diff --git a/extern/sector-storage/ffiwrapper/sealer_cgo.go b/extern/sector-storage/ffiwrapper/sealer_cgo.go
index 21d14a4d9e6..a17a82eefd5 100644
--- a/extern/sector-storage/ffiwrapper/sealer_cgo.go
+++ b/extern/sector-storage/ffiwrapper/sealer_cgo.go
@@ -244,12 +244,12 @@ func (sb *Sealer) UnsealPiece(ctx context.Context, sector storage.SectorRef, off
 	maxPieceSize := abi.PaddedPieceSize(ssize)
 
 	// try finding existing
-	unsealedPath, done, err := sb.sectors.AcquireSector(ctx, sector, storiface.FTUnsealed, storiface.FTNone, storiface.PathStorage)
+	unsealedPath, done, err := sb.sectors.AcquireSector(ctx, sector, storiface.FTUnsealed, storiface.FTNone, storiface.PathStoragePrefer)
 	var pf *partialfile.PartialFile
 
 	switch {
 	case xerrors.Is(err, storiface.ErrSectorNotFound):
-		unsealedPath, done, err = sb.sectors.AcquireSector(ctx, sector, storiface.FTNone, storiface.FTUnsealed, storiface.PathStorage)
+		unsealedPath, done, err = sb.sectors.AcquireSector(ctx, sector, storiface.FTNone, storiface.FTUnsealed, storiface.PathStoragePrefer)
 		if err != nil {
 			return xerrors.Errorf("acquire unsealed sector path (allocate): %w", err)
 		}
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ func (sb *Sealer) UnsealPiece(ctx context.Context, sector storage.SectorRef, off
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	srcPaths, srcDone, err := sb.sectors.AcquireSector(ctx, sector, storiface.FTCache|storiface.FTSealed, storiface.FTNone, storiface.PathStorage)
+	srcPaths, srcDone, err := sb.sectors.AcquireSector(ctx, sector, storiface.FTCache|storiface.FTSealed, storiface.FTNone, storiface.PathStoragePrefer)
 	if err != nil {
 		return xerrors.Errorf("acquire sealed sector paths: %w", err)
 	}
diff --git a/extern/sector-storage/manager.go b/extern/sector-storage/manager.go
index 3bf0ac19e63..ef9c4b867da 100644
--- a/extern/sector-storage/manager.go
+++ b/extern/sector-storage/manager.go
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ func (m *Manager) SectorsUnsealPiece(ctx context.Context, sector storage.SectorR
 		return xerrors.Errorf("getting sector size: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	selector := newExistingSelector(m.index, sector.ID, storiface.FTSealed|storiface.FTCache, false)
+	selector := newExistingSelector(m.index, sector.ID, storiface.FTSealed|storiface.FTCache, true)
 
 	log.Debugf("schedule unseal for sector %d", sector.ID)
 	err = m.sched.Schedule(ctx, sector, sealtasks.TTUnseal, selector, unsealFetch, func(ctx context.Context, w Worker) error {
diff --git a/extern/sector-storage/piece_provider.go b/extern/sector-storage/piece_provider.go
index 008c06e63a0..30510395708 100644
--- a/extern/sector-storage/piece_provider.go
+++ b/extern/sector-storage/piece_provider.go
@@ -67,6 +67,9 @@ func (p *pieceProvider) ReadPiece(ctx context.Context, sector storage.SectorRef,
 	}
 
 	r, unlock, err := p.tryReadUnsealedPiece(ctx, sector, offset, size)
+	if xerrors.Is(err, storiface.ErrSectorNotFound) {
+		err = nil
+	}
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, false, err
 	}
diff --git a/extern/sector-storage/stores/index.go b/extern/sector-storage/stores/index.go
index 4acc2ecdb6c..a9f7ef7f6ce 100644
--- a/extern/sector-storage/stores/index.go
+++ b/extern/sector-storage/stores/index.go
@@ -395,6 +395,9 @@ func (i *Index) StorageBestAlloc(ctx context.Context, allocate storiface.SectorF
 		if (pathType == storiface.PathStorage) && !p.info.CanStore {
 			continue
 		}
+		if (pathType == storiface.PathStoragePrefer) && !p.info.CanStore && !p.info.CanSeal {
+			continue
+		}
 
 		if spaceReq > uint64(p.fsi.Available) {
 			log.Debugf("not allocating on %s, out of space (available: %d, need: %d)", p.info.ID, p.fsi.Available, spaceReq)
diff --git a/extern/sector-storage/stores/local.go b/extern/sector-storage/stores/local.go
index ab0a8eaebc8..bd03d34ed4f 100644
--- a/extern/sector-storage/stores/local.go
+++ b/extern/sector-storage/stores/local.go
@@ -493,6 +493,10 @@ func (st *Local) AcquireSector(ctx context.Context, sid storage.SectorRef, exist
 				continue
 			}
 
+			if (pathType == storiface.PathStoragePrefer) && !si.CanStore && !si.CanSeal {
+				continue
+			}
+
 			// TODO: Check free space
 
 			best = p.sectorPath(sid.ID, fileType)
diff --git a/extern/sector-storage/stores/remote.go b/extern/sector-storage/stores/remote.go
index 4142dac091b..5c89fd24193 100644
--- a/extern/sector-storage/stores/remote.go
+++ b/extern/sector-storage/stores/remote.go
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ func (r *Remote) AcquireSector(ctx context.Context, s storage.SectorRef, existin
 	}
 
 	odt := storiface.FSOverheadSeal
-	if pathType == storiface.PathStorage {
+	if pathType == storiface.PathStorage || pathType == storiface.PathStoragePrefer {
 		odt = storiface.FsOverheadFinalized
 	}
 
diff --git a/extern/sector-storage/storiface/storage.go b/extern/sector-storage/storiface/storage.go
index e836002d5de..98d128b1cf3 100644
--- a/extern/sector-storage/storiface/storage.go
+++ b/extern/sector-storage/storiface/storage.go
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ type PathType string
 const (
 	PathStorage PathType = "storage"
 	PathSealing PathType = "sealing"
+
+	PathStoragePrefer PathType = "storage-prefer"
 )
 
 type AcquireMode string