diff --git a/ais/tgtec.go b/ais/tgtec.go
index 2df7f2cccb..b704890856 100644
--- a/ais/tgtec.go
+++ b/ais/tgtec.go
@@ -117,12 +117,20 @@ func (t *target) httpecpost(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 			// - to be used to recover individual objects and assorted (ranges, lists of) objects
 			// - requires API & CLI
 			// - remove warning when done
-			nlog.Warningf("%s[%s] not running or finished - proceeding with %s anyway", t, apc.ActECEncode, uuid, lom.Cname())
-			go ec.ECM.TryRecoverObj(lom, nil) // free(lom) inside
+			nlog.Warningf("%s[%s] not running - proceeding to ec-recover %s anyway..", t, apc.ActECEncode, uuid, lom)
+
+			err := ec.ECM.Recover(lom)
+			cname := lom.Cname()
+			core.FreeLOM(lom)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.writeErr(w, r, cmn.NewErrFailedTo(t, "EC-recover", cname, err))
+			}
 		} else {
 			xbenc, ok := xctn.(*ec.XactBckEncode)
 			debug.Assert(ok, xctn.String())
-			xbenc.RecvEncodeMD(lom)
+
+			// async, via j.work
+			xbenc.RecvRecover(lom)
 		}
 	case apc.ActEcOpen:
 		hk.UnregIf(hkname, closeEc) // just in case, a no-op most of the time
diff --git a/ais/tgtobj.go b/ais/tgtobj.go
index cd80542a5e..7a84577c82 100644
--- a/ais/tgtobj.go
+++ b/ais/tgtobj.go
@@ -898,8 +898,8 @@ gfn:
 		}
 	}
 
-	// restore from existing EC slices, if possible
-	ecErr := ec.ECM.RestoreObject(goi.lom, nil /*on-finished callback*/)
+	// restore from existing EC slices
+	ecErr := ec.ECM.Recover(goi.lom)
 	if ecErr == nil {
 		ecErr = goi.lom.Load(true /*cache it*/, false /*locked*/) // TODO: optimize locking
 		if ecErr == nil {
diff --git a/cmd/cli/go.mod b/cmd/cli/go.mod
index de1dee4c53..5392879c31 100644
--- a/cmd/cli/go.mod
+++ b/cmd/cli/go.mod
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ module github.com/NVIDIA/aistore/cmd/cli
 go 1.23.2
 
