diff --git a/cmd/erasure-metadata-utils_test.go b/cmd/erasure-metadata-utils_test.go
index b14cc25df..8fc1b4be9 100644
--- a/cmd/erasure-metadata-utils_test.go
+++ b/cmd/erasure-metadata-utils_test.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ package cmd
 import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/hex"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"math/rand"
 	"reflect"
@@ -110,6 +111,35 @@ func TestReduceErrs(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestReduceWriteQuorumErrsCommitMetaMissing verifies that an in-quorum
+// errCommitMetaMissing reduces to the sentinel, which renameData() converts
+// to errErasureWriteQuorum, while below-quorum reduces directly to
+// errErasureWriteQuorum.
+func TestReduceWriteQuorumErrsCommitMetaMissing(t *testing.T) {
+	errs := make([]error, 16)
+	for i := range 9 {
+		errs[i] = errCommitMetaMissing
+	}
+	if err := reduceWriteQuorumErrs(t.Context(), errs, objectOpIgnoredErrs, 9); !errors.Is(err, errCommitMetaMissing) {
+		t.Errorf("expected %s, got %s", errCommitMetaMissing, err)
+	}
+	// The sentinel must be distinguishable from errFileNotFound so that
+	// commit failures are never mapped to ObjectNotFound (404).
+	if errors.Is(errCommitMetaMissing, errFileNotFound) {
+		t.Error("errCommitMetaMissing must not match errFileNotFound")
+	}
+
+	// Below quorum the reduction must yield a write-quorum failure (503);
+	// eight sentinels against eight committed drives is not a quorum.
+	belowQuorum := make([]error, 16)
+	for i := range 8 {
+		belowQuorum[i] = errCommitMetaMissing
+	}
+	if err := reduceWriteQuorumErrs(t.Context(), belowQuorum, objectOpIgnoredErrs, 9); !errors.Is(err, errErasureWriteQuorum) {
+		t.Errorf("expected %s, got %s", errErasureWriteQuorum, err)
+	}
+}
+
 // TestHashOrder - test order of ints in array
 func TestHashOrder(t *testing.T) {
 	testCases := []struct {
diff --git a/cmd/erasure-object.go b/cmd/erasure-object.go
index 8ab3d17a1..4bf060440 100644
--- a/cmd/erasure-object.go
+++ b/cmd/erasure-object.go
@@ -1072,6 +1072,12 @@ func renameData(ctx context.Context, disks []StorageAPI, srcBucket, srcEntry str
 	errs := g.Wait()
 
 	err := reduceWriteQuorumErrs(ctx, errs, objectOpIgnoredErrs, writeQuorum)
+	if errors.Is(err, errCommitMetaMissing) {
+		// Commit metadata went missing on a quorum of drives; the write
+		// did not commit. Return a 503 class error so clients retry
+		// instead of treating the object as absent (404).
+		err = errErasureWriteQuorum
+	}
 	if err != nil {
 		dg := errgroup.WithNErrs(len(disks))
 		for index, nerr := range errs {
diff --git a/cmd/object-api-errors.go b/cmd/object-api-errors.go
index 7b2b5e404..457970fb0 100644
--- a/cmd/object-api-errors.go
+++ b/cmd/object-api-errors.go
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ func toObjectErr(oerr error, params ...string) error {
 			apiErr.Type = v.Type
 		}
 		return apiErr
-	case errErasureWriteQuorum.Error():
+	case errErasureWriteQuorum.Error(), errCommitMetaMissing.Error():
 		apiErr := InsufficientWriteQuorum{}
 		if len(params) >= 1 {
 			apiErr.Bucket = params[0]
diff --git a/cmd/storage-errors.go b/cmd/storage-errors.go
index 69ffcebb0..c0a908eac 100644
--- a/cmd/storage-errors.go
+++ b/cmd/storage-errors.go
@@ -70,6 +70,11 @@ var errDiskAccessDenied = StorageErr("drive access denied")
 // errFileNotFound - cannot find the file.
 var errFileNotFound = StorageErr("file not found")
 
+// errCommitMetaMissing - the staged xl.meta disappeared between the
+// data rename and the meta-file commit; a write-quorum failure, not
+// a missing object.
+var errCommitMetaMissing = StorageErr("commit metadata is missing")
+
 // errFileNotFound - cannot find requested file version.
 var errFileVersionNotFound = StorageErr("file version not found")
 
diff --git a/cmd/storage-rest-client.go b/cmd/storage-rest-client.go
index 76993bc06..0ba573847 100644
--- a/cmd/storage-rest-client.go
+++ b/cmd/storage-rest-client.go
@@ -106,6 +106,8 @@ func toStorageErr(err error) error {
 		return errVolumeExists
 	case errFileNotFound.Error():
 		return errFileNotFound
+	case errCommitMetaMissing.Error():
+		return errCommitMetaMissing
 	case errFileVersionNotFound.Error():
 		return errFileVersionNotFound
 	case errFileNameTooLong.Error():
diff --git a/cmd/xl-storage-errors_test.go b/cmd/xl-storage-errors_test.go
index 0a4757765..0551fed6a 100644
--- a/cmd/xl-storage-errors_test.go
+++ b/cmd/xl-storage-errors_test.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 package cmd
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"os"
 	"runtime"
 	"syscall"
@@ -56,3 +57,28 @@ func TestSysErrors(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+// TestCommitMetaMissingMapping verifies the RPC and object-layer mapping
+// of errCommitMetaMissing, returned when the staged xl.meta disappears
+// between the data rename and the meta-file commit in RenameData().
+func TestCommitMetaMissingMapping(t *testing.T) {
+	// The sentinel must survive a storage REST/grid round-trip; errors
+	// cross the wire as strings and are remapped by toStorageErr().
+	if got := toStorageErr(errors.New(errCommitMetaMissing.Error())); !errors.Is(got, errCommitMetaMissing) {
+		t.Fatalf("expected %s, got %s", errCommitMetaMissing, got)
+	}
+	if got := toStorageErr(errCommitMetaMissing); got != errCommitMetaMissing {
+		t.Fatalf("expected %s, got %s", errCommitMetaMissing, got)
+	}
+
+	// toObjectErr() must map the sentinel to InsufficientWriteQuorum
+	// (503), never to ObjectNotFound (404).
+	err := toObjectErr(errCommitMetaMissing, "bucket", "object")
+	qerr, ok := err.(InsufficientWriteQuorum)
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("expected InsufficientWriteQuorum, got %s (%T)", err, err)
+	}
+	if qerr.Bucket != "bucket" || qerr.Object != "object" {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected bucket/object %s/%s", qerr.Bucket, qerr.Object)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cmd/xl-storage.go b/cmd/xl-storage.go
index 92d8c8dec..81e415553 100644
--- a/cmd/xl-storage.go
+++ b/cmd/xl-storage.go
@@ -2925,7 +2925,15 @@ func (s *xlStorage) RenameData(ctx context.Context, srcVolume, srcPath string, f
 		// if its a partial rename() do not attempt to delete recursively.
 		// this can be healed since all parts are available.
 		s.deleteFile(dstVolumeDir, dstDataPath, false, false)
-		return res, osErrToFileErr(err)
+		err = osErrToFileErr(err)
+		if errors.Is(err, errFileNotFound) {
+			// The staged xl.meta disappeared between staging and commit.
+			// This is a write-quorum failure, not a missing object; use a
+			// dedicated error so the object layer returns 503 instead of
+			// mapping it to ObjectNotFound (404).
+			err = errCommitMetaMissing
+		}
+		return res, err
 	}
 
 	if srcVolume != minioMetaMultipartBucket {