diff --git a/bucket_map/src/bucket_api.rs b/bucket_map/src/bucket_api.rs
index 2ec495ab2..d81b4b52f 100644
--- a/bucket_map/src/bucket_api.rs
+++ b/bucket_map/src/bucket_api.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 use {
     crate::{
         bucket::Bucket, bucket_item::BucketItem, bucket_map::BucketMapError,
-        bucket_stats::BucketMapStats, MaxSearch, RefCount,
+        bucket_stats::BucketMapStats, restart::RestartableBucket, MaxSearch, RefCount,
     },
     solana_sdk::pubkey::Pubkey,
     std::{
@@ -23,6 +23,11 @@ pub struct BucketApi<T: Clone + Copy + PartialEq + 'static> {
 
     bucket: LockedBucket<T>,
     count: Arc<AtomicU64>,
+
+    /// keeps track of which index file this bucket is currently using
+    /// or at startup, which bucket file this bucket should initially use
+    #[allow(dead_code)]
+    restartable_bucket: RestartableBucket,
 }
 
 impl<T: Clone + Copy + PartialEq + std::fmt::Debug> BucketApi<T> {
@@ -30,6 +35,7 @@ impl<T: Clone + Copy + PartialEq + std::fmt::Debug> BucketApi<T> {
         drives: Arc<Vec<PathBuf>>,
         max_search: MaxSearch,
         stats: Arc<BucketMapStats>,
+        restartable_bucket: RestartableBucket,
     ) -> Self {
         Self {
             drives,
@@ -37,6 +43,7 @@ impl<T: Clone + Copy + PartialEq + std::fmt::Debug> BucketApi<T> {
             stats,
             bucket: RwLock::default(),
             count: Arc::default(),
+            restartable_bucket,
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/bucket_map/src/bucket_map.rs b/bucket_map/src/bucket_map.rs
index 2adeefdcc..4f6e177c5 100644
--- a/bucket_map/src/bucket_map.rs
+++ b/bucket_map/src/bucket_map.rs
@@ -1,9 +1,17 @@
 //! BucketMap is a mostly contention free concurrent map backed by MmapMut
 
 use {
-    crate::{bucket_api::BucketApi, bucket_stats::BucketMapStats, MaxSearch, RefCount},
+    crate::{
+        bucket_api::BucketApi, bucket_stats::BucketMapStats, restart::Restart, MaxSearch, RefCount,
+    },
     solana_sdk::pubkey::Pubkey,
-    std::{convert::TryInto, fmt::Debug, fs, path::PathBuf, sync::Arc},
+    std::{
+        convert::TryInto,
+        fmt::Debug,
+        fs::{self},
+        path::PathBuf,
+        sync::{Arc, Mutex},
+    },
     tempfile::TempDir,
 };
 
@@ -83,6 +91,11 @@ impl<T: Clone + Copy + Debug + PartialEq> BucketMap<T> {
         if let Some(drives) = config.drives.as_ref() {
             Self::erase_previous_drives(drives);
         }
+
+        let stats = Arc::default();
+
+        let restart = Restart::new(&config);
+
         let mut temp_dir = None;
         let drives = config.drives.unwrap_or_else(|| {
             temp_dir = Some(TempDir::new().unwrap());
@@ -90,13 +103,19 @@ impl<T: Clone + Copy + Debug + PartialEq> BucketMap<T> {
         });
         let drives = Arc::new(drives);
 
-        let stats = Arc::default();
-        let buckets = (0..config.max_buckets)
-            .map(|_| {
+        let restart = restart.map(|restart| Arc::new(Mutex::new(restart)));
+
+        let restartable_buckets =
+            Restart::get_restartable_buckets(restart.as_ref(), &drives, config.max_buckets);
+
+        let buckets = restartable_buckets
+            .into_iter()
+            .map(|restartable_bucket| {
                 Arc::new(BucketApi::new(
                     Arc::clone(&drives),
                     max_search,
                     Arc::clone(&stats),
+                    restartable_bucket,
                 ))
             })
             .collect();