 require (
-	github.com/NVIDIA/aistore v1.3.26-0.20241021220713-b4666d34154a
+	github.com/NVIDIA/aistore v1.3.26-0.20241022221110-ec9d71b82df4
 	github.com/fatih/color v1.17.0
 	github.com/json-iterator/go v1.1.12
 	github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2 v2.20.2
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/cespare/xxhash/v2 v2.3.0 // indirect
 	github.com/cpuguy83/go-md2man/v2 v2.0.5 // indirect
 	github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.2-0.20180830191138-d8f796af33cc // indirect
+	github.com/dgryski/go-metro v0.0.0-20211217172704-adc40b04c140 // indirect
 	github.com/emicklei/go-restful/v3 v3.12.1 // indirect
 	github.com/fxamacker/cbor/v2 v2.7.0 // indirect
 	github.com/go-logr/logr v1.4.2 // indirect
@@ -59,6 +60,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/prometheus/common v0.60.0 // indirect
 	github.com/prometheus/procfs v0.15.1 // indirect
 	github.com/russross/blackfriday/v2 v2.1.0 // indirect
+	github.com/seiflotfy/cuckoofilter v0.0.0-20240715131351-a2f2c23f1771 // indirect
 	github.com/spf13/pflag v1.0.5 // indirect
 	github.com/teris-io/shortid v0.0.0-20220617161101-71ec9f2aa569 // indirect
 	github.com/tidwall/btree v1.7.0 // indirect
diff --git a/cmd/cli/go.sum b/cmd/cli/go.sum
index 8a8eb60aa4..3dda6e0587 100644
--- a/cmd/cli/go.sum
+++ b/cmd/cli/go.sum
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 code.cloudfoundry.org/bytefmt v0.0.0-20190710193110-1eb035ffe2b6/go.mod h1:wN/zk7mhREp/oviagqUXY3EwuHhWyOvAdsn5Y4CzOrc=
 github.com/BurntSushi/toml v1.4.0/go.mod h1:ukJfTF/6rtPPRCnwkur4qwRxa8vTRFBF0uk2lLoLwho=
-github.com/NVIDIA/aistore v1.3.26-0.20241021220713-b4666d34154a h1:wqxdIeqExWJdkFbC23tum4rKOXBeuxAeAxNceJI7tSw=
-github.com/NVIDIA/aistore v1.3.26-0.20241021220713-b4666d34154a/go.mod h1:Q6J3YIeiL4A6oWga3qCJ8+XI1CUvdde7Gua/HfueGlQ=
+github.com/NVIDIA/aistore v1.3.26-0.20241022221110-ec9d71b82df4 h1:bb2bM8SR+E28B+asH0kbWzfp/b+Yd/96NK/BhimfPL0=
+github.com/NVIDIA/aistore v1.3.26-0.20241022221110-ec9d71b82df4/go.mod h1:Q6J3YIeiL4A6oWga3qCJ8+XI1CUvdde7Gua/HfueGlQ=
 github.com/OneOfOne/xxhash v1.2.8 h1:31czK/TI9sNkxIKfaUfGlU47BAxQ0ztGgd9vPyqimf8=
 github.com/OneOfOne/xxhash v1.2.8/go.mod h1:eZbhyaAYD41SGSSsnmcpxVoRiQ/MPUTjUdIIOT9Um7Q=
 github.com/VividCortex/ewma v1.1.1/go.mod h1:2Tkkvm3sRDVXaiyucHiACn4cqf7DpdyLvmxzcbUokwA=
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@ github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.0/go.mod h1:J7Y8YcW2NihsgmVo/mv3lAwl/skON4iLHjSs
 github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1/go.mod h1:J7Y8YcW2NihsgmVo/mv3lAwl/skON4iLHjSsI+c5H38=
 github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.2-0.20180830191138-d8f796af33cc h1:U9qPSI2PIWSS1VwoXQT9A3Wy9MM3WgvqSxFWenqJduM=
 github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.2-0.20180830191138-d8f796af33cc/go.mod h1:J7Y8YcW2NihsgmVo/mv3lAwl/skON4iLHjSsI+c5H38=
+github.com/dgryski/go-metro v0.0.0-20200812162917-85c65e2d0165/go.mod h1:c9O8+fpSOX1DM8cPNSkX/qsBWdkD4yd2dpciOWQjpBw=
+github.com/dgryski/go-metro v0.0.0-20211217172704-adc40b04c140 h1:y7y0Oa6UawqTFPCDw9JG6pdKt4F9pAhHv0B7FMGaGD0=
+github.com/dgryski/go-metro v0.0.0-20211217172704-adc40b04c140/go.mod h1:c9O8+fpSOX1DM8cPNSkX/qsBWdkD4yd2dpciOWQjpBw=
