diff --git a/.config/e2e-smoke-selection.txt b/.config/e2e-smoke-selection.txt
index 78a1d1484..2ac994976 100644
--- a/.config/e2e-smoke-selection.txt
+++ b/.config/e2e-smoke-selection.txt
@@ -1 +1 @@
-sha256=548a58d74f3cb3b5a1ab9dcd4d3f8625b9ddebe847a2e14de1d08c3b2e6292eb
+sha256=5de6852b2e606eca4ee0d86dbb3b725a3eb8923143fd00df96c549acc36040bd
diff --git a/crates/e2e_test/src/list_objects_duplicates_test.rs b/crates/e2e_test/src/list_objects_duplicates_test.rs
index 9b8349dcc..bc8e33ab6 100644
--- a/crates/e2e_test/src/list_objects_duplicates_test.rs
+++ b/crates/e2e_test/src/list_objects_duplicates_test.rs
@@ -311,4 +311,233 @@ mod tests {
 
         env.stop_server();
     }
+
+    async fn collect_prefix_pages(
+        client: &Client,
+        bucket: &str,
+        prefix: &str,
+        delimiter: Option<&str>,
+        max_keys: i32,
+        start_after: Option<&str>,
+    ) -> (Vec<aws_sdk_s3::types::Object>, Vec<String>) {
+        let mut objects = Vec::new();
+        let mut prefixes = Vec::new();
+        let mut token = None;
+        let mut seen_tokens = std::collections::HashSet::new();
+        for _ in 0..64 {
+            let page = client
+                .list_objects_v2()
+                .bucket(bucket)
+                .prefix(prefix)
+                .set_delimiter(delimiter.map(ToOwned::to_owned))
+                .max_keys(max_keys)
+                .set_start_after(start_after.map(ToOwned::to_owned))
+                .set_continuation_token(token)
+                .send()
+                .await
+                .expect("prefix pagination request should succeed");
+            let count = page.contents().len() + page.common_prefixes().len();
+            assert!(count <= usize::try_from(max_keys).expect("positive page size"));
+            assert_eq!(page.key_count(), Some(i32::try_from(count).expect("small page")));
+            objects.extend_from_slice(page.contents());
+            prefixes.extend(
+                page.common_prefixes()
+                    .iter()
+                    .map(|item| item.prefix().expect("CommonPrefix must contain a prefix").to_owned()),
+            );
+            if page.is_truncated() == Some(false) {
+                assert!(page.next_continuation_token().is_none(), "final page must not have a next token");
+                return (objects, prefixes);
+            }
+            assert_eq!(page.is_truncated(), Some(true));
+            let next = page.next_continuation_token().expect("truncated page requires a token");
+            assert!(!next.is_empty());
+            assert!(seen_tokens.insert(next.to_owned()), "continuation token must advance");
+            token = Some(next.to_owned());
+        }
+        panic!("prefix pagination exceeded its finite page budget");
+    }
+
+    fn object_keys(objects: &[aws_sdk_s3::types::Object]) -> Vec<&str> {
+        objects
+            .iter()
+            .map(|object| object.key().expect("listed object must have a key"))
+            .collect()
+    }
+
+    /// Issue #8175: the prefix object must occur once, including across page boundaries.
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn test_list_objects_v2_prefix_marker_pagination() {
+        init_logging();
+        let mut env = RustFSTestEnvironment::new().await.expect("create test environment");
+        env.start_rustfs_server(vec![]).await.expect("start RustFS");
+        let client = create_s3_client(&env);
+        let bucket = "test-prefix-marker-pagination";
+        create_bucket(&client, bucket).await.expect("create bucket");
+        let mut expected = vec!["content/".to_owned()];
+        expected.extend((0..25).map(|index| format!("content/0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef/{index:03}")));
+        for key in &expected {
+            client
+                .put_object()
+                .bucket(bucket)
+                .key(key)
+                .body(ByteStream::from_static(if key == "content/" { b"" } else { b"x" }))
+                .send()
+                .await
+                .expect("create prefix fixture");
+        }
+        for max_keys in [1000, 1, 2] {
+            let (objects, prefixes) = collect_prefix_pages(&client, bucket, "content/", None, max_keys, None).await;
+            assert_eq!(object_keys(&objects), expected, "all keys must appear once at MaxKeys={max_keys}");
+            assert!(prefixes.is_empty());
+        }
+        let (objects, prefixes) = collect_prefix_pages(&client, bucket, "content/", None, 1, Some("content/")).await;
+        assert_eq!(object_keys(&objects), expected[1..]);
+        assert!(prefixes.is_empty());
+
+        // V1 shares the storage listing path but resumes with a key marker.
