diff --git a/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/decomposedfs.go b/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/decomposedfs.go
index 4803cd2d9f4..feb5ac87fca 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/decomposedfs.go
+++ b/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/decomposedfs.go
@@ -146,14 +146,12 @@ func (fs *Decomposedfs) Shutdown(ctx context.Context) error {
 // TODO Document in the cs3 should we return quota or free space?
 func (fs *Decomposedfs) GetQuota(ctx context.Context, ref *provider.Reference) (total uint64, inUse uint64, err error) {
 	var n *node.Node
-	if ref != nil {
-		if n, err = fs.lu.NodeFromResource(ctx, ref); err != nil {
-			return 0, 0, err
-		}
-	} else {
-		if n, err = fs.lu.RootNode(ctx); err != nil {
-			return 0, 0, err
-		}
+	if ref == nil {
+		err = errtypes.BadRequest("no space given")
+		return 0, 0, err
+	}
+	if n, err = fs.lu.NodeFromResource(ctx, ref); err != nil {
+		return 0, 0, err
 	}
 
 	if !n.Exists {
diff --git a/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/lookup/lookup.go b/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/lookup/lookup.go
index 6fa1488a749..1ed4482ba82 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/lookup/lookup.go
+++ b/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/lookup/lookup.go
@@ -127,13 +127,6 @@ func (lu *Lookup) Path(ctx context.Context, n *node.Node) (p string, err error)
 	return
 }
 
-// RootNode returns the root node of the storage
-func (lu *Lookup) RootNode(ctx context.Context) (*node.Node, error) {
-	n := node.New(node.NoSpaceID, node.RootID, "", "", 0, "", nil, lu)
-	n.Exists = true
-	return n, nil
-}
-
 // WalkPath calls n.Child(segment) on every path segment in p starting at the node r.
 // If a function f is given it will be executed for every segment node, but not the root node r.
 // If followReferences is given the current visited reference node is replaced by the referenced node.
diff --git a/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/node/locks_test.go b/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/node/locks_test.go
index d86c677ad29..08ca26f87c8 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/node/locks_test.go
+++ b/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/node/locks_test.go
@@ -68,8 +68,8 @@ var _ = Describe("Node locks", func() {
 			User:   env.Owner.Id,
 			LockId: uuid.New().String(),
 		}
-		n = node.New("tobelockedid", "", "tobelocked", 10, "", env.Owner.Id, env.Lookup)
-		n2 = node.New("neverlockedid", "", "neverlocked", 10, "", env.Owner.Id, env.Lookup)
+		n = node.New("spaceid", "tobelockedid", "", "tobelocked", 10, "", env.Owner.Id, env.Lookup)
+		n2 = node.New("spaceid", "neverlockedid", "", "neverlocked", 10, "", env.Owner.Id, env.Lookup)
 	})
 
 	AfterEach(func() {
diff --git a/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/node/node.go b/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/node/node.go
index 031075a5479..40395ca1d56 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/node/node.go
+++ b/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/node/node.go
@@ -87,8 +87,6 @@ type Node struct {
 
 // PathLookup defines the interface for the lookup component
 type PathLookup interface {
-	RootNode(ctx context.Context) (node *Node, err error)
-
 	InternalRoot() string
 	InternalPath(spaceID, nodeID string) string
 	Path(ctx context.Context, n *Node) (path string, err error)
@@ -660,19 +658,8 @@ func (n *Node) AsResourceInfo(ctx context.Context, rp *provider.ResourcePermissi
 	}
 	// quota
 	if _, ok := mdKeysMap[QuotaKey]; (nodeType == provider.ResourceType_RESOURCE_TYPE_CONTAINER) && returnAllKeys || ok {
-		var quotaPath string
-		if n.SpaceRoot == nil {
-			root, err := n.lu.RootNode(ctx)
-			if err == nil {
-				quotaPath = root.InternalPath()
-			} else {
-				sublog.Debug().Err(err).Msg("error determining the space root node for quota")
-			}
-		} else {
-			quotaPath = n.SpaceRoot.InternalPath()
-		}
-		if quotaPath != "" {
-			readQuotaIntoOpaque(ctx, quotaPath, ri)
+		if n.SpaceRoot != nil && n.SpaceRoot.InternalPath() != "" {
+			readQuotaIntoOpaque(ctx, n.SpaceRoot.InternalPath(), ri)
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/node/permissions.go b/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/node/permissions.go
index ec0f8c8789c..1d089f71dc7 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/node/permissions.go
+++ b/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/node/permissions.go
@@ -123,10 +123,8 @@ func (p *Permissions) AssemblePermissions(ctx context.Context, n *Node) (ap prov
 		return OwnerPermissions(), nil
 	}
 	// determine root
-	var rn *Node
-	if rn, err = p.lu.RootNode(ctx); err != nil {
-		return NoPermissions(), err
-	}
+
+	rn := n.SpaceRoot
 
 	cn := n
 
diff --git a/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/tree/tree.go b/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/tree/tree.go
index b9744e5278f..2ca2f6950c5 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/tree/tree.go
+++ b/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/tree/tree.go
@@ -60,7 +60,6 @@ type Blobstore interface {
 type PathLookup interface {
 	NodeFromResource(ctx context.Context, ref *provider.Reference) (*node.Node, error)
 	NodeFromID(ctx context.Context, id *provider.ResourceId) (n *node.Node, err error)
-	RootNode(ctx context.Context) (node *node.Node, err error)
 
 	InternalRoot() string
 	InternalPath(spaceID, nodeID string) string
@@ -609,14 +608,7 @@ func (t *Tree) Propagate(ctx context.Context, n *node.Node) (err error) {
 
 	// is propagation enabled for the parent node?
 
-	var root *node.Node
-	if n.SpaceRoot == nil {
-		if root, err = t.lookup.RootNode(ctx); err != nil {
-			return
-		}
-	} else {
-		root = n.SpaceRoot
-	}
+	root := n.SpaceRoot
 
 	// use a sync time and don't rely on the mtime of the current node, as the stat might not change when a rename happened too quickly
 	sTime := time.Now().UTC()
diff --git a/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/upload_test.go b/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/upload_test.go
index 074cd68e96a..87a11ff54c1 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/upload_test.go
+++ b/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/upload_test.go
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cs3org/reva/pkg/errtypes"
 	"github.com/cs3org/reva/pkg/storage"
 	"github.com/cs3org/reva/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs"
+	"github.com/cs3org/reva/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/lookup"
 	"github.com/cs3org/reva/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/mocks"
 	"github.com/cs3org/reva/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/node"
 	"github.com/cs3org/reva/pkg/storage/utils/decomposedfs/options"
@@ -56,7 +57,7 @@ var _ = Describe("File uploads", func() {
 		spaceID string
 
 		o           *options.Options
-		lookup      *decomposedfs.Lookup
+		lookup      *lookup.Lookup
 		permissions *mocks.PermissionsChecker
 		bs          *treemocks.Blobstore
 	)
@@ -94,7 +95,7 @@ var _ = Describe("File uploads", func() {
 			"root": tmpRoot,
 		})
 		Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
-		lookup = &decomposedfs.Lookup{Options: o}
+		lookup = &lookup.Lookup{Options: o}
 		permissions = &mocks.PermissionsChecker{}
 		bs = &treemocks.Blobstore{}
 	})