 github.com/emicklei/go-restful/v3 v3.12.1 h1:PJMDIM/ak7btuL8Ex0iYET9hxM3CI2sjZtzpL63nKAU=
 github.com/emicklei/go-restful/v3 v3.12.1/go.mod h1:6n3XBCmQQb25CM2LCACGz8ukIrRry+4bhvbpWn3mrbc=
 github.com/fatih/color v1.17.0 h1:GlRw1BRJxkpqUCBKzKOw098ed57fEsKeNjpTe3cSjK4=
@@ -129,6 +132,8 @@ github.com/rogpeppe/go-internal v1.12.0/go.mod h1:E+RYuTGaKKdloAfM02xzb0FW3Paa99
 github.com/russross/blackfriday/v2 v2.1.0 h1:JIOH55/0cWyOuilr9/qlrm0BSXldqnqwMsf35Ld67mk=
 github.com/russross/blackfriday/v2 v2.1.0/go.mod h1:+Rmxgy9KzJVeS9/2gXHxylqXiyQDYRxCVz55jmeOWTM=
 github.com/schollz/progressbar/v2 v2.13.2/go.mod h1:6YZjqdthH6SCZKv2rqGryrxPtfmRB/DWZxSMfCXPyD8=
+github.com/seiflotfy/cuckoofilter v0.0.0-20240715131351-a2f2c23f1771 h1:emzAzMZ1L9iaKCTxdy3Em8Wv4ChIAGnfiz18Cda70g4=
+github.com/seiflotfy/cuckoofilter v0.0.0-20240715131351-a2f2c23f1771/go.mod h1:bR6DqgcAl1zTcOX8/pE2Qkj9XO00eCNqmKb7lXP8EAg=
 github.com/spf13/pflag v1.0.5 h1:iy+VFUOCP1a+8yFto/drg2CJ5u0yRoB7fZw3DKv/JXA=
 github.com/spf13/pflag v1.0.5/go.mod h1:McXfInJRrz4CZXVZOBLb0bTZqETkiAhM9Iw0y3An2Bg=
 github.com/stretchr/objx v0.1.0/go.mod h1:HFkY916IF+rwdDfMAkV7OtwuqBVzrE8GR6GFx+wExME=
@@ -136,6 +141,7 @@ github.com/stretchr/objx v0.4.0/go.mod h1:YvHI0jy2hoMjB+UWwv71VJQ9isScKT/TqJzVSS
 github.com/stretchr/objx v0.5.0/go.mod h1:Yh+to48EsGEfYuaHDzXPcE3xhTkx73EhmCGUpEOglKo=
 github.com/stretchr/objx v0.5.2/go.mod h1:FRsXN1f5AsAjCGJKqEizvkpNtU+EGNCLh3NxZ/8L+MA=
 github.com/stretchr/testify v1.3.0/go.mod h1:M5WIy9Dh21IEIfnGCwXGc5bZfKNJtfHm1UVUgZn+9EI=
+github.com/stretchr/testify v1.6.1/go.mod h1:6Fq8oRcR53rry900zMqJjRRixrwX3KX962/h/Wwjteg=
 github.com/stretchr/testify v1.7.1/go.mod h1:6Fq8oRcR53rry900zMqJjRRixrwX3KX962/h/Wwjteg=
 github.com/stretchr/testify v1.8.0/go.mod h1:yNjHg4UonilssWZ8iaSj1OCr/vHnekPRkoO+kdMU+MU=
 github.com/stretchr/testify v1.8.4/go.mod h1:sz/lmYIOXD/1dqDmKjjqLyZ2RngseejIcXlSw2iwfAo=
@@ -246,6 +252,7 @@ gopkg.in/yaml.v2 v2.2.8/go.mod h1:hI93XBmqTisBFMUTm0b8Fm+jr3Dg1NNxqwp+5A1VGuI=
 gopkg.in/yaml.v2 v2.4.0 h1:D8xgwECY7CYvx+Y2n4sBz93Jn9JRvxdiyyo8CTfuKaY=
 gopkg.in/yaml.v2 v2.4.0/go.mod h1:RDklbk79AGWmwhnvt/jBztapEOGDOx6ZbXqjP6csGnQ=
 gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.0-20200313102051-9f266ea9e77c/go.mod h1:K4uyk7z7BCEPqu6E+C64Yfv1cQ7kz7rIZviUmN+EgEM=
+gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.0-20200605160147-a5ece683394c/go.mod h1:K4uyk7z7BCEPqu6E+C64Yfv1cQ7kz7rIZviUmN+EgEM=
 gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1 h1:fxVm/GzAzEWqLHuvctI91KS9hhNmmWOoWu0XTYJS7CA=
 gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1/go.mod h1:K4uyk7z7BCEPqu6E+C64Yfv1cQ7kz7rIZviUmN+EgEM=
 k8s.io/api v0.31.1 h1:Xe1hX/fPW3PXYYv8BlozYqw63ytA92snr96zMW9gWTU=
diff --git a/ec/bencodex.go b/ec/bencodex.go
index 10e9a2f8e4..0a039835ed 100644
--- a/ec/bencodex.go
+++ b/ec/bencodex.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ package ec
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"runtime"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
@@ -48,9 +49,10 @@ type (
 		checkAndRecover bool
 	}
 	rcvyJogger struct {
-		mi     *fs.Mountpath
-		workCh chan *core.LOM
-		parent *XactBckEncode
+		mi       *fs.Mountpath
+		workCh   chan *core.LOM
+		parent   *XactBckEncode
+		chanFull atomic.Int64
 	}
 )
 