+        let mut marker = Some("content/".to_owned());
+        let mut v1_keys = Vec::new();
+        let mut finished = false;
+        for _ in 0..32 {
+            let page = client
+                .list_objects()
+                .bucket(bucket)
+                .prefix("content/")
+                .max_keys(1)
+                .set_marker(marker.clone())
+                .send()
+                .await
+                .expect("list V1 continuation page");
+            assert!(page.contents().len() <= 1);
+            let keys = object_keys(page.contents());
+            v1_keys.extend(keys.iter().map(|key| (*key).to_owned()));
+            if page.is_truncated() == Some(false) {
+                finished = true;
+                break;
+            }
+            assert_eq!(page.is_truncated(), Some(true));
+            let next = page
+                .next_marker()
+                .or_else(|| keys.last().copied())
+                .expect("V1 page must advance");
+            assert!(marker.as_deref().is_none_or(|previous| next > previous));
+            marker = Some(next.to_owned());
+        }
+        assert!(finished, "V1 pagination must terminate");
+        assert_eq!(v1_keys, expected[1..]);
+        env.stop_server();
+    }
+
+    /// An exact prefix match does not establish EOF, including for ordinary keys.
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn test_list_objects_v2_exact_prefix_pagination_boundaries() {
+        init_logging();
+        let mut env = RustFSTestEnvironment::new().await.expect("create test environment");
+        env.start_rustfs_server(vec![]).await.expect("start RustFS");
+        let client = create_s3_client(&env);
+        let bucket = "test-exact-prefix-boundaries";
+        create_bucket(&client, bucket).await.expect("create bucket");
+        for key in [
+            "a",
+            "ab",
+            "solo/",
+            "marker/",
+            "marker/file",
+            "marker/subdir/",
+            "marker/subdir/file",
+        ] {
+            client
+                .put_object()
+                .bucket(bucket)
+                .key(key)
+                .body(ByteStream::from_static(b""))
+                .send()
+                .await
+                .expect("create boundary fixture");
+        }
+        let (objects, prefixes) = collect_prefix_pages(&client, bucket, "a", None, 1, None).await;
+        assert_eq!(object_keys(&objects), vec!["a", "ab"]);
+        assert!(prefixes.is_empty());
+        let first = client
+            .list_objects()
+            .bucket(bucket)
+            .prefix("a")
+            .max_keys(1)
+            .send()
+            .await
+            .expect("list V1 exact-prefix first page");
+        assert_eq!(object_keys(first.contents()), vec!["a"]);
+        assert_eq!(first.is_truncated(), Some(true));
+        let last = client
+            .list_objects()
+            .bucket(bucket)
+            .prefix("a")
+            .max_keys(1)
+            .marker(first.next_marker().unwrap_or("a"))
+            .send()
+            .await
+            .expect("list V1 exact-prefix final page");
+        assert_eq!(object_keys(last.contents()), vec!["ab"]);
+        assert_eq!(last.is_truncated(), Some(false));
+
+        let solo = client
+            .list_objects_v2()
+            .bucket(bucket)
+            .prefix("solo/")
+            .max_keys(1)
+            .send()
+            .await
+            .expect("list isolated marker");
+        assert_eq!(object_keys(solo.contents()), vec!["solo/"]);
+        assert_eq!(solo.is_truncated(), Some(false));
+        assert!(solo.next_continuation_token().is_none());
+        let (objects, prefixes) = collect_prefix_pages(&client, bucket, "marker/", Some("/"), 1, None).await;
+        assert_eq!(object_keys(&objects), vec!["marker/", "marker/file"]);
+        assert_eq!(prefixes, vec!["marker/subdir/"]);
+        env.stop_server();
+    }
+
+    /// A directory marker must retain its own metadata when a same-named object exists.
