diff --git a/src/_h5ai/private/php/core/class-context.php b/src/_h5ai/private/php/core/class-context.php
index 5484f8f9c..076aca46a 100644
--- a/src/_h5ai/private/php/core/class-context.php
+++ b/src/_h5ai/private/php/core/class-context.php
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ public function get_items($href, $what) {
         $folder = Item::get($this, $this->to_path($href), $cache);
 
         // add content of subfolders
-        if ($what >= 2 && $folder !== null) {
+        if ($what >= 3 && $folder !== null) {
             foreach ($folder->get_content($cache) as $item) {
                 $item->get_content($cache);
             }
@@ -191,11 +191,16 @@ public function get_items($href, $what) {
         }
 
         // add content of this folder and all parent folders
-        while ($what >= 1 && $folder !== null) {
+        while ($what >= 2 && $folder !== null) {
             $folder->get_content($cache);
             $folder = $folder->get_parent($cache);
         }
 
+        // only add the requested folder (less fstat overhead)
+        if ($what == 1 && $folder !== null) {
+            $folder->get_content($cache);
+        }
+
         uasort($cache, ['Item', 'cmp']);
         $result = [];
         foreach ($cache as $p => $item) {