diff --git a/cmd/lotus-miner/init.go b/cmd/lotus-miner/init.go
index 4c80e031c..1cce52a41 100644
--- a/cmd/lotus-miner/init.go
+++ b/cmd/lotus-miner/init.go
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strconv"
-	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/docker/go-units"
 	"github.com/google/uuid"
@@ -414,10 +413,6 @@ func storageMinerInit(ctx context.Context, cctx *cli.Context, api v1api.FullNode
 	}
 	defer lr.Close() //nolint:errcheck
 
-	if err := makeDealStaging(lr); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
 	log.Info("Initializing libp2p identity")
 
 	p2pSk, err := makeHostKey(lr)
@@ -557,56 +552,6 @@ func storageMinerInit(ctx context.Context, cctx *cli.Context, api v1api.FullNode
 	return nil
 }
 
-func makeDealStaging(lr repo.LockedRepo) error {
-	dir := filepath.Join(lr.Path(), "deal-staging")
-	dirInfo, err := os.Stat(dir)
-	if err == nil {
-		if !dirInfo.IsDir() {
-			return xerrors.Errorf("%s is not a directory", dir)
-		}
-		// The dir exists already, below migration has already occurred.
-		return nil
-	}
-
-	// if the directory doesn't exist, create it
-	if os.IsNotExist(err) {
-		if err := os.MkdirAll(dir, 0755); err != nil {
-			return xerrors.Errorf("failed to mk directory %s for deal staging: %w", dir, err)
-		}
-	} else { // if we failed for other reasons, abort.
-		return err
-	}
-
-	// if this is the first time we created the directory, symlink all staged deals into it. "Migration"
-	// get a list of files in the miner repo
-	dirEntries, err := os.ReadDir(lr.Path())
-	if err != nil {
-		return xerrors.Errorf("failed to list directory %s for deal staging: %w", lr.Path(), err)
-	}
-
-	for _, entry := range dirEntries {
-		// ignore directories, they are not the deals.
-		if entry.IsDir() {
-			continue
-		}
-		// the FileStore from fil-storage-market creates temporary staged deal files with the pattern "fstmp"
-		// https://github.com/filecoin-project/go-fil-markets/blob/00ff81e477d846ac0cb58a0c7d1c2e9afb5ee1db/filestore/filestore.go#L69
-		if strings.Contains(entry.Name(), "fstmp") {
-			// from the miner repo
-			oldPath := filepath.Join(lr.Path(), entry.Name())
-			// to its subdir "deal-staging"
-			newPath := filepath.Join(dir, entry.Name())
-			// create a symbolic link in the new deal staging directory to preserve existing staged deals.
-			// all future staged deals will be created here.
-			if err := os.Symlink(oldPath, newPath); err != nil {
-				return xerrors.Errorf("failed to symlink %s to %s: %w", oldPath, newPath, err)
-			}
-			log.Infow("symlinked staged deal", "oldPath", oldPath, "newPath", newPath)
-		}
-	}
-	return nil
-}
-
 func makeHostKey(lr repo.LockedRepo) (crypto.PrivKey, error) {
 	pk, _, err := crypto.GenerateEd25519Key(rand.Reader)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/node/modules/storageminer.go b/node/modules/storageminer.go
index 2a1b53baf..b723d914c 100644
--- a/node/modules/storageminer.go
+++ b/node/modules/storageminer.go
@@ -560,8 +560,17 @@ func StorageProvider(minerAddress dtypes.MinerAddress,
 	dsw *dagstore.Wrapper,
 ) (storagemarket.StorageProvider, error) {
 	net := smnet.NewFromLibp2pHost(h)
-	store, err := piecefilestore.NewLocalFileStore(piecefilestore.OsPath(filepath.Join(r.Path(), "deal-staging")))
 
+	dir := filepath.Join(r.Path(), "deal-staging")
+
+	// migrate temporary files that were created directly under the repo, by
+	// moving them to the new directory and symlinking them.
+	oldDir := r.Path()
+	if err := migrateDealStaging(oldDir, dir); err != nil {
+		return nil, xerrors.Errorf("failed to make deal staging directory %w", err)
+	}
+
+	store, err := piecefilestore.NewLocalFileStore(piecefilestore.OsPath(dir))
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -999,3 +1008,56 @@ func ExtractEnabledMinerSubsystems(cfg config.MinerSubsystemConfig) (res api.Min
 	}
 	return res
 }
+
+func migrateDealStaging(oldPath, newPath string) error {
+	dirInfo, err := os.Stat(newPath)
+	if err == nil {
+		if !dirInfo.IsDir() {
+			return xerrors.Errorf("%s is not a directory", newPath)
+		}
+		// The newPath exists already, below migration has already occurred.
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	// if the directory doesn't exist, create it
+	if os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		if err := os.MkdirAll(newPath, 0755); err != nil {
+			return xerrors.Errorf("failed to mk directory %s for deal staging: %w", newPath, err)
+		}
+	} else { // if we failed for other reasons, abort.
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// if this is the first time we created the directory, symlink all staged deals into it. "Migration"
+	// get a list of files in the miner repo
+	dirEntries, err := os.ReadDir(oldPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return xerrors.Errorf("failed to list directory %s for deal staging: %w", oldPath, err)
+	}
+
+	for _, entry := range dirEntries {
+		// ignore directories, they are not the deals.
+		if entry.IsDir() {
+			continue
+		}
+		// the FileStore from fil-storage-market creates temporary staged deal files with the pattern "fstmp"
+		// https://github.com/filecoin-project/go-fil-markets/blob/00ff81e477d846ac0cb58a0c7d1c2e9afb5ee1db/filestore/filestore.go#L69
+		name := entry.Name()
+		if strings.Contains(name, "fstmp") {
+			// from the miner repo
+			oldPath := filepath.Join(oldPath, name)
+			// to its subdir "deal-staging"
+			newPath := filepath.Join(newPath, name)
+			// create a symbolic link in the new deal staging directory to preserve existing staged deals.
+			// all future staged deals will be created here.
+			if err := os.Rename(oldPath, newPath); err != nil {
+				return xerrors.Errorf("failed to move %s to %s: %w", oldPath, newPath, err)
+			}
+			if err := os.Symlink(newPath, oldPath); err != nil {
+				return xerrors.Errorf("failed to symlink %s to %s: %w", oldPath, newPath, err)
+			}
+			log.Infow("symlinked staged deal", "from", oldPath, "to", newPath)
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}