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn test_list_objects_v2_prefix_marker_preserves_metadata() {
+        init_logging();
+        let mut env = RustFSTestEnvironment::new().await.expect("create test environment");
+        env.start_rustfs_server(vec![]).await.expect("start RustFS");
+        let client = create_s3_client(&env);
+        let bucket = "test-prefix-marker-metadata";
+        create_bucket(&client, bucket).await.expect("create bucket");
+        let plain = client
+            .put_object()
+            .bucket(bucket)
+            .key("content")
+            .body(ByteStream::from_static(b"plain object body"))
+            .send()
+            .await
+            .expect("put plain object");
+        let directory = client
+            .put_object()
+            .bucket(bucket)
+            .key("content/")
+            .body(ByteStream::from_static(b""))
+            .send()
+            .await
+            .expect("put directory marker");
+        assert_ne!(plain.e_tag(), directory.e_tag(), "fixture ETags must distinguish the objects");
+        for max_keys in [1, 1000] {
+            let (objects, prefixes) = collect_prefix_pages(&client, bucket, "content/", None, max_keys, None).await;
+            assert_eq!(object_keys(&objects), vec!["content/"]);
+            assert!(prefixes.is_empty());
+            assert_eq!(objects[0].size(), Some(0));
+            assert_eq!(objects[0].e_tag(), directory.e_tag());
+            let (objects, prefixes) = collect_prefix_pages(&client, bucket, "content", None, max_keys, None).await;
+            assert_eq!(object_keys(&objects), vec!["content", "content/"]);
+            assert!(prefixes.is_empty());
+            assert_eq!(objects[0].size(), Some(17));
+            assert_eq!(objects[0].e_tag(), plain.e_tag());
+            assert_eq!(objects[1].size(), Some(0));
+            assert_eq!(objects[1].e_tag(), directory.e_tag());
+        }
+        env.stop_server();
+    }
 }
diff --git a/crates/ecstore/src/disk/local.rs b/crates/ecstore/src/disk/local.rs
index 077c8a90c..aa8a2c39a 100644
--- a/crates/ecstore/src/disk/local.rs
+++ b/crates/ecstore/src/disk/local.rs
@@ -10447,28 +10447,30 @@ impl DiskAPI for LocalDisk {
                 };
                 write_metacache_obj(&mut out, &meta).await?;
                 objs_returned += 1;
-            } else {
-                let fpath = self
-                    .io_get_object_path(&opts.bucket, path_join_buf(&[opts.base_dir.as_str(), STORAGE_FORMAT_FILE]).as_str())?;
+            }
 
-                if let Ok(meta) = with_walk_stall_deadline(stall, tokio::fs::metadata(&fpath)).await?
-                    && meta.is_file()
+            // A plain object shares this directory with its children even when
+            // an explicit directory marker exists in the sibling encoded path.
+            let fpath =
+                self.io_get_object_path(&opts.bucket, path_join_buf(&[opts.base_dir.as_str(), STORAGE_FORMAT_FILE]).as_str())?;
+
+            if let Ok(meta) = with_walk_stall_deadline(stall, tokio::fs::metadata(&fpath)).await?
+                && meta.is_file()
+            {
+                skip_current_dir_object = true;
+                if let Ok(meta_bytes) = with_walk_stall_deadline(
+                    stall,
+                    self.read_metadata(
+                        opts.bucket.as_str(),
+                        path_join_buf(&[opts.base_dir.as_str(), STORAGE_FORMAT_FILE]).as_str(),
+                    ),
+                )
+                .await?
+                    && let Ok(file_meta) = FileMeta::load(&meta_bytes)
+                    && let Ok(data_dirs) = file_meta.get_data_dirs()
                 {
-                    skip_current_dir_object = true;
-                    if let Ok(meta_bytes) = with_walk_stall_deadline(
-                        stall,
-                        self.read_metadata(
-                            opts.bucket.as_str(),
-                            path_join_buf(&[opts.base_dir.as_str(), STORAGE_FORMAT_FILE]).as_str(),
-                        ),
-                    )
-                    .await?
