diff --git a/source/dnode/vnode/src/tsdb/tsdbRetention.c b/source/dnode/vnode/src/tsdb/tsdbRetention.c
index 46a5d19a1a..267e8b4117 100644
--- a/source/dnode/vnode/src/tsdb/tsdbRetention.c
+++ b/source/dnode/vnode/src/tsdb/tsdbRetention.c
@@ -179,6 +179,16 @@ static int32_t tsdbMigrateDataFileS3(SRTNer *rtner, const STFileObj *fobj, const
   int32_t  lino = 0;
   STFileOp op = {0};
 
+  // remove old
+  op = (STFileOp){
+      .optype = TSDB_FOP_REMOVE,
+      .fid = fobj->f->fid,
+      .of = fobj->f[0],
+  };
+
+  code = TARRAY2_APPEND(rtner->fopArr, op);
+  TSDB_CHECK_CODE(code, lino, _exit);
+
   // create new
   op = (STFileOp){
       .optype = TSDB_FOP_CREATE,
@@ -204,16 +214,6 @@ static int32_t tsdbMigrateDataFileS3(SRTNer *rtner, const STFileObj *fobj, const
   code = tsdbCopyFileS3(rtner, fobj, &op.nf);
   TSDB_CHECK_CODE(code, lino, _exit);
 
-  // remove old
-  op = (STFileOp){
-      .optype = TSDB_FOP_REMOVE,
-      .fid = fobj->f->fid,
-      .of = fobj->f[0],
-  };
-
-  code = TARRAY2_APPEND(rtner->fopArr, op);
-  TSDB_CHECK_CODE(code, lino, _exit);
-
 _exit:
   if (code) {
     TSDB_ERROR_LOG(TD_VID(rtner->tsdb->pVnode), lino, code);