diff --git a/carbonserver/carbonserver.go b/carbonserver/carbonserver.go
index 546e6d223..64b69e6c4 100644
--- a/carbonserver/carbonserver.go
+++ b/carbonserver/carbonserver.go
@@ -975,6 +975,7 @@ func (listener *CarbonserverListener) updateFileList(dir string, cacheMetricName
 				trimmedName := strings.TrimPrefix(p, listener.whisperData)
 				filesLen++
 				if flc != nil {
+					// TODO: include metadata like physical/logical size, data points
 					if err := flc.write(trimmedName); err != nil {
 						logger.Error("failed to write to file list cache", zap.Error(err))
 						if err := flc.close(); err != nil {
@@ -990,21 +991,27 @@ func (listener *CarbonserverListener) updateFileList(dir string, cacheMetricName
 					delete(cacheMetricNames, trimmedName)
 				} else {
 					if listener.trieIndex {
-						var dataPoints int64
-						if isFullMetric && listener.estimateSize != nil {
-							m := strings.ReplaceAll(trimmedName, "/", ".")
-							m = m[1 : len(m)-4]
-							_, dataPoints = listener.estimateSize(m)
-						}
-
-						var physicalSize = info.Size()
-						if stat, ok := info.Sys().(*syscall.Stat_t); ok {
-							physicalSize = stat.Blocks * 512
-						}
-
-						if err := trieIdx.insert(trimmedName, info.Size(), physicalSize, dataPoints); err != nil {
-							// It's better to just log an error than stop indexing
-							listener.logTrieInsertError(logger, "updateFileList.trie: failed to index path", trimmedName, err)
+						// WHY:
+						//   * this would only affects empty directories
+						//   * indexing empty directories causes an strange bug in trie index
+						//   * empty dir isn't useful (at least most of the time)?
+						if isFullMetric {
+							var dataPoints int64
+							if listener.estimateSize != nil {
+								m := strings.ReplaceAll(trimmedName, "/", ".")
+								m = m[1 : len(m)-4]
+								_, dataPoints = listener.estimateSize(m)
+							}
+
+							var physicalSize = info.Size()
+							if stat, ok := info.Sys().(*syscall.Stat_t); ok {
+								physicalSize = stat.Blocks * 512
+							}
+
+							if err := trieIdx.insert(trimmedName, info.Size(), physicalSize, dataPoints); err != nil {
+								// It's better to just log an error than stop indexing
+								listener.logTrieInsertError(logger, "updateFileList.trie: failed to index path", trimmedName, err)
+							}
 						}
 					} else {
 						files = append(files, trimmedName)
diff --git a/carbonserver/trie.go b/carbonserver/trie.go
index b4a04a26c..62d7e9cc8 100644
--- a/carbonserver/trie.go
+++ b/carbonserver/trie.go
@@ -633,6 +633,7 @@ outer:
 
 	if !isFile {
 		if cur.dir() {
+			cur.gen = ti.root.gen
 			return nil
 		}
 
@@ -640,6 +641,7 @@ outer:
 		for _, child := range *cur.childrens {
 			if child.dir() {
 				cur = child
+				cur.gen = ti.root.gen
 				newDir = false
 				break
 			}
@@ -745,7 +747,7 @@ func (ti *trieIndex) query(expr string, limit int, expand func(globs []string) (
 		}
 
 		if cur.dir() {
-			if mindex+1 >= len(matchers) || !curm.dstate().matched() {
+			if mindex+1 >= len(matchers) || !curm.dstate().matched() || len(curChildrens) == 0 {
 				goto parent
 			}
 
diff --git a/carbonserver/trie_test.go b/carbonserver/trie_test.go
index 1b525f907..f63ea74f6 100644
--- a/carbonserver/trie_test.go
+++ b/carbonserver/trie_test.go
@@ -692,6 +692,19 @@ func TestTrieIndex(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			expectLeafs: []bool{false, false, false, false},
 		},
+		{
+			input: []string{
+				"zk/kafka_xxx/by_node/node_0/status/health.wsp",
+				"zk/streaming_yyy/by_node/node_0/status/health.wsp",
+				"zk/kafka_zzz/by_node/node_0/status", // intentionally empty directory node
+			},
+			query: "zk.*.by_node.*.status.health",
+			expect: []string{
+				"zk.kafka_xxx.by_node.node_0.status.health",
+				"zk.streaming_yyy.by_node.node_0.status.health",
+			},
+			expectLeafs: []bool{true, true},
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, c := range cases {