-                        && let Ok(file_meta) = FileMeta::load(&meta_bytes)
-                        && let Ok(data_dirs) = file_meta.get_data_dirs()
-                    {
-                        for data_dir in data_dirs.iter().flatten() {
-                            multipart_dir_to_skip.insert(data_dir.to_string());
-                        }
+                    for data_dir in data_dirs.iter().flatten() {
+                        multipart_dir_to_skip.insert(data_dir.to_string());
                     }
                 }
             }
@@ -18707,6 +18709,89 @@ mod test {
         );
     }
 
+    async fn assert_walk_dir_prefix_marker_entries(with_plain_object: bool) {
+        use rustfs_filemeta::MetacacheReader;
+        use tempfile::tempdir;
+
+        async fn write_metadata(root: &Path, name: &str, size: i64, data_dir: Option<Uuid>) -> Vec<u8> {
+            let object_dir = root.join(encode_dir_object(name));
+            fs::create_dir_all(&object_dir)
+                .await
+                .expect("object directory should be created");
+            let mut file_info = FileInfo::new(name, 1, 1);
+            file_info.size = size;
+            file_info.data_dir = data_dir;
+            file_info.mod_time = Some(OffsetDateTime::now_utc());
+            let mut metadata = FileMeta::default();
+            metadata.add_version(file_info).expect("object metadata should be valid");
+            let bytes = metadata.marshal_msg().expect("object metadata should encode");
+            fs::write(object_dir.join(STORAGE_FORMAT_FILE), &bytes)
+                .await
+                .expect("object metadata should be written");
+            bytes
+        }
+
+        let dir = tempdir().expect("temporary disk should be created");
+        let bucket = "test-bucket";
+        let bucket_dir = dir.path().join(bucket);
+        let marker_metadata = write_metadata(&bucket_dir, "content/", 0, None).await;
+        let child_metadata = write_metadata(&bucket_dir, "content/child", 7, None).await;
+        let data_dir = Uuid::parse_str("bbbbbbbb-bbbb-bbbb-bbbb-bbbbbbbbbbbb").expect("data directory UUID should parse");
+        if with_plain_object {
+            write_metadata(&bucket_dir, "content", 19, Some(data_dir)).await;
+            // A storage data directory can contain metadata-bearing subdirectories.
+            // The entire directory must be skipped rather than exposed as objects.
+            write_metadata(&bucket_dir, &format!("content/{data_dir}/segment"), 31, None).await;
+            fs::write(bucket_dir.join("content").join(data_dir.to_string()).join("part.1"), b"part")
+                .await
+                .expect("object part should be written");
+        }
+
+        let endpoint =
+            Endpoint::try_from(dir.path().to_str().expect("disk path should be UTF-8")).expect("disk endpoint should parse");
+        let disk = LocalDisk::new(&endpoint, false).await.expect("local disk should initialize");
+        let (reader, mut writer) = tokio::io::duplex(65536);
+        disk.walk_dir(
+            WalkDirOptions {
+                bucket: bucket.to_owned(),
+                base_dir: "content/".to_owned(),
+                recursive: true,
+                ..Default::default()
+            },
+            &mut writer,
+        )
+        .await
+        .expect("prefix walk should succeed");
+        let entries = MetacacheReader::new(reader)
+            .read_all()
+            .await
+            .expect("walk output should decode");
+        assert!(
+            entries
+                .iter()
+                .all(|entry| !entry.name.starts_with(&format!("content/{data_dir}"))),
+            "plain object storage directories must not appear in the walk"
+        );
+        let objects: Vec<_> = entries.into_iter().filter(MetaCacheEntry::is_object).collect();
+        assert_eq!(
+            objects.iter().map(|entry| entry.name.as_str()).collect::<Vec<_>>(),
