diff --git a/crates/filemeta/src/filemeta.rs b/crates/filemeta/src/filemeta.rs
index 80e5f4653..9f916dfec 100644
--- a/crates/filemeta/src/filemeta.rs
+++ b/crates/filemeta/src/filemeta.rs
@@ -1133,6 +1133,32 @@ mod test {
         assert!(fi.is_latest);
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn test_issue_2434_legacy_meta_v2_pool_compatibility() {
+        let data = create_issue_2434_legacy_meta_v2_pool_xlmeta().expect("Failed to load issue #2434 pool fixture");
+        let (major, minor, header_ver, meta_ver) = FileMeta::read_format_versions(&data).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!((major, minor, header_ver, meta_ver), (1, 3, 3, 2));
+
+        let fm = FileMeta::load(&data).expect("Failed to parse legacy issue #2434 pool xl.meta");
+        assert_eq!(fm.meta_ver, 2);
+        assert_eq!(fm.versions.len(), 1);
+        assert_eq!(fm.versions[0].header.version_type, VersionType::Object);
+
+        let fi = fm
+            .into_fileinfo(".rustfs.sys", "pool.bin", "", true, false, true)
+            .expect("Failed to extract file info from legacy issue #2434 pool xl.meta");
+        assert_eq!(fi.size, 48);
+        assert_eq!(fi.num_versions, 1);
+        assert_eq!(fi.version_id, None);
+        assert_eq!(fi.metadata.get("etag").map(String::as_str), Some("8d270d7a184cfa30cc0bf09ea74fd964"));
+        assert_eq!(
+            fi.data_dir.map(|id| id.to_string()).as_deref(),
+            Some("2bcefaca-44dd-4f01-a79e-63eeb0dda396")
+        );
+        assert!(fi.uses_legacy_checksum);
+        assert!(fi.is_latest);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn test_legacy_v1_object_xlmeta_compatibility() {
         let data = create_legacy_v1_object_xlmeta().expect("Failed to create legacy v1 object xl.meta");
diff --git a/crates/filemeta/src/filemeta/version.rs b/crates/filemeta/src/filemeta/version.rs
index 06b609545..0a5eeb33c 100644
--- a/crates/filemeta/src/filemeta/version.rs
+++ b/crates/filemeta/src/filemeta/version.rs
@@ -54,6 +54,62 @@ fn read_msgp_bin<R: std::io::Read>(rd: &mut R) -> Result<Vec<u8>> {
     Ok(buf)
 }
 
+fn deserialize_legacy_uuid_bytes<'de, D>(deserializer: D) -> std::result::Result<Vec<u8>, D::Error>
+where
+    D: serde::Deserializer<'de>,
+{
+    struct LegacyUuidBytesVisitor;
+
+    impl<'de> serde::de::Visitor<'de> for LegacyUuidBytesVisitor {
+        type Value = Vec<u8>;
+
+        fn expecting(&self, formatter: &mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> std::fmt::Result {
+            formatter.write_str("nil or binary UUID bytes")
+        }
+
+        fn visit_none<E>(self) -> std::result::Result<Self::Value, E>
+        where
+            E: serde::de::Error,
+        {
+            Ok(Vec::new())
+        }
+
+        fn visit_unit<E>(self) -> std::result::Result<Self::Value, E>
+        where
+            E: serde::de::Error,
+        {
+            Ok(Vec::new())
+        }
+
+        fn visit_bytes<E>(self, value: &[u8]) -> std::result::Result<Self::Value, E>
+        where
+            E: serde::de::Error,
+        {
+            Ok(value.to_vec())
+        }
+
+        fn visit_byte_buf<E>(self, value: Vec<u8>) -> std::result::Result<Self::Value, E>
+        where
+            E: serde::de::Error,
+        {
+            Ok(value)
+        }
+
+        fn visit_seq<A>(self, mut seq: A) -> std::result::Result<Self::Value, A::Error>
+        where
+            A: serde::de::SeqAccess<'de>,
+        {
+            let mut value = Vec::new();
+            while let Some(byte) = seq.next_element()? {
+                value.push(byte);
+            }
+            Ok(value)
+        }
+    }
+
+    deserializer.deserialize_any(LegacyUuidBytesVisitor)
+}
+
 fn decode_msgp_time_payload(ext_type: i8, payload: &[u8]) -> Result<OffsetDateTime> {
     let (secs, nanos) = match (ext_type, payload.len()) {
         (MSGPACK_TIME_EXT_LEGACY, 12) => {
@@ -179,7 +235,9 @@ struct LegacyMetaV2Version {
 
 #[derive(Debug, Deserialize)]
 struct LegacyMetaV2Object {
+    #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "deserialize_legacy_uuid_bytes")]
     version_id: Vec<u8>,
+    #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "deserialize_legacy_uuid_bytes")]
     data_dir: Vec<u8>,
     erasure_algorithm: String,
     erasure_m: usize,
@@ -201,6 +259,7 @@ struct LegacyMetaV2Object {
 
 #[derive(Debug, Deserialize)]
 struct LegacyMetaV2DeleteMarker {
+    #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "deserialize_legacy_uuid_bytes")]
     version_id: Vec<u8>,
     mod_time: Option<OffsetDateTime>,
     meta_sys: HashMap<String, Vec<u8>>,
diff --git a/crates/filemeta/src/test_data.rs b/crates/filemeta/src/test_data.rs
index 04d405d7e..704e9d2f8 100644
--- a/crates/filemeta/src/test_data.rs
+++ b/crates/filemeta/src/test_data.rs
@@ -145,6 +145,11 @@ pub fn create_issue_2265_legacy_meta_v2_config_xlmeta() -> Result<Vec<u8>> {
     decode_hex_fixture(include_str!("../tests/fixtures/issue_2265_legacy_meta_v2_config.hex"))
 }
 
+/// Legacy pool xl.meta captured in issue #2434. Header/meta versions are 3/2.
+pub fn create_issue_2434_legacy_meta_v2_pool_xlmeta() -> Result<Vec<u8>> {
+    decode_hex_fixture(include_str!("../tests/fixtures/issue_2434_legacy_meta_v2_pool.hex"))
+}
+
 fn write_legacy_time(wr: &mut Vec<u8>, ts: OffsetDateTime) {
     wr.push(MSGPACK_EXT8);
     wr.push(12);
diff --git a/crates/filemeta/tests/fixtures/issue_2434_legacy_meta_v2_pool.hex b/crates/filemeta/tests/fixtures/issue_2434_legacy_meta_v2_pool.hex
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e8129f227
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/filemeta/tests/fixtures/issue_2434_legacy_meta_v2_pool.hex
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+584c322001000300c6000000d6030201c42697c41000000000000000000000000000000000d3184f6c224d6172f1c4040000000001020001c4a994a64f626a656374dc0012c0c4102bcefaca44dd4f01a79e63eeb0dda396ab52656564536f6c6f6d6f6e0100ce00100000019101ab4869676877617948617368910191d92038643237306437613138346366613330636330626630396561373466643936349130913091c4003099cd07e9ccba112f36ce26f10ef10000008081a465746167d9203864323730643761313834636661333063633062663039656137346664393634c000ce66d2a556