2 files changed, 103 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/weed/storage/erasure_coding/ec_decoder.go b/weed/storage/erasure_coding/ec_decoder.go
index a1d929f6c..429dd7ac4 100644
--- a/weed/storage/erasure_coding/ec_decoder.go
+++ b/weed/storage/erasure_coding/ec_decoder.go
@@ -14,6 +14,23 @@ import (
 	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/util"
 )
 
+// EcNoLiveEntriesSubstring is used for server/client coordination when ec.decode determines that
+// decoding should be a no-op (all entries are deleted).
+const EcNoLiveEntriesSubstring = "has no live entries"
+
+// HasLiveNeedles returns whether the EC index (.ecx) contains at least one live (non-deleted) entry.
+// This is used by ec.decode to avoid generating an empty normal volume when all entries were deleted.
+func HasLiveNeedles(indexBaseFileName string) (hasLive bool, err error) {
+	err = iterateEcxFile(indexBaseFileName, func(_ types.NeedleId, _ types.Offset, size types.Size) error {
+		if !size.IsDeleted() {
+			hasLive = true
+			return io.EOF // stop early
+		}
+		return nil
+	})
+	return
+}
+
 // write .idx file from .ecx and .ecj files
 func WriteIdxFileFromEcIndex(baseFileName string) (err error) {
 
@@ -52,6 +69,11 @@ func FindDatFileSize(dataBaseFileName, indexBaseFileName string) (datSize int64,
 		return 0, fmt.Errorf("read ec volume %s version: %v", dataBaseFileName, err)
 	}
 
+	// Safety: ensure datSize is at least SuperBlockSize. While the caller typically
+	// checks HasLiveNeedles first, this protects against direct calls to FindDatFileSize
+	// when all needles are deleted (see issue #7748).
+	datSize = int64(super_block.SuperBlockSize)
+
 	err = iterateEcxFile(indexBaseFileName, func(key types.NeedleId, offset types.Offset, size types.Size) error {
 
 		if size.IsDeleted() {
diff --git a/weed/storage/erasure_coding/ec_decoder_test.go b/weed/storage/erasure_coding/ec_decoder_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..625d55402
--- /dev/null
+++ b/weed/storage/erasure_coding/ec_decoder_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+package erasure_coding_test
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+
+	erasure_coding "github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/storage/erasure_coding"
+	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/storage/types"
+)
+
+func TestHasLiveNeedles_AllDeletedIsFalse(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+
+	collection := "foo"
+	base := filepath.Join(dir, collection+"_1")
+
+	// Build an ecx file with only deleted entries.
+	// ecx file entries are the same format as .idx entries.
+	ecx := makeNeedleMapEntry(types.NeedleId(1), types.Offset{}, types.TombstoneFileSize)
+	if err := os.WriteFile(base+".ecx", ecx, 0644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("write ecx: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	hasLive, err := erasure_coding.HasLiveNeedles(base)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("HasLiveNeedles: %v", err)
+	}
+	if hasLive {
+		t.Fatalf("expected no live entries")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestHasLiveNeedles_WithLiveEntryIsTrue(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+
+	collection := "foo"
+	base := filepath.Join(dir, collection+"_1")
+
+	// Build an ecx file containing at least one live entry.
+	// ecx file entries are the same format as .idx entries.
+	live := makeNeedleMapEntry(types.NeedleId(1), types.Offset{}, types.Size(1))
+	if err := os.WriteFile(base+".ecx", live, 0644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("write ecx: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	hasLive, err := erasure_coding.HasLiveNeedles(base)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("HasLiveNeedles: %v", err)
+	}
+	if !hasLive {
+		t.Fatalf("expected live entries")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestHasLiveNeedles_EmptyFileIsFalse(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+
+	base := filepath.Join(dir, "foo_1")
+
+	// Create an empty ecx file.
+	if err := os.WriteFile(base+".ecx", []byte{}, 0644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("write ecx: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	hasLive, err := erasure_coding.HasLiveNeedles(base)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("HasLiveNeedles: %v", err)
+	}
+	if hasLive {
+		t.Fatalf("expected no live entries for empty file")
+	}
+}
+
+func makeNeedleMapEntry(key types.NeedleId, offset types.Offset, size types.Size) []byte {
+	b := make([]byte, types.NeedleIdSize+types.OffsetSize+types.SizeSize)
+	types.NeedleIdToBytes(b[0:types.NeedleIdSize], key)
+	types.OffsetToBytes(b[types.NeedleIdSize:types.NeedleIdSize+types.OffsetSize], offset)
+	types.SizeToBytes(b[types.NeedleIdSize+types.OffsetSize:types.NeedleIdSize+types.OffsetSize+types.SizeSize], size)
+	return b
+}