+            vec!["content/", "content/child"],
+            "the marker and child must each appear exactly once"
+        );
+        assert_eq!(objects[0].metadata, marker_metadata, "the marker must retain its own metadata");
+        assert_eq!(objects[1].metadata, child_metadata, "the child must retain its own metadata");
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn test_walk_dir_prefix_marker_with_children_is_unique() {
+        assert_walk_dir_prefix_marker_entries(false).await;
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn test_walk_dir_prefix_marker_skips_plain_object_and_parts() {
+        assert_walk_dir_prefix_marker_entries(true).await;
+    }
+
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn test_scan_dir_reports_base_dir_object_metadata() {
         use rustfs_filemeta::MetacacheReader;
diff --git a/crates/ecstore/src/store/list_objects.rs b/crates/ecstore/src/store/list_objects.rs
index 9c5342fac..fc9121c2f 100644
--- a/crates/ecstore/src/store/list_objects.rs
+++ b/crates/ecstore/src/store/list_objects.rs
@@ -33,8 +33,7 @@ use crate::core::sets::Sets;
 use crate::disk::error::DiskError;
 use crate::disk::{DiskAPI, DiskInfo, DiskStore, RUSTFS_META_BUCKET, WalkDirOptions};
 use crate::error::{
-    Error, Result, StorageError, is_all_disk_not_found, is_all_not_found, is_all_volume_not_found, is_err_bucket_not_found,
-    to_object_err,
+    Error, Result, StorageError, is_all_disk_not_found, is_all_not_found, is_all_volume_not_found, to_object_err,
 };
 use crate::object_api::{ObjectInfo, ObjectOptions};
 use crate::set_disk::SetDisks;
@@ -4023,32 +4022,6 @@ impl ECStore {
             return Ok(result);
         }
 
-        // Optimization: use get for single object lookup with exact prefix
-        if !opts.prefix.is_empty() && max_keys == 1 && opts.marker.is_none() && !incl_deleted {
-            match self
-                .get_object_info(
-                    &opts.bucket,
-                    &opts.prefix,
-                    &ObjectOptions {
-                        no_lock: true,
-                        ..Default::default()
-                    },
-                )
-                .await
-            {
-                Ok(res) if !res.delete_marker && res.version_purge_status.is_empty() => {
-                    return Ok(ListObjectsInfo {
-                        objects: vec![res],
-                        ..Default::default()
-                    });
-                }
-                Err(err) if is_err_bucket_not_found(&err) => {
-                    return Err(err);
-                }
-                _ => {}
-            };
-        };
-
         let mut list_result = self
             .clone()
             .list_path(&opts)
@@ -5534,31 +5507,6 @@ impl Sets {
         // (notably `forward_past`) — see backlog#1047.
         opts.parse_marker();
 
-        if !opts.prefix.is_empty() && max_keys == 1 && opts.marker.is_none() && !incl_deleted {
-            match self
-                .get_object_info(
-                    &opts.bucket,
-                    &opts.prefix,
-                    &ObjectOptions {
-                        no_lock: true,
-                        ..Default::default()
-                    },
-                )
-                .await
-            {
-                Ok(res) if !res.delete_marker && res.version_purge_status.is_empty() => {
-                    return Ok(ListObjectsInfo {
-                        objects: vec![res],
-                        ..Default::default()
-                    });
-                }
-                Err(err) if is_err_bucket_not_found(&err) => {
-                    return Err(err);
-                }
-                _ => {}
-            };
-        }
-
         let mut list_result = self
             .list_path(&opts)
             .await
@@ -6448,33 +6396,6 @@ impl SetDisks {
         // (notably `forward_past`) — see backlog#1047.
