diff --git a/src/aibs_informatics_core/utils/file_operations.py b/src/aibs_informatics_core/utils/file_operations.py
index bd79c68..5d6eafd 100644
--- a/src/aibs_informatics_core/utils/file_operations.py
+++ b/src/aibs_informatics_core/utils/file_operations.py
@@ -182,6 +182,39 @@ def make_archive(
         raise ValueError(f"Error extracting file {source_path}. [{e}]") from e
 
 
+def find_filesystem_boundary(starting_path: Path) -> Path:
+    """Given some starting Path, determine the nearest filesystem boundary (mount point).
+    If no mount is found, then this function will return the first parent directory PRIOR
+    to the filesystem anchor.
+
+    >>> find_filesystem_boundary(Path("/allen/scratch/aibstemp"))
+    PosixPath('/allen/scratch')
+
+    >>> find_filesystem_boundary(Path("/tmp/random_file.txt"))
+    PosixPath('/tmp')
+
+    Args:
+        starting_path (Path): The starting Path
+
+    Raises:
+        RuntimeError: If the provided starting_path cannot resolve to a real existing path
+
+    Returns:
+        Path: The path of the nearest filesystem boundary OR the first parent directory prior
+            to the filesystem anchor (example anchors: "/", "c:\\")
+    """
+    current_path = starting_path.resolve()
+    while current_path.parent != Path(current_path.anchor):
+        if current_path.is_mount():
+            break
+        current_path = current_path.parent
+
+    if current_path.exists():
+        return current_path
+    else:
+        raise OSError(f"Could not find a real filesystem boundary for: {str(starting_path)}")
+
+
 def move_path(source_path: Path, destination_path: Path, exists_ok: bool = False):
     """Alias to simple mv command from one path to another
 
diff --git a/test/aibs_informatics_core/utils/test_file_operations.py b/test/aibs_informatics_core/utils/test_file_operations.py
index fecd308..5ef9516 100644
--- a/test/aibs_informatics_core/utils/test_file_operations.py
+++ b/test/aibs_informatics_core/utils/test_file_operations.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
     PathLock,
     copy_path,
     extract_archive,
+    find_filesystem_boundary,
     get_path_hash,
     get_path_size_bytes,
     get_path_with_root,
@@ -454,3 +455,34 @@ def test__strip_path_root__works(path, root, expected, expectation):
         actual = strip_path_root(path, root)
     if expected is not None:
         assert actual == expected
+
+
+@mark.parametrize(
+    "starting_path, raise_expectation, expected",
+    [
+        param(
+            # starting_path
+            Path("/tmp/test_subdir/test_file.txt"),
+            # raise_expectation
+            does_not_raise(),
+            # expected
+            Path("/tmp"),
+            id="Test basic case",
+        ),
+        param(
+            # starting_path
+            Path("/non_existent_dir/test_file.txt"),
+            # raise_expectation
+            raises(OSError, match=r"Could not find a real filesystem boundary.+"),
+            # expected
+            None,
+            id="Test non-existent path",
+        ),
+    ],
+)
+def test__find_filesystem_boundary(starting_path: Path, raise_expectation, expected: Path):
+    with raise_expectation:
+        obt = find_filesystem_boundary(starting_path=starting_path)
+
+    if expected is not None:
+        assert expected == obt