diff --git a/src/block/block.rs b/src/block/block.rs
index 6d79fb6c..20f57aa5 100644
--- a/src/block/block.rs
+++ b/src/block/block.rs
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ pub enum DataBlock {
 	Compressed(Bytes),
 }
 
+#[derive(Debug)]
 pub enum DataBlockPath {
 	/// Uncompressed data fail
 	Plain(PathBuf),
diff --git a/src/block/manager.rs b/src/block/manager.rs
index e0fbfe74..ea70b19c 100644
--- a/src/block/manager.rs
+++ b/src/block/manager.rs
@@ -645,6 +645,19 @@ impl BlockManager {
 		None
 	}
 
+	/// Rewrite a block at the primary location for its path and delete the old path.
+	/// Returns the number of bytes read/written
+	pub(crate) async fn fix_block_location(
+		&self,
+		hash: &Hash,
+		wrong_path: DataBlockPath,
+	) -> Result<usize, Error> {
+		self.lock_mutate(hash)
+			.await
+			.fix_block_location(hash, wrong_path, self)
+			.await
+	}
+
 	async fn lock_mutate(&self, hash: &Hash) -> MutexGuard<'_, BlockManagerLocked> {
 		let tracer = opentelemetry::global::tracer("garage");
 		let ilock = u16::from_be_bytes([hash.as_slice()[0], hash.as_slice()[1]]) as usize
@@ -682,6 +695,17 @@ impl BlockManagerLocked {
 		hash: &Hash,
 		data: &DataBlock,
 		mgr: &BlockManager,
+	) -> Result<(), Error> {
+		let existing_path = mgr.find_block(hash).await;
+		self.write_block_inner(hash, data, mgr, existing_path).await
+	}
+
+	async fn write_block_inner(
+		&self,
+		hash: &Hash,
+		data: &DataBlock,
+		mgr: &BlockManager,
+		existing_path: Option<DataBlockPath>,
 	) -> Result<(), Error> {
 		let compressed = data.is_compressed();
 		let data = data.inner_buffer();
@@ -694,7 +718,7 @@ impl BlockManagerLocked {
 			tgt_path.set_extension("zst");
 		}
 
-		let to_delete = match (mgr.find_block(hash).await, compressed) {
+		let to_delete = match (existing_path, compressed) {
 			// If the block is stored in the wrong directory,
 			// write it again at the correct path and delete the old path
 			(Some(DataBlockPath::Plain(p)), false) if p != tgt_path => Some(p),
@@ -716,6 +740,7 @@ impl BlockManagerLocked {
 			// If the block isn't stored already, just store what is given to us
 			(None, _) => None,
 		};
+		assert!(to_delete.as_ref() != Some(&tgt_path));
 
 		let mut path_tmp = tgt_path.clone();
 		let tmp_extension = format!("tmp{}", hex::encode(thread_rng().gen::<[u8; 4]>()));
@@ -792,6 +817,18 @@ impl BlockManagerLocked {
 		}
 		Ok(())
 	}
+
+	async fn fix_block_location(
+		&self,
+		hash: &Hash,
+		wrong_path: DataBlockPath,
+		mgr: &BlockManager,
+	) -> Result<usize, Error> {
+		let data = mgr.read_block_from(hash, &wrong_path).await?;
+		self.write_block_inner(hash, &data, mgr, Some(wrong_path))
+			.await?;
+		Ok(data.inner_buffer().len())
+	}
 }
 
 async fn read_stream_to_end(mut stream: ByteStream) -> Result<Bytes, Error> {
diff --git a/src/block/repair.rs b/src/block/repair.rs
index e18eeaeb..bd14085f 100644
--- a/src/block/repair.rs
+++ b/src/block/repair.rs
@@ -558,17 +558,21 @@ impl Worker for RebalanceWorker {
 	fn status(&self) -> WorkerStatus {
 		let t_cur = self.t_finished.unwrap_or_else(|| now_msec());
 		let rate = self.moved_bytes / std::cmp::max(1, (t_cur - self.t_started) / 1000);
+		let mut freeform = vec![
+			format!("Blocks moved: {}", self.moved),
+			format!(
+				"Bytes moved: {} ({}/s)",
+				bytesize::ByteSize::b(self.moved_bytes),
+				bytesize::ByteSize::b(rate)
+			),
+			format!("Started: {}", msec_to_rfc3339(self.t_started)),
+		];
+		if let Some(t_fin) = self.t_finished {
+			freeform.push(format!("Finished: {}", msec_to_rfc3339(t_fin)))
+		}
 		WorkerStatus {
 			progress: Some(format!("{:.2}%", self.block_iter.progress() * 100.)),
-			freeform: vec![
-				format!("Blocks moved: {}", self.moved),
-				format!(
-					"Bytes moved: {} ({}/s)",
-					bytesize::ByteSize::b(self.moved_bytes),
-					bytesize::ByteSize::b(rate)
-				),
-				format!("Started: {}", msec_to_rfc3339(self.t_started)),
-			],
+			freeform,
 			..Default::default()
 		}
 	}
@@ -576,10 +580,10 @@ impl Worker for RebalanceWorker {
 	async fn work(&mut self, _must_exit: &mut watch::Receiver<bool>) -> Result<WorkerState, Error> {
 		if let Some((path, hash)) = self.block_iter.next().await? {
 			let prim_loc = self.manager.data_layout.load().primary_block_dir(&hash);
-			if path.parent().expect("no parent?") != prim_loc {
-				let path = match path.extension() {
-					None => DataBlockPath::Plain(path),
-					Some(x) if x.to_str() == Some("zst") => DataBlockPath::Compressed(path),
+			if path.ancestors().all(|x| x != prim_loc) {
+				let block_path = match path.extension() {
+					None => DataBlockPath::Plain(path.clone()),
+					Some(x) if x.to_str() == Some("zst") => DataBlockPath::Compressed(path.clone()),
 					_ => {
 						warn!("not rebalancing file: {}", path.to_string_lossy());
 						return Ok(WorkerState::Busy);
@@ -587,11 +591,10 @@ impl Worker for RebalanceWorker {
 				};
 				// block is not in its primary location,
 				// move it there (reading and re-writing does the trick)
-				debug!("rebalance: moving block {:?}", hash);
-				let data = self.manager.read_block_from(&hash, &path).await?;
-				self.manager.write_block(&hash, &data).await?;
+				debug!("rebalance: moving block {:?} => {:?}", block_path, prim_loc);
+				let block_len = self.manager.fix_block_location(&hash, block_path).await?;
 				self.moved += 1;
-				self.moved_bytes += data.inner_buffer().len() as u64;
+				self.moved_bytes += block_len as u64;
 			}
 			Ok(WorkerState::Busy)
 		} else {