diff --git a/storage/filestore/dir.go b/storage/filestore/dir.go
index 3f15e56af..2ba6b3978 100644
--- a/storage/filestore/dir.go
+++ b/storage/filestore/dir.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/base32"
 	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"math"
 	"os"
@@ -871,6 +872,12 @@ func (info *blobInfo) Stat(ctx context.Context) (os.FileInfo, error) {
 	if info.fileInfo == nil {
 		fileInfo, err := os.Lstat(info.path)
 		if err != nil {
+			if os.IsNotExist(err) {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+			if isLowLevelCorruptionError(err) {
+				return nil, &CorruptDataError{path: info.path, error: err}
+			}
 			return nil, err
 		}
 		if fileInfo.Mode().IsDir() {
@@ -884,3 +891,27 @@ func (info *blobInfo) Stat(ctx context.Context) (os.FileInfo, error) {
 func (info *blobInfo) FullPath(ctx context.Context) (string, error) {
 	return info.path, nil
 }
+
+// CorruptDataError represents a filesystem or disk error which indicates data corruption.
+//
+// We use a custom error type here so that we can add explanatory information and wrap the original
+// error at the same time.
+type CorruptDataError struct {
+	path  string
+	error error
+}
+
+// Unwrap unwraps the error.
+func (cde CorruptDataError) Unwrap() error {
+	return cde.error
+}
+
+// Path returns the path at which the error was encountered.
+func (cde CorruptDataError) Path() string {
+	return cde.path
+}
+
+// Error returns an error string describing the condition.
+func (cde CorruptDataError) Error() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("unrecoverable error accessing data on the storage file system (path=%v; error=%v). This is most likely due to disk bad sectors or a corrupted file system. Check your disk for bad sectors and integrity", cde.path, cde.error)
+}
diff --git a/storage/filestore/errors_other.go b/storage/filestore/errors_other.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..52c8b7ce8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/storage/filestore/errors_other.go
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+// Copyright (C) 2023 Storj Labs, Inc.
+// See LICENSE for copying information.
+
+//go:build !unix
+// +build !unix
+
+package filestore
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"os"
+	"strings"
+)
+
+func isLowLevelCorruptionError(err error) bool {
+	// convert to lowercase the perr.Op because Go returns inconsistently
+	// "lstat" in Linux and "Lstat" in Windows
+	var perr *os.PathError
+	if errors.As(err, &perr) && strings.ToLower(perr.Op) == "lstat" {
+		return true
+	}
+	return false
+}
diff --git a/storage/filestore/errors_unix.go b/storage/filestore/errors_unix.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ab59bbf3a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/storage/filestore/errors_unix.go
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+// Copyright (C) 2023 Storj Labs, Inc.
+// See LICENSE for copying information.
+
+//go:build unix
+
+package filestore
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"os"
+	"syscall"
+)
+
+func isLowLevelCorruptionError(err error) bool {
+	var perr *os.PathError
+	if errors.As(err, &perr) && perr.Op == "lstat" {
+		return true
+	}
+	var errnoErr syscall.Errno
+	if errors.As(err, &errnoErr) {
+		switch errnoErr {
+		case syscall.EBADMSG, syscall.EIO:
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
diff --git a/storagenode/retain/retain.go b/storagenode/retain/retain.go
index e02a3c032..ebd26c427 100644
--- a/storagenode/retain/retain.go
+++ b/storagenode/retain/retain.go
@@ -398,6 +398,7 @@ func (s *Service) retainPieces(ctx context.Context, req Request) (err error) {
 				// piece was deleted while we were scanning.
 				return nil
 			}
+
 			piecesSkipped++
 			s.log.Warn("failed to determine mtime of blob", zap.Error(err))
 			// but continue iterating.