diff --git a/include/providers/encrypt/encrypt_provider.hpp b/include/providers/encrypt/encrypt_provider.hpp
index dfc3c027..a707dad7 100644
--- a/include/providers/encrypt/encrypt_provider.hpp
+++ b/include/providers/encrypt/encrypt_provider.hpp
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ public:
   }
 
   [[nodiscard]] auto start(api_item_added_callback api_item_added,
-                           i_file_manager *fm) -> bool override;
+                           i_file_manager *mgr) -> bool override;
 
   void stop() override;
 
diff --git a/include/providers/i_provider.hpp b/include/providers/i_provider.hpp
index 7c981f22..239dd23b 100644
--- a/include/providers/i_provider.hpp
+++ b/include/providers/i_provider.hpp
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ public:
       -> api_error = 0;
 
   [[nodiscard]] virtual auto start(api_item_added_callback api_item_added,
-                                   i_file_manager *fm) -> bool = 0;
+                                   i_file_manager *mgr) -> bool = 0;
 
   virtual void stop() = 0;
 
diff --git a/include/providers/s3/s3_provider.hpp b/include/providers/s3/s3_provider.hpp
index f5ce8b17..2ff78853 100644
--- a/include/providers/s3/s3_provider.hpp
+++ b/include/providers/s3/s3_provider.hpp
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ public:
       -> api_error override;
 
   [[nodiscard]] auto start(api_item_added_callback api_item_added,
-                           i_file_manager *fm) -> bool override;
+                           i_file_manager *mgr) -> bool override;
 
   void stop() override;
 
diff --git a/include/providers/sia/sia_provider.hpp b/include/providers/sia/sia_provider.hpp
index 45cada5c..6acde062 100644
--- a/include/providers/sia/sia_provider.hpp
+++ b/include/providers/sia/sia_provider.hpp
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ public:
       -> api_error override;
 
   [[nodiscard]] auto start(api_item_added_callback api_item_added,
-                           i_file_manager *fm) -> bool override;
+                           i_file_manager *mgr) -> bool override;
 
   void stop() override;
 
diff --git a/src/providers/encrypt/encrypt_provider.cpp b/src/providers/encrypt/encrypt_provider.cpp
index 77dead5c..bdc6117e 100644
--- a/src/providers/encrypt/encrypt_provider.cpp
+++ b/src/providers/encrypt/encrypt_provider.cpp
@@ -763,7 +763,7 @@ void encrypt_provider::remove_deleted_files() {
 }
 
 auto encrypt_provider::start(api_item_added_callback /*api_item_added*/,
-                             i_file_manager * /*fm*/) -> bool {
+                             i_file_manager * /*mgr*/) -> bool {
   if (not is_online()) {
     return false;
   }
diff --git a/src/providers/s3/s3_provider.cpp b/src/providers/s3/s3_provider.cpp
index 3f26e540..b7d357a5 100644
--- a/src/providers/s3/s3_provider.cpp
+++ b/src/providers/s3/s3_provider.cpp
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 #include "types/s3.hpp"
 #include "types/startup_exception.hpp"
 #include "utils/encryption.hpp"
+#include "utils/encrypting_reader.hpp"
 #include "utils/error_utils.hpp"
 #include "utils/file_utils.hpp"
 #include "utils/path_utils.hpp"
@@ -398,7 +399,60 @@ auto s3_provider::get_api_path_from_source(const std::string &source_path,
 
 auto s3_provider::get_directory_item_count(const std::string &api_path) const
     -> std::uint64_t {
-  // TODO implement this
+  try {
+    const auto cfg = config_.get_s3_config();
+    const auto is_encrypted = not cfg.encryption_token.empty();
+    std::string key;
+    if (is_encrypted) {
+      auto res = get_item_meta(api_path, META_KEY, key);
+      if (res != api_error::success) {
+        return 0U;
+      }
+    }
+
+    const auto object_name =
+        api_path == "/"
+            ? ""
+            : utils::path::create_api_path(is_encrypted ? key : api_path);
+
+    std::string response_data{};
+    long response_code{};
+    auto prefix = object_name.empty() ? object_name : object_name + "/";
+
+    if (not get_object_list(comm_, config_.get_s3_config(), response_data,
+                            response_code, "/", prefix)) {
+      return 0U;
+    }
+
+    if (response_code == http_error_codes::not_found) {
+      return 0U;
+    }
+
+    if (response_code != http_error_codes::ok) {
+      return 0U;
+    }
+
+    pugi::xml_document doc;
+    auto res = doc.load_string(response_data.c_str());
+    if (res.status != pugi::xml_parse_status::status_ok) {
+      return 0U;
+    }
+
+    auto node_list =
+        doc.select_nodes("/ListBucketResult/CommonPrefixes/Prefix");
+    std::uint64_t ret = node_list.size();
+
+    node_list = doc.select_nodes("/ListBucketResult/Contents");
+    ret += node_list.size();
+    if (not prefix.empty()) {
+      --ret;
+    }
+
+    return ret;
+  } catch (const std::exception &e) {
+    utils::error::raise_error(__FUNCTION__, e, "exception occurred");
+  }
+
   return 0U;
 }
 
@@ -469,16 +523,25 @@ auto s3_provider::get_directory_items(const std::string &api_path,
       if (res == api_error::item_not_found) {
         if (directory) {
           res = create_path_directories(child_api_path, child_object_name);
+          if (res != api_error::success) {
+            return res;
+          }
         } else {
           auto file =
               create_api_file(child_api_path, child_object_name, dir_item.size);
           res = add_if_not_found(file, child_object_name);
+          if (res != api_error::success) {
+            return res;
+          }
         }
+
+        res = get_item_meta(child_api_path, dir_item.meta);
       }
 
       if (res != api_error::success) {
         return res;
       }
+
       list.push_back(std::move(dir_item));
       return api_error::success;
     };
@@ -1309,12 +1372,12 @@ auto s3_provider::set_item_meta(const std::string &api_path,
 }
 
 auto s3_provider::start(api_item_added_callback api_item_added,
-                        i_file_manager *fm) -> bool {
+                        i_file_manager *mgr) -> bool {
   event_system::instance().raise<service_started>("s3_provider");
   utils::db::create_rocksdb(config_, DB_NAME, db_);
 
   api_item_added_ = api_item_added;
-  fm_ = fm;
+  fm_ = mgr;
 
   api_meta_map meta{};
   if (get_item_meta("/", meta) == api_error::item_not_found) {
diff --git a/src/providers/sia/sia_provider.cpp b/src/providers/sia/sia_provider.cpp
index ade2193f..a283f735 100644
--- a/src/providers/sia/sia_provider.cpp
+++ b/src/providers/sia/sia_provider.cpp
@@ -1242,12 +1242,12 @@ auto sia_provider::set_item_meta(const std::string &api_path,
 }
 
 auto sia_provider::start(api_item_added_callback api_item_added,
-                         i_file_manager *fm) -> bool {
+                         i_file_manager *mgr) -> bool {
   event_system::instance().raise<service_started>("sia_provider");
   utils::db::create_rocksdb(config_, DB_NAME, db_);
 
   api_item_added_ = api_item_added;
-  fm_ = fm;
+  fm_ = mgr;
 
   api_meta_map meta{};
   if (get_item_meta("/", meta) == api_error::item_not_found) {