.DataNodeInfo) {
 		for _, diskInfo := range dn.DiskInfos {
 			for _, v := range diskInfo.VolumeInfos {
-				if v.RemoteStorageName == "" || v.RemoteStorageKey == "" {
+				if v.RemoteStorageName == "" {
 					continue
 				}
 				if !collectionRegex.MatchString(v.Collection) {
diff --git a/weed/shell/command_volume_tier_download.go b/weed/shell/command_volume_tier_download.go
index d261747c3..f17199e9d 100644
--- a/weed/shell/command_volume_tier_download.go
+++ b/weed/shell/command_volume_tier_download.go
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ func collectRemoteVolumes(topoInfo *master_pb.TopologyInfo, collectionPattern st
 	eachDataNode(topoInfo, func(dc DataCenterId, rack RackId, dn *master_pb.DataNodeInfo) {
 		for _, diskInfo := range dn.DiskInfos {
 			for _, v := range diskInfo.VolumeInfos {
-				if collectionRegex.MatchString(v.Collection) && v.RemoteStorageKey != "" && v.RemoteStorageName != "" {
+				if collectionRegex.MatchString(v.Collection) && v.RemoteStorageName != "" {
 					vidMap[v.Id] = true
 				}
 			}
diff --git a/weed/shell/command_volume_tier_upload.go b/weed/shell/command_volume_tier_upload.go
index eda04884c..a48607435 100644
--- a/weed/shell/command_volume_tier_upload.go
+++ b/weed/shell/command_volume_tier_upload.go
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ func collectVolumeTierUploadLocations(topoInfo *master_pb.TopologyInfo, vid need
 						GrpcPort:   int(dn.GrpcPort),
 						DataCenter: string(dc),
 					}
-					if vi.RemoteStorageKey != "" {
+					if vi.RemoteStorageName != "" {
 						tiered = append(tiered, loc)
 					} else {
 						local = append(local, loc)
diff --git a/weed/storage/store.go b/weed/storage/store.go
index 22e333f5e..6f5fa458c 100644
--- a/weed/storage/store.go
+++ b/weed/storage/store.go
@@ -393,7 +393,7 @@ func collectStatForOneVolume(vid needle.VolumeId, v *Volume) (s *VolumeInfo) {
 		DiskType:         v.DiskType().String(),
 		DiskId:           v.diskId,
 	}
-	s.RemoteStorageName, s.RemoteStorageKey = v.RemoteStorageNameKey()
+	s.RemoteStorageName, _ = v.RemoteStorageNameKey()
 
 	v.dataFileAccessLock.RLock()
 	defer v.dataFileAccessLock.RUnlock()
diff --git a/weed/storage/volume_info.go b/weed/storage/volume_info.go
index 5608d596c..40e7f173a 100644
--- a/weed/storage/volume_info.go
+++ b/weed/storage/volume_info.go
@@ -13,10 +13,12 @@ import (
 // Held for every volume replica, so the fields are grouped by size rather than
 // by meaning: interleaved, each one-byte field rounds up to a whole word.
 type VolumeInfo struct {
-	Collection        string
-	DiskType          string
+	Collection string
+	DiskType   string
+	// The backend a remote volume lives in. Not the key within it: a master
+	// decides nothing from the key and would hold one per volume, unique and so
+	// unshareable, while the server holding the volume reports it on demand.
 	RemoteStorageName string
-	RemoteStorageKey  string
 
