diff --git a/weed/mq/broker/broker_grpc_lookup.go b/weed/mq/broker/broker_grpc_lookup.go
index 38da0dbb6..a09e76549 100644
--- a/weed/mq/broker/broker_grpc_lookup.go
+++ b/weed/mq/broker/broker_grpc_lookup.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package broker
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
@@ -232,14 +233,20 @@ func (b *MessageQueueBroker) TopicExists(ctx context.Context, request *mq_pb.Top
 	exists := false
 	err := b.fca.WithFilerClient(false, func(client filer_pb.SeaweedFilerClient) error {
 		topicPath := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s/%s", filer.TopicsDir, request.Topic.Namespace, request.Topic.Name)
-		confResp, err := client.LookupDirectoryEntry(ctx, &filer_pb.LookupDirectoryEntryRequest{
+		_, lookupErr := filer_pb.LookupEntry(ctx, client, &filer_pb.LookupDirectoryEntryRequest{
 			Directory: topicPath,
 			Name:      filer.TopicConfFile,
 		})
-		if err == nil && confResp.Entry != nil {
+		if lookupErr == nil {
 			exists = true
+			return nil
 		}
-		return nil // Don't propagate error, just check existence
+		// A definitive "not found" means the topic does not exist; surface any
+		// other (transient) error so we never cache a false negative.
+		if errors.Is(lookupErr, filer_pb.ErrNotFound) {
+			return nil
+		}
+		return lookupErr
 	})
 
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/weed/mq/broker/broker_topic_conf_read_write.go b/weed/mq/broker/broker_topic_conf_read_write.go
index 07322907d..9e908e485 100644
--- a/weed/mq/broker/broker_topic_conf_read_write.go
+++ b/weed/mq/broker/broker_topic_conf_read_write.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package broker
 import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/binary"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"strings"
@@ -77,14 +78,19 @@ func (b *MessageQueueBroker) getTopicConfFromCache(t topic.Topic) (*mq_pb.Config
 	conf, readConfErr := b.fca.ReadTopicConfFromFiler(t)
 
 	if readConfErr != nil {
-		// Negative cache: topic doesn't exist
-		b.topicCacheMu.Lock()
-		b.topicCache[topicKey] = &topicCacheEntry{
-			conf:      nil,
-			expiresAt: time.Now().Add(b.topicCacheTTL),
+		// Only negative-cache when the filer definitively reports topic.conf is
+		// missing. Transient errors (timeouts, connection blips) must not poison
+		// the cache, otherwise the topic appears to vanish for the full TTL even
+		// though it still exists on disk.
+		if errors.Is(readConfErr, filer_pb.ErrNotFound) {
+			b.topicCacheMu.Lock()
+			b.topicCache[topicKey] = &topicCacheEntry{
+				conf:      nil,
+				expiresAt: time.Now().Add(b.topicCacheTTL),
+			}
+			b.topicCacheMu.Unlock()
+			glog.V(4).Infof("Topic cached as non-existent: %s", topicKey)
 		}
-		b.topicCacheMu.Unlock()
-		glog.V(4).Infof("Topic cached as non-existent: %s", topicKey)
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("topic %v not found: %w", t, readConfErr)
 	}