         opts.parse_marker();
 
-        if !opts.prefix.is_empty() && max_keys == 1 && opts.marker.is_none() {
-            match self
-                .get_object_info(
-                    &opts.bucket,
-                    &opts.prefix,
-                    &ObjectOptions {
-                        no_lock: true,
-                        ..Default::default()
-                    },
-                )
-                .await
-            {
-                Ok(res) if !res.delete_marker && res.version_purge_status.is_empty() => {
-                    return Ok(ListObjectsInfo {
-                        objects: vec![res],
-                        ..Default::default()
-                    });
-                }
-                Ok(_) => {}
-                Err(err) => {
-                    if is_err_bucket_not_found(&err) {
-                        return Err(err);
-                    }
-                }
-            };
-        }
-
         let mut list_result = self
             .list_path_result(&opts)
             .await
@@ -9637,6 +9558,88 @@ mod test {
         }
     }
 
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn list_objects_exact_prefix_paginates_across_storage_layers() {
+        use crate::bucket::metadata_sys::{init_bucket_metadata_sys, test_support::isolated_store_over_temp_disks};
+        use crate::object_api::{ObjectOptions, PutObjReader};
+        use crate::storage_api_contracts::bucket::{BucketOperations as _, MakeBucketOptions};
+        use crate::storage_api_contracts::object::{ObjectIO as _, ObjectOperations as _};
+
+        let (_dirs, store) = isolated_store_over_temp_disks().await;
+        let bucket = "exact-prefix-pagination-bucket";
+        init_bucket_metadata_sys(store.clone(), Vec::new()).await;
+        store
+            .make_bucket(bucket, &MakeBucketOptions::default())
+            .await
+            .expect("exact-prefix pagination bucket should be created");
+        for name in ["a", "ab"] {
+            store.pools[0]
+                .put_object(
+                    bucket,
+                    name,
+                    &mut PutObjReader::from_vec(b"pagination fixture".to_vec()),
+                    &ObjectOptions {
+                        no_lock: true,
+                        ..Default::default()
+                    },
+                )
+                .await
+                .expect("pagination fixture object should be written");
+            let info = store
+                .get_object_info(
+                    bucket,
+                    name,
+                    &ObjectOptions {
+                        no_lock: true,
+                        ..Default::default()
+                    },
+                )
+                .await
+                .expect("exact-prefix fixture must be readable by object lookup");
+            assert!(!info.delete_marker && info.version_purge_status.is_empty());
+        }
+
+        for layer in 0..3 {
+            for (prefix, expected) in [("a", vec!["a", "ab"]), ("ab", vec!["ab"]), ("missing", vec![])] {
+                let mut marker = None;
+                for page in 0..expected.len().max(1) {
+                    let result = match layer {
+                        0 => {
+                            store
+                                .clone()
+                                .list_objects_generic(bucket, prefix, marker.clone(), None, 1, false)
+                                .await
+                        }
+                        1 => {
+                            store.pools[0]
+                                .clone()
+                                .list_objects_generic(bucket, prefix, marker.clone(), None, 1, false)
+                                .await
+                        }
+                        _ => {
+                            store.pools[0].disk_set[0]
+                                .clone()
+                                .list_objects_generic(bucket, prefix, marker.clone(), None, 1, false)
+                                .await
+                        }
+                    }
+                    .expect("exact-prefix page should list successfully");
+                    let names: Vec<_> = result.objects.iter().map(|object| object.name.as_str()).collect();
+                    let expected_page: Vec<_> = expected.get(page).copied().into_iter().collect();
+                    assert_eq!(names, expected_page, "layer {layer}, prefix {prefix}, page {page}");
+                    assert!(result.prefixes.is_empty(), "recursive listing should not return common prefixes");
+                    let has_more = page + 1 < expected.len();
+                    assert_eq!(result.is_truncated, has_more, "layer {layer}, prefix {prefix}, page {page}");
+                    assert_eq!(result.next_marker.is_some(), has_more, "only non-final pages should carry a marker");
+                    if has_more {
+                        assert_ne!(result.next_marker, marker, "pagination marker must advance");
+                    }
+                    marker = result.next_marker;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn list_objects_hides_pending_version_purge_across_walk_and_exact_prefix() {
         use crate::bucket::metadata_sys::{init_bucket_metadata_sys, test_support::isolated_store_over_temp_disks};
@@ -9685,7 +9688,7 @@ mod test {
             .expect("exact-prefix listing should succeed");
         assert!(
             exact.objects.is_empty(),
-            "exact-prefix max_keys=1 shortcut should hide pending version-purge entries"
+            "exact-prefix max_keys=1 listing should hide pending version-purge entries"
         );
         assert!(exact.prefixes.is_empty());
     }