diff --git a/server/filestore.go b/server/filestore.go
index 9f7f32f4a58..c607617e453 100644
--- a/server/filestore.go
+++ b/server/filestore.go
@@ -270,7 +270,6 @@ type cache struct {
 	buf  []byte
 	wp   int
 	idx  []uint32
-	lrl  uint32
 	fseq uint64
 	nra  bool
 }
@@ -5071,7 +5070,10 @@ func (fs *fileStore) removeMsg(seq uint64, secure, viaLimits, needFSLock bool) (
 	// If erase but block is empty, we can simply remove the block later.
 	if secure && !isEmpty {
 		// Grab record info, but use the pre-computed record length.
-		ri, _, _, _ := mb.slotInfo(int(seq - mb.cache.fseq))
+		ri, _, _, err := mb.slotInfo(int(seq - mb.cache.fseq))
+		if err != nil {
+			return false, err
+		}
 		if err := mb.eraseMsg(seq, int(ri), int(msz), isLastBlock); err != nil {
 			mb.finishedWithCache()
 			return false, err
@@ -5316,7 +5318,14 @@ func (mb *msgBlock) compactWithFloor(floor uint64) {
 // Grab info from a slot.
 // Lock should be held.
 func (mb *msgBlock) slotInfo(slot int) (uint32, uint32, bool, error) {
-	if slot < 0 || mb.cache == nil || slot >= len(mb.cache.idx) {
+	switch {
+	case mb.cache == nil: // Shouldn't be possible, but check it anyway.
+		return 0, 0, false, errNoCache
+	case slot < 0:
+		mb.fs.warn("Partial cache: offset slot index %d is less zero", slot)
+		return 0, 0, false, errPartialCache
+	case slot >= len(mb.cache.idx):
+		mb.fs.warn("Partial cache: offset slot index %d is greater than index len %d", slot, len(mb.cache.idx))
 		return 0, 0, false, errPartialCache
 	}
 
@@ -5330,24 +5339,20 @@ func (mb *msgBlock) slotInfo(slot int) (uint32, uint32, bool, error) {
 
 	// Determine record length
 	var rl uint32
-	if slot >= len(mb.cache.idx) {
-		rl = mb.cache.lrl
-	} else {
-		// Need to account for dbit markers in idx.
-		// So we will walk until we find valid idx slot to calculate rl.
-		for i := 1; slot+i < len(mb.cache.idx); i++ {
-			ni := mb.cache.idx[slot+i] &^ cbit
-			if ni == dbit {
-				continue
-			}
-			rl = ni - ri
-			break
-		}
-		// check if we had all trailing dbits.
-		// If so use len of cache buf minus ri.
-		if rl == 0 {
-			rl = uint32(len(mb.cache.buf)) - ri
+	// Need to account for dbit markers in idx.
+	// So we will walk until we find valid idx slot to calculate rl.
+	for i := 1; slot+i < len(mb.cache.idx); i++ {
+		ni := mb.cache.idx[slot+i] &^ cbit
+		if ni == dbit {
+			continue
 		}
+		rl = ni - ri
+		break
+	}
+	// check if we had all trailing dbits.
+	// If so use len of cache buf minus ri.
+	if rl == 0 {
+		rl = uint32(len(mb.cache.buf)) - ri
 	}
 	if rl < msgHdrSize {
 		return 0, 0, false, errBadMsg{mb.mfn, fmt.Sprintf("length too short for slot %d", slot)}
@@ -5772,10 +5777,10 @@ func (mb *msgBlock) tryForceExpireCache() {
 
 // We will attempt to force expire this by temporarily clearing the last load time.
 func (mb *msgBlock) tryForceExpireCacheLocked() {
-	llts := mb.llts
-	mb.llts = 0
+	llts, lwts := mb.llts, mb.lwts
+	mb.llts, mb.lwts = 0, 0
 	mb.expireCacheLocked()
-	mb.llts = llts
+	mb.llts, mb.lwts = llts, lwts
 }
 
 // This is for expiration of the write cache, which will be partial with fip.
@@ -5850,6 +5855,7 @@ func (mb *msgBlock) expireCacheLocked() {
 			recycleMsgBlockBuf(mb.cache.buf)
 		}
 		mb.cache.buf = nil
+		mb.cache.idx = mb.cache.idx[:0]
 		mb.cache.wp = 0
 	}
 
@@ -6342,7 +6348,6 @@ func (mb *msgBlock) writeMsgRecordLocked(rl, seq uint64, subj string, mhdr, msg
 	// Update write through cache.
 	// Write to msg record.
 	mb.cache.buf = append(mb.cache.buf, checksum...)
-	mb.cache.lrl = uint32(rl)
 
 	// Set cache timestamp for last store.
 	mb.lwts = ts
@@ -7051,7 +7056,6 @@ func (mb *msgBlock) indexCacheBuf(buf []byte) error {
 			}
 			// Add to our index.
 			idx = append(idx, index)
-			mb.cache.lrl = uint32(rl)
 			// Adjust if we guessed wrong.
 			if seq != 0 && seq < fseq {
 				fseq = seq
@@ -7599,7 +7603,7 @@ func (mb *msgBlock) cacheLookupEx(seq uint64, sm *StoreMsg, doCopy bool) (*Store
 	}
 	// Check partial cache status.
 	if seq < mb.cache.fseq {
-		mb.fs.warn("Cache lookup detected partial cache: seq %d vs cache fseq %d", seq, mb.cache.fseq)
+		mb.fs.warn("Partial cache: seq %d is less than cache fseq %d", seq, mb.cache.fseq)
 		return nil, errPartialCache
 	}
 
@@ -7613,6 +7617,7 @@ func (mb *msgBlock) cacheLookupEx(seq uint64, sm *StoreMsg, doCopy bool) (*Store
 
 	li := int(bi)
 	if li >= len(mb.cache.buf) {
+		mb.fs.warn("Partial cache: slot index %d is less than cache buffer len %d", li, len(mb.cache.buf))
 		return nil, errPartialCache
 	}
 	buf := mb.cache.buf[li:]
@@ -7635,8 +7640,7 @@ func (mb *msgBlock) cacheLookupEx(seq uint64, sm *StoreMsg, doCopy bool) (*Store
 	}
 
 	if seq != fsm.seq { // See TestFileStoreInvalidIndexesRebuilt.
-		recycleMsgBlockBuf(mb.cache.buf)
-		mb.cache.buf = nil
+		mb.tryForceExpireCacheLocked()
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("sequence numbers for cache load did not match, %d vs %d", seq, fsm.seq)
 	}
 
diff --git a/server/filestore_test.go b/server/filestore_test.go
index 42b3f059ff9..7bbeef720e9 100644
--- a/server/filestore_test.go
+++ b/server/filestore_test.go
@@ -1784,7 +1784,7 @@ func TestFileStoreInvalidIndexesRebuilt(t *testing.T) {
 		// to discard the cache.
 		_, err = mb.cacheLookupEx(1, nil, false)
 		require_Error(t, err)
-		require_True(t, mb.cache.buf == nil)
+		require_True(t, mb.ecache.Value() == nil)
 
 		// Now fetchMsg should notice and rebuild the index with the
 		// correct sequence from disk.