diff --git a/weed/server/filer_grpc_server.go b/weed/server/filer_grpc_server.go
index 76dcb4dee..614a96e13 100644
--- a/weed/server/filer_grpc_server.go
+++ b/weed/server/filer_grpc_server.go
@@ -9,8 +9,6 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/cluster"
-
 	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/filer"
 	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/glog"
 	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/operation"
@@ -186,6 +184,13 @@ func (fs *FilerServer) CreateEntry(ctx context.Context, req *filer_pb.CreateEntr
 		newEntry.TtlSec = 0
 	}
 
+	// Serialize concurrent mutations to the same path on this filer so the
+	// read (existence/condition) and the write are atomic. Callers route a
+	// key's writes to this owner filer, making this local lock sufficient.
+	fullpath := util.NewFullPath(req.Directory, req.Entry.Name)
+	pathLock := fs.entryLockTable.AcquireLock("CreateEntry", fullpath, util.ExclusiveLock)
+	defer fs.entryLockTable.ReleaseLock(fullpath, pathLock)
+
 	ctx, eventSink := filer.WithMetadataEventSink(ctx)
 	createErr := fs.filer.CreateEntry(ctx, newEntry, req.OExcl, req.IsFromOtherCluster, req.Signatures, req.SkipCheckParentDirectory, so.MaxFileNameLength)
 
@@ -328,9 +333,11 @@ func (fs *FilerServer) AppendToEntry(ctx context.Context, req *filer_pb.AppendTo
 	glog.V(4).InfofCtx(ctx, "AppendToEntry %v", req)
 	fullpath := util.NewFullPath(req.Directory, req.EntryName)
 
-	lockClient := cluster.NewLockClient(fs.grpcDialOption, fs.option.Host)
-	lock := lockClient.NewShortLivedLock(string(fullpath), string(fs.option.Host))
-	defer lock.StopShortLivedLock()
+	// Serialize the read-modify-write against concurrent mutations to the same
+	// path on this filer. The append must route to this entry's owner filer for
+	// this local lock to be authoritative.
+	pathLock := fs.entryLockTable.AcquireLock("AppendToEntry", fullpath, util.ExclusiveLock)
+	defer fs.entryLockTable.ReleaseLock(fullpath, pathLock)
 
 	var offset int64 = 0
 	entry, err := fs.filer.FindEntry(ctx, fullpath)
diff --git a/weed/server/filer_grpc_server_create_lock_test.go b/weed/server/filer_grpc_server_create_lock_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..eb79886aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/weed/server/filer_grpc_server_create_lock_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+package weed_server
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/pb/filer_pb"
+	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/util"
+)
+
+// Concurrent OExcl creates for the same path must yield exactly one winner. The
+// filer's CreateEntry is a FindEntry-then-Insert; without the per-path lock both
+// racers observe "not found" and both insert. The exclusive entry lock makes the
+// check-then-act atomic so the losers see ErrEntryAlreadyExists.
+func TestCreateEntryOExclSerialized(t *testing.T) {
+	store := newRenameTestStore()
+	store.findDelay = 5 * time.Millisecond
+	f := newRenameTestFiler(store)
+	f.DirBucketsPath = "/buckets"
+
+	fs := &FilerServer{
+		filer:          f,
+		option:         &FilerOption{},
+		entryLockTable: util.NewLockTable[util.FullPath](),
+	}
+
+	const racers = 8
+	var success int32
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+	start := make(chan struct{})
+	for i := 0; i < racers; i++ {
+		wg.Add(1)
+		go func() {
+			defer wg.Done()
+			<-start
+			resp, err := fs.CreateEntry(context.Background(), &filer_pb.CreateEntryRequest{
+				Directory:                "/test",
+				OExcl:                    true,
+				SkipCheckParentDirectory: true,
+				Entry: &filer_pb.Entry{
+					Name:       "obj",
+					Attributes: &filer_pb.FuseAttributes{Mtime: 1700000000, FileMode: 0644, Inode: 1},
+				},
+			})
+			if err == nil && resp.Error == "" {
+				atomic.AddInt32(&success, 1)
+			}
+		}()
+	}
+	close(start)
+	wg.Wait()
+
+	if success != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected exactly 1 OExcl winner, got %d", success)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/weed/server/filer_grpc_server_rename_test.go b/weed/server/filer_grpc_server_rename_test.go
index aec0c0740..3fe9392a1 100644
--- a/weed/server/filer_grpc_server_rename_test.go
+++ b/weed/server/filer_grpc_server_rename_test.go
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ type renameTestStore struct {
 	findCalls map[string]int
 	commitErr error
 	deleteErr error
+	findDelay time.Duration // optional: widen check-then-act windows in tests
 }
 
 func newRenameTestStore() *renameTestStore {
@@ -69,6 +70,9 @@ func (s *renameTestStore) UpdateEntry(_ context.Context, entry *filer.Entry) err
 }
 
 func (s *renameTestStore) FindEntry(_ context.Context, p util.FullPath) (*filer.Entry, error) {
+	if s.findDelay > 0 {
+		time.Sleep(s.findDelay)
+	}
 	s.mu.Lock()
 	defer s.mu.Unlock()
 	s.findCalls[string(p)]++
diff --git a/weed/server/filer_server.go b/weed/server/filer_server.go
index 52b42be3a..786dc1345 100644
--- a/weed/server/filer_server.go
+++ b/weed/server/filer_server.go
@@ -124,6 +124,13 @@ type FilerServer struct {
 	// mountPeerRegistry backs the MountRegister / MountList RPCs for peer
 	// chunk sharing (tier 1). Always populated.
 	mountPeerRegistry *filer.MountPeerRegistry
+
+	// entryLockTable serializes mutations to the same entry path on this filer.
+	// It is the local serialization point for read-modify-write operations
+	// (conditional create, append) once writers for a key are routed to this
+	// node, replacing the distributed lock for that purpose. Idle keys are
+	// evicted automatically, so the table stays bounded.
+	entryLockTable *util.LockTable[util.FullPath]
 }
 
 func NewFilerServer(defaultMux, readonlyMux *http.ServeMux, option *FilerOption) (fs *FilerServer, err error) {
@@ -162,6 +169,7 @@ func NewFilerServer(defaultMux, readonlyMux *http.ServeMux, option *FilerOption)
 		inFlightDataLimitCond: sync.NewCond(new(sync.Mutex)),
 		recentCopyRequests:    make(map[string]recentCopyRequest),
 		CredentialManager:     option.CredentialManager,
+		entryLockTable:        util.NewLockTable[util.FullPath](),
 	}
 	fs.mountPeerRegistry = filer.NewMountPeerRegistry()
 	go fs.runMountPeerRegistrySweeper()