diff --git a/cmd/changelog-reader/main.go b/cmd/changelog-reader/main.go
index 50e23d6..51675e0 100644
--- a/cmd/changelog-reader/main.go
+++ b/cmd/changelog-reader/main.go
@@ -112,18 +112,24 @@ func get_meta(fname string) (_ azblob.Metadata, err error) {
 }
 
 func delete_blob(ctx context.Context, path string) {
-	blobURL := containerURL.NewBlockBlobURL(path)
+	if _, err := os.Stat(mountRoot + "/" + path); os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		// file does not exist on the lustre filesystem now
+		blobURL := containerURL.NewBlockBlobURL(path)
 
-	if use_versioned_blob {
-		meta := azblob.Metadata{"deleted": "true"}
-		_, err := blobURL.Upload(ctx, bytes.NewReader(nil), azblob.BlobHTTPHeaders{}, meta, azblob.BlobAccessConditions{}, azblob.AccessTierNone)
+		if use_versioned_blob {
+			meta := azblob.Metadata{"deleted": "true"}
+			_, err := blobURL.Upload(ctx, bytes.NewReader(nil), azblob.BlobHTTPHeaders{}, meta, azblob.BlobAccessConditions{}, azblob.AccessTierNone)
+			if err != nil {
+				fmt.Printf("Failed to create deleted object - %s\n", path)
+			}
+		}
+		_, err := blobURL.Delete(ctx, azblob.DeleteSnapshotsOptionInclude, azblob.BlobAccessConditions{})
 		if err != nil {
-			fmt.Printf("Failed to create deleted object - %s\n", path)
+			fmt.Printf("Failed to delete object - %s\n", path)
 		}
-	}
-	_, err := blobURL.Delete(ctx, azblob.DeleteSnapshotsOptionInclude, azblob.BlobAccessConditions{})
-	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Printf("Failed to delete object - %s\n", path)
+	} else {
+		// file exists on the lustre filesystem so do not delete from the BLOB storage
+		fmt.Printf("delete_blob: file exists on lustre, not deleting - %s\n", path)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -132,11 +138,16 @@ func create_symlink(ctx context.Context, name string) {
 	if err != nil {
 		fmt.Printf("Failed to get metadata for slink - %s\n", name)
 	} else {
-		fmt.Println(meta)
-		blobURL := containerURL.NewBlockBlobURL(name)
-		_, err := blobURL.Upload(ctx, bytes.NewReader(nil), azblob.BlobHTTPHeaders{}, meta, azblob.BlobAccessConditions{}, azblob.AccessTierNone)
-		if err != nil {
-			fmt.Printf("Failed to create symlink - %s\n", name)
+		// only create in blob storage if it is a symlink on the filesystem
+		if _, ok := meta["symlink"]; ok {
+			blobURL := containerURL.NewBlockBlobURL(name)
+			_, err := blobURL.Upload(ctx, bytes.NewReader(nil), azblob.BlobHTTPHeaders{}, meta, azblob.BlobAccessConditions{}, azblob.AccessTierNone)
+			if err != nil {
+				fmt.Printf("Failed to create symlink - %s\n", name)
+			}
+		} else {
+			fmt.Printf("Not a symlink on the filesystem anymore, not creating\n")
+			fmt.Println(meta)
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -191,11 +202,16 @@ func create_dir(ctx context.Context, name string) {
 	if err != nil {
 		fmt.Printf("Failed to get metadata for directory - %s\n", name)
 	} else {
-		fmt.Println(meta)
-		blobURL := containerURL.NewBlockBlobURL(name)
-		_, err := blobURL.Upload(ctx, bytes.NewReader(nil), azblob.BlobHTTPHeaders{}, meta, azblob.BlobAccessConditions{}, azblob.AccessTierNone)
-		if err != nil {
-			fmt.Printf("Failed to create directory - %s\n", name)
+		// only create in blob storage if it is a directory on the filesystem
+		if _, ok := meta["hdi_isfolder"]; ok {
+			blobURL := containerURL.NewBlockBlobURL(name)
+			_, err := blobURL.Upload(ctx, bytes.NewReader(nil), azblob.BlobHTTPHeaders{}, meta, azblob.BlobAccessConditions{}, azblob.AccessTierNone)
+			if err != nil {
+				fmt.Printf("Failed to create directory - %s\n", name)
+			}
+		} else {
+			fmt.Printf("Not a directory on the filesystem anymore, not creating\n")
+			fmt.Println(meta)
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -596,6 +612,10 @@ func pretty_print_changelog_record(rec *llapi.ChangelogRecord) {
 	fmt.Println("  TypeCode=" + string(rec.TypeCode()))
 }
 
+func display_changelog(rec *llapi.ChangelogRecord) {
+	fmt.Printf("[ %s ] %s [%d] Name='%s', SourceName='%s'\n", time.Now().Format("2006-01-02 15:04:05"), rec.Type(), rec.Index(), rec.Name(), rec.SourceName())
+}
+
 func process_changelog(mdtname string, userid string) {
 	follow := true
 	cl, err := llapi.ChangelogStart(mdtname, 0, follow)
@@ -625,28 +645,33 @@ func process_changelog(mdtname string, userid string) {
 
 		debug := false
 
-		fmt.Printf("%s [%d] Name='%s', SourceName='%s'\n", rec.Type(), rec.Index(), rec.Name(), rec.SourceName())
-
 		switch {
 		case rectype == "MKDIR":
+			display_changelog(rec)
 			mkdir(ctx, mdtname, rec)
 		case rectype == "RMDIR":
+			display_changelog(rec)
 			rmdir(ctx, mdtname, rec)
 		case rectype == "RENME":
+			display_changelog(rec)
 			renme(ctx, mdtname, rec)
 		//case rectype == "XATTR":
 		//	update_metadata(ctx, mdtname, rec)
 		case rectype == "SATTR":
+			display_changelog(rec)
 			update_metadata(ctx, mdtname, rec)
 		case rectype == "LYOUT":
+			display_changelog(rec)
 			update_layout(ctx, mdtname, rec)
 		case rectype == "SLINK":
+			display_changelog(rec)
 			slink(ctx, mdtname, rec)
 		case rectype == "UNLNK":
+			display_changelog(rec)
 			unlnk(ctx, mdtname, rec)
 		default:
-			fmt.Printf("Ignoring %s record.\n", rec.Type())
 			if debug == true {
+				display_changelog(rec)
 				pretty_print_changelog_record(rec)
 			}
 		}