diff --git a/leopard.go b/leopard.go
index 3fcecd6..098c1b3 100644
--- a/leopard.go
+++ b/leopard.go
@@ -430,19 +430,19 @@ func (r *leopardFF16) reconstruct(shards [][]byte, recoverAll bool, required []b
 	for i := 0; i < r.parityShards; i++ {
 		if len(shards[i+r.dataShards]) == 0 {
 			errLocs[i] = 1
-			if LEO_ERROR_BITFIELD_OPT && recoverAll {
+			if LEO_ERROR_BITFIELD_OPT && (recoverAll || (required != nil && required[i])) {
 				errorBits.set(i)
 			}
 		}
 	}
 	for i := r.parityShards; i < m; i++ {
 		errLocs[i] = 1
-		if LEO_ERROR_BITFIELD_OPT && recoverAll {
+		if LEO_ERROR_BITFIELD_OPT && (recoverAll || (required != nil && required[i])) {
 			errorBits.set(i)
 		}
 	}
 	for i := 0; i < r.dataShards; i++ {
-		if len(shards[i]) == 0 {
+		if len(shards[i]) == 0 && (recoverAll || (required != nil && required[i])) {
 			errLocs[i+m] = 1
 			if LEO_ERROR_BITFIELD_OPT {
 				errorBits.set(i + m)
diff --git a/leopard8.go b/leopard8.go
index 2ba1e56..c0855ff 100644
--- a/leopard8.go
+++ b/leopard8.go
@@ -467,19 +467,19 @@ func (r *leopardFF8) reconstruct(shards [][]byte, recoverAll bool, required []bo
 	for i := 0; i < r.parityShards; i++ {
 		if len(shards[i+r.dataShards]) == 0 {
 			errLocs[i] = 1
-			if LEO_ERROR_BITFIELD_OPT && recoverAll {
+			if LEO_ERROR_BITFIELD_OPT && (recoverAll || required[i]) {
 				errorBits.set(i)
 			}
 		}
 	}
 	for i := r.parityShards; i < m; i++ {
 		errLocs[i] = 1
-		if LEO_ERROR_BITFIELD_OPT && recoverAll {
+		if LEO_ERROR_BITFIELD_OPT && (recoverAll || required[i]) {
 			errorBits.set(i)
 		}
 	}
 	for i := 0; i < r.dataShards; i++ {
-		if len(shards[i]) == 0 {
+		if len(shards[i]) == 0 && (recoverAll || required[i]) {
 			errLocs[i+m] = 1
 			if LEO_ERROR_BITFIELD_OPT {
 				errorBits.set(i + m)