diff --git a/src/lib/file_backend/file_blob_manager.cpp b/src/lib/file_backend/file_blob_manager.cpp
index 7c3643fc..2fbd1c5c 100644
--- a/src/lib/file_backend/file_blob_manager.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/file_backend/file_blob_manager.cpp
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ using std::filesystem::path;
     auto& shard = *index_it->second;
 
 #define WITH_ROUTE(blob)                                                                                               \
-    auto const route = BlobRoute{_shard.id, (blob)};                                                                   \
+    auto route = BlobRoute{_shard.id, (blob)};                                                                         \
     LOGTRACEMOD(homeobject, "[route={}]", route);
 
 #define IF_BLOB_ALIVE                                                                                                  \
@@ -55,24 +55,33 @@ BlobManager::Result< blob_id_t > FileHomeObject::_put_blob(ShardInfo const& _sha
     return route.blob;
 }
 
+nlohmann::json FileHomeObject::_read_blob_header(int shard_fd, blob_id_t& blob_id) {
+    size_t h_size = 0ull;
+    auto err = pread(shard_fd, &h_size, sizeof(h_size), blob_id);
+    RELEASE_ASSERT(0 < err, "failed to read from shard");
+    blob_id += sizeof(h_size);
+
+    auto j_str = std::string(h_size, '\0');
+    err = pread(shard_fd, const_cast< char* >(j_str.c_str()), h_size, blob_id);
+    blob_id += h_size;
+    try {
+        if (0 <= err) return nlohmann::json::parse(j_str);
+        LOGE("failed to read: {}", strerror(errno));
+    } catch (nlohmann::exception const&) { LOGT("no blob @ [blob_id={}]", blob_id); }
+    return nlohmann::json{};
+}
+
 // Lookup and duplicate underyling Blob for user; only *safe* because we defer GC.
 BlobManager::Result< Blob > FileHomeObject::_get_blob(ShardInfo const& _shard, blob_id_t _blob) const {
     WITH_SHARD
     WITH_ROUTE(_blob)
     IF_BLOB_ALIVE {
         WITH_SHARD_FILE(O_RDONLY)
-        size_t h_size = 0ull;
-        auto err = pread(shard_fd, &h_size, sizeof(h_size), route.blob);
-        RELEASE_ASSERT(0 < err, "Failed to read from: {}", shard_file.string());
-
-        auto j_str = std::string(h_size, '\0');
-        err = pread(shard_fd, const_cast< char* >(j_str.c_str()), h_size, sizeof(h_size) + route.blob);
-        RELEASE_ASSERT(0 < err, "Failed to read from: {}", shard_file.string());
-        auto blob_json = nlohmann::json::parse(j_str);
+        auto blob_json = _read_blob_header(shard_fd, route.blob);
 
         auto const body_size = blob_json["body_size"].get< uint64_t >();
         auto b = Blob{sisl::io_blob_safe(body_size), "", 0};
-        err = pread(shard_fd, b.body.bytes, body_size, sizeof(h_size) + h_size + route.blob);
+        auto err = pread(shard_fd, b.body.bytes, body_size, route.blob);
         RELEASE_ASSERT(0 < err, "Failed to read from: {}", shard_file.string());
 
         b.user_key = blob_json["user_key"].get< std::string >();
diff --git a/src/lib/file_backend/file_homeobject.cpp b/src/lib/file_backend/file_homeobject.cpp
index 0401b18d..b57d2466 100644
--- a/src/lib/file_backend/file_homeobject.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/file_backend/file_homeobject.cpp
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ void FileHomeObject::_recover() {
             RELEASE_ASSERT(0 < err, "Failed to read from: {}", shard_file);
             auto shard_json = nlohmann::json::parse(j_str);
 
+            // Reconsitute the ShardInfo
             auto info = ShardInfo();
             info.id = shard_json["shard_id"].get< shard_id_t >();
             info.placement_group = shard_json["pg_id"].get< pg_id_t >();
@@ -56,10 +57,27 @@ void FileHomeObject::_recover() {
             info.total_capacity_bytes = shard_json["total_capacity"].get< uint64_t >();
             info.deleted_capacity_bytes = shard_json["deleted_capacity"].get< uint64_t >();
 
+            auto [it, happened] = index_.try_emplace(info.id, std::make_unique< ShardIndex >());
+            RELEASE_ASSERT(happened, "duplicate Shard recovery!");
+
+            // Scan Shard for shard_offset_ (next blob_id)
+            auto blob_id = sizeof(h_size) + h_size;
+            while (max_shard_size() > blob_id) {
+                auto route = BlobRoute{info.id, blob_id};
+                auto blob_hdr = _read_blob_header(shard_fd, blob_id);
+                if (blob_hdr.is_null()) break;
+                auto blob_size = blob_hdr["body_size"].get< uint64_t >();
+                LOGT("found [blob={}], [user_key={}], [size={}]", route, blob_hdr["user_key"].get< std::string >(),
+                     blob_size);
+                blob_id += blob_size;
+            }
+            LOGI("[shard={}] reconstituted to: [offset={}]", info.id, blob_id);
+            it->second->shard_offset_.store(blob_id);
+            close(shard_fd);
+
             auto iter = s_list.emplace(s_list.end(), Shard(info));
             auto [_, s_happened] = _shard_map.emplace(info.id, iter);
-            RELEASE_ASSERT(s_happened, "Duplicate Shard insertion!");
-            close(shard_fd);
+            RELEASE_ASSERT(s_happened, "duplicate Shard recovery!");
         }
     }
 }
@@ -71,6 +89,7 @@ FileHomeObject::FileHomeObject(std::weak_ptr< HomeObjectApplication >&& applicat
     if (std::filesystem::exists(file_store_)) {
         auto id_fd = open(id_file.string().c_str(), O_RDONLY);
         auto err = pread(id_fd, &_our_id, sizeof(_our_id), 0ull);
+        close(id_fd);
         RELEASE_ASSERT(0 < err, "Failed to write to: {}", id_file.string());
         LOGI("recovering: {}", to_string(_our_id));
         _recover();
diff --git a/src/lib/file_backend/file_homeobject.hpp b/src/lib/file_backend/file_homeobject.hpp
index a6045e42..4b0f5398 100644
--- a/src/lib/file_backend/file_homeobject.hpp
+++ b/src/lib/file_backend/file_homeobject.hpp
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ class FileHomeObject : public HomeObjectImpl {
                                                PGMember const& new_member) override;
     ///
 
+    static nlohmann::json _read_blob_header(int shard_fd, blob_id_t& blob_id);
     void _recover();
 
 public: