diff --git a/src/mad/sh/scripts_common.sh b/src/mad/sh/scripts_common.sh
index 1f540b323a..2124ea5383 100644
--- a/src/mad/sh/scripts_common.sh
+++ b/src/mad/sh/scripts_common.sh
@@ -460,12 +460,23 @@ function ssh_make_path
 {
     SSH_EXEC_ERR=`$SSH $1 bash -s 2>&1 1>/dev/null <<EOF
 set -e -o pipefail
-if [ ! -d $2 ]; then
-   mkdir -p $2
 
-   if [ -n "$3" ]; then
-       echo "$3" > "\$(dirname $2)/.monitor"
-   fi
+if [ ! -d $2 ]; then
+    mkdir -p $2
+fi
+
+# create or update .monitor content
+if [ -n "$3" ]; then
+    MONITOR_FN="\$(dirname $2)/.monitor"
+
+    MONITOR=''
+    if [ -f "\\${MONITOR_FN}" ]; then
+        MONITOR="\\$(cat "\\${MONITOR_FN}" 2>/dev/null)"
+    fi
+
+    if [ "x\\${MONITOR}" != "x$3" ]; then
+        echo "$3" > "\\${MONITOR_FN}"
+    fi
 fi
 EOF`
     SSH_EXEC_RC=$?
diff --git a/src/tm_mad/ceph/clone b/src/tm_mad/ceph/clone
index 6c4705926f..888059eb2a 100755
--- a/src/tm_mad/ceph/clone
+++ b/src/tm_mad/ceph/clone
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ if [ -n "$EC_POOL_NAME" ]; then
 fi
 
 if [ "${TYPE}" = 'FILE' ]; then
-    ssh_make_path $DST_HOST $DST_DIR
+    ssh_make_path $DST_HOST $DST_DIR 'ssh'
 
     CLONE_CMD=$(cat <<EOF
         RBD="${RBD}"
diff --git a/src/tm_mad/ceph/ln b/src/tm_mad/ceph/ln
index 2b1b85c826..8fdf18952d 100755
--- a/src/tm_mad/ceph/ln
+++ b/src/tm_mad/ceph/ln
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ if [ -n "$CEPH_CONF" ]; then
 fi
 
 if [ "${TYPE}" = 'FILE' ]; then
-    ssh_make_path $DST_HOST $DST_DIR
+    ssh_make_path $DST_HOST $DST_DIR 'ssh'
 
     LN_CMD=$(cat <<EOF
         RBD="${RBD}"
diff --git a/src/tm_mad/ssh/mv b/src/tm_mad/ssh/mv
index 859152eede..2bef8fc0c4 100755
--- a/src/tm_mad/ssh/mv
+++ b/src/tm_mad/ssh/mv
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ DST_PATH=`arg_path $DST`
 SRC_HOST=`arg_host $SRC`
 DST_HOST=`arg_host $DST`
 
+SRC_DIR=`dirname $SRC_PATH`
 DST_DIR=`dirname $DST_PATH`
 
 SRC_DS_DIR=`dirname  $SRC_PATH`
@@ -69,7 +70,17 @@ if [ `lcm_state` -eq 60 ]; then
     exit 0
 fi
 
-ssh_make_path "$DST_HOST" "$DST_DIR" "ssh"
+# preserve .monitor content (if any)
+MONITOR_CMD=$(cat <<EOF
+if [ -r '${SRC_DIR}/.monitor' ]; then
+    cat '${SRC_DIR}/.monitor' 2>/dev/null || :
+fi
+EOF
+)
+
+MONITOR=$(ssh_monitor_and_log "$SRC_HOST" "$MONITOR_CMD" 'Get .monitor')
+
+ssh_make_path "$DST_HOST" "$DST_PATH" "$MONITOR"
 
 log "Moving $SRC to $DST"