@@ -272,7 +274,7 @@ func (r *XactBckEncode) bckEncodeMD(ct *core.CT, _ []byte) error {
 	return core.T.ECRestoreReq(ct, tsi, r.ID())
 }
 
-func (r *XactBckEncode) RecvEncodeMD(lom *core.LOM) {
+func (r *XactBckEncode) RecvRecover(lom *core.LOM) {
 	r.last.Store(mono.NanoTime())
 
 	uname := lom.UnamePtr()
@@ -292,13 +294,20 @@ func (r *XactBckEncode) RecvEncodeMD(lom *core.LOM) {
 	j.workCh <- lom
 }
 
-// TODO: add stats counting recovered slices, etc.
 func (r *XactBckEncode) setLast(lom *core.LOM, err error) {
-	if err == nil {
+	switch {
+	case err == nil:
+		r.LomAdd(lom) // TODO: instead, count restored slices, metafiles, possibly - objects
 		r.last.Store(mono.NanoTime())
-	} else if err != errSkipped {
+	case err == ErrorECDisabled:
+		r.Abort(err)
+	case err == errSkipped:
+		// do nothing
+	default:
 		r.AddErr(err)
-		_errec(lom, err)
+		if cmn.Rom.FastV(4, cos.SmoduleEC) {
+			nlog.Warningln(core.T.String(), "failed to check-and-recover", lom.Cname(), "err:", err)
+		}
 	}
 }
 
@@ -312,6 +321,21 @@ func (j *rcvyJogger) run() {
 		if !ok {
 			break
 		}
-		ECM.TryRecoverObj(lom, j.parent.setLast) // free(lom) inside
+		if l, c := len(j.workCh), cap(j.workCh); l > (c - c>>2) {
+			runtime.Gosched() // poor man's throttle
+			if l == c {
+				j.chanFull.Inc()
+			}
+		}
+		err := ECM.Recover(lom)
+		j.parent.setLast(lom, err)
+		core.FreeLOM(lom)
+	}
+	if cnt := j.chanFull.Load(); cnt > 1 {
+		nlog.Warningln(j.String(), cos.ErrWorkChanFull, "cnt:", cnt)
 	}
 }
+
+func (j *rcvyJogger) String() string {
+	return fmt.Sprint("[ rcvy-j", j.mi.String(), j.parent.Name(), "]")
+}
diff --git a/ec/getx.go b/ec/getx.go
index 8a8893de7c..a4447c75e4 100644
--- a/ec/getx.go
+++ b/ec/getx.go
@@ -248,7 +248,6 @@ func (r *XactGet) stop() {
 // a nil value from channel but ecrunner keeps working - it reuploads all missing
 // slices or copies
 func (r *XactGet) decode(req *request, lom *core.LOM) {
-	debug.Assert(req.Action == ActRestore, "invalid action: ", req.Action)
 	r.stats.updateDecode()
 	req.putTime = time.Now()
 	req.tm = req.putTime
diff --git a/ec/manager.go b/ec/manager.go
index cd24c6c632..948684352e 100644
--- a/ec/manager.go
+++ b/ec/manager.go
@@ -288,26 +288,6 @@ func (mgr *Manager) CleanupObject(lom *core.LOM) {
 	mgr.RestoreBckPutXact(lom.Bck()).cleanup(req, lom)
 }
 
-func (mgr *Manager) RestoreObject(lom *core.LOM, cb core.OnFinishObj) error {
-	if !lom.ECEnabled() {
-		return ErrorECDisabled
-	}
-	cs := fs.Cap()
-	if err := cs.Err(); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	debug.Assert(lom.Mountpath() != nil && lom.Mountpath().Path != "")
-	req := allocateReq(ActRestore, lom.LIF())
-	errCh := make(chan error) // unbuffered
-	req.ErrCh = errCh
-	req.Callback = cb
-	mgr.RestoreBckGetXact(lom.Bck()).decode(req, lom)
-
-	// wait for EC completes restoring the object
-	return <-errCh
-}
-
 // disableBck starts to reject new EC requests, rejects pending ones
 func (mgr *Manager) disableBck(bck *meta.Bck) {
 	mgr.RestoreBckGetXact(bck).ClearRequests()
@@ -350,19 +330,20 @@ func (mgr *Manager) BMDChanged() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// TODO -- FIXME: joggers, etc.
-func (mgr *Manager) TryRecoverObj(lom *core.LOM, cb core.OnFinishObj) {
-	go func() {
-		err := mgr.RestoreObject(lom, cb)
-		if cb != nil {
-			cb(lom, err)
-		} else if err != nil {
-			_errec(lom, err)
-		}
-		core.FreeLOM(lom)
-	}()
-}
+func (mgr *Manager) Recover(lom *core.LOM) error {
+	if !lom.ECEnabled() {
+		return ErrorECDisabled
+	}
+	cs := fs.Cap()
+	if err := cs.Err(); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
-func _errec(lom *core.LOM, err error) {
-	nlog.Errorln(core.T.String(), "failed to check-and-recover", lom.Cname(), "err:", err)
+	req := allocateReq(ActRestore, lom.LIF())
+	errCh := make(chan error) // unbuffered
+	req.ErrCh = errCh
+	mgr.RestoreBckGetXact(lom.Bck()).decode(req, lom)
+
+	// wait
+	return <-errCh
 }