 	ReplicaPlacement *super_block.ReplicaPlacement
 	Ttl              *needle.TTL
@@ -48,7 +50,6 @@ func NewVolumeInfo(m *master_pb.VolumeInformationMessage) (vi VolumeInfo, err er
 		CompactRevision:   m.CompactRevision,
 		ModifiedAtSecond:  m.ModifiedAtSecond,
 		RemoteStorageName: internVolumeString(m.RemoteStorageName),
-		RemoteStorageKey:  m.RemoteStorageKey,
 		DiskType:          internVolumeString(m.DiskType),
 		DiskId:            m.DiskId,
 	}
@@ -125,7 +126,7 @@ func (vi VolumeInfo) String() string {
 	s := fmt.Sprintf("Id:%d, Size:%d, ReplicaPlacement:%s, Collection:%s, Version:%v, Ttl:%s, FileCount:%d, DeleteCount:%d, DeletedByteCount:%d, ReadOnly:%v, ModifiedAtSecond:%d",
 		vi.Id, vi.Size, vi.ReplicaPlacement, vi.Collection, vi.Version, vi.Ttl.String(), vi.FileCount, vi.DeleteCount, vi.DeletedByteCount, vi.ReadOnly, vi.ModifiedAtSecond)
 	if vi.IsRemote() {
-		s += fmt.Sprintf(", RemoteStorageName:%s, RemoteStorageKey:%s", vi.RemoteStorageName, vi.RemoteStorageKey)
+		s += fmt.Sprintf(", RemoteStorageName:%s", vi.RemoteStorageName)
 	}
 	return s
 }
@@ -145,7 +146,6 @@ func (vi VolumeInfo) ToVolumeInformationMessage() *master_pb.VolumeInformationMe
 		CompactRevision:   vi.CompactRevision,
 		ModifiedAtSecond:  vi.ModifiedAtSecond,
 		RemoteStorageName: vi.RemoteStorageName,
-		RemoteStorageKey:  vi.RemoteStorageKey,
 		DiskType:          vi.DiskType,
 		DiskId:            vi.DiskId,
 	}
diff --git a/weed/storage/volume_info_intern_test.go b/weed/storage/volume_info_intern_test.go
index 880dc1a8b..5ac7bf52a 100644
--- a/weed/storage/volume_info_intern_test.go
+++ b/weed/storage/volume_info_intern_test.go
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ func TestRepeatedVolumeStringsAreShared(t *testing.T) {
 			Collection:        string([]byte("somecollection")),
 			DiskType:          string([]byte("ssd")),
 			RemoteStorageName: string([]byte("s3cold")),
-			RemoteStorageKey:  string([]byte("seaweed/somecollection/1.dat")),
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -48,9 +47,6 @@ func TestRepeatedVolumeStringsAreShared(t *testing.T) {
 		{"Collection", first.Collection, second.Collection, true},
 		{"DiskType", first.DiskType, second.DiskType, true},
 		{"RemoteStorageName", first.RemoteStorageName, second.RemoteStorageName, true},
-		// Unique per volume: interning it would fill the table rather than
-		// share anything.
-		{"RemoteStorageKey", first.RemoteStorageKey, second.RemoteStorageKey, false},
 	} {
 		if tc.a != tc.b {
 			t.Fatalf("%s: values differ, %q vs %q", tc.name, tc.a, tc.b)
diff --git a/weed/storage/volume_report_hash.go b/weed/storage/volume_report_hash.go
index 0b1a24543..bc2522b2d 100644
--- a/weed/storage/volume_report_hash.go
+++ b/weed/storage/volume_report_hash.go
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@ func (vi VolumeInfo) ReportHash() uint64 {
 	h = foldReportHash(h, xxhash.Sum64String(vi.Collection))
 	h = foldReportHash(h, xxhash.Sum64String(vi.DiskType))
 	h = foldReportHash(h, xxhash.Sum64String(vi.RemoteStorageName))
-	h = foldReportHash(h, xxhash.Sum64String(vi.RemoteStorageKey))
 	return h
 }
 
diff --git a/weed/topology/topology_test.go b/weed/topology/topology_test.go
index 32c3ad7e4..ec3f4585e 100644
--- a/weed/topology/topology_test.go
+++ b/weed/topology/topology_test.go
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ func TestVolumeReadOnlyAndRemoteStatusChange(t *testing.T) {
 	// Simultaneously change to read-only AND remote
 	v.ReadOnly = true
 	v.RemoteStorageName = "s3"
-	v.RemoteStorageKey = "key1"
+	v.RemoteStorageName = "s3.default"
 	dn.UpdateVolumes([]storage.VolumeInfo{v})
 
 	// Check counts after both changes
@@ -340,7 +340,7 @@ func TestVolumeReadOnlyAndRemoteStatusChange(t *testing.T) {
 	// Change back to local AND read-only simultaneously
 	v.ReadOnly = true
 	v.RemoteStorageName = ""
-	v.RemoteStorageKey = ""
+	v.RemoteStorageName = ""
 	dn.UpdateVolumes([]storage.VolumeInfo{v})
 
 	// Check final counts
diff --git a/weed/topology/volume_digest_test.go b/weed/topology/volume_digest_test.go
index 70ded92c8..e40e661fd 100644
--- a/weed/topology/volume_digest_test.go
+++ b/weed/topology/volume_digest_test.go
@@ -75,6 +75,12 @@ func TestVolumeDigestIsIndependentOfReportOrder(t *testing.T) {
 // skips is a change the master would never be told about. Enumerated from the
 // message rather than listed here, so a field added later cannot quietly fall
 // outside the digest while this still passes.
+// Fields a server reports that the master deliberately does not keep, so a
+// change to one alters nothing it holds and the digest is right not to move.
+var notRetainedByTheMaster = map[string]string{
+	"remote_storage_key": "unique per volume, and the master decides nothing from it",
+}
+
 func TestVolumeDigestTracksEveryReportedField(t *testing.T) {
 	base := digestTestVolume(1)
 	baseInfo, err := storage.NewVolumeInfo(base)
@@ -86,6 +92,7 @@ func TestVolumeDigestTracksEveryReportedField(t *testing.T) {
 	for i := 0; i < fields.Len(); i++ {
 		fd := fields.Get(i)
 		t.Run(string(fd.Name()), func(t *testing.T) {
+			why, skipped := notRetainedByTheMaster[string(fd.Name())]
 			candidates := distinctValuesFor(t, fd, base.ProtoReflect().Get(fd))
 			for _, candidate := range candidates {
 				changed := proto.Clone(base).(*master_pb.VolumeInformationMessage)
@@ -95,9 +102,15 @@ func TestVolumeDigestTracksEveryReportedField(t *testing.T) {
 					t.Fatal(err)
 				}
 				if baseInfo.ReportHash() != changedInfo.ReportHash() {
+					if skipped {
+						t.Errorf("%s moves the digest, but is listed as not retained by the master (%s)", fd.Name(), why)
+					}
 					return
 				}
 			}
+			if skipped {
+				return
+			}
 			t.Errorf("no change to %s moves the digest, so the master would never be told about one", fd.Name())
 		})
 	}