diff --git a/src/backend/src/filesystem/hl_operations/hl_stat.js b/src/backend/src/filesystem/hl_operations/hl_stat.js
index 5fa321e1..53419aea 100644
--- a/src/backend/src/filesystem/hl_operations/hl_stat.js
+++ b/src/backend/src/filesystem/hl_operations/hl_stat.js
@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@ class HLStat extends HLFilesystemOperation {
         const {
             subject, user,
             return_subdomains,
-            return_permissions,
+            return_permissions, // Deprecated: kept for backwards compatiable with `return_shares`
+            return_shares,
             return_versions,
             return_size,
         } = this.values;
@@ -55,8 +56,7 @@ class HLStat extends HLFilesystemOperation {
 
         if (return_size) await subject.fetchSize(user);
         if (return_subdomains) await subject.fetchSubdomains(user)
-        if (return_permissions) {
-            subject.entry.permissions = [];
+        if (return_shares || return_permissions) {
             await subject.fetchShares();
         }
         if (return_versions) await subject.fetchVersions();
diff --git a/src/backend/src/routers/filesystem_api/stat.js b/src/backend/src/routers/filesystem_api/stat.js
index 6680714b..8c0501b0 100644
--- a/src/backend/src/routers/filesystem_api/stat.js
+++ b/src/backend/src/routers/filesystem_api/stat.js
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ module.exports = eggspress('/stat', {
         user: req.user,
         return_subdomains: req.body.return_subdomains,
         return_permissions: req.body.return_permissions,
+        return_shares: req.body.return_shares,
         return_versions: req.body.return_versions,
         return_size: req.body.return_size,
     });
diff --git a/tools/api-tester/tests/stat.js b/tools/api-tester/tests/stat.js
index 46038454..41f8c6c6 100644
--- a/tools/api-tester/tests/stat.js
+++ b/tools/api-tester/tests/stat.js
@@ -46,7 +46,23 @@ module.exports = {
             expect(threw).true;
         });
 
-        const flags = ['permissions', 'versions'];
+        await t.case('stat with versions', async () => {
+            result = await t.stat(TEST_FILENAME, {
+                return_versions: true,
+                });
+
+                await verify_fsentry(t, result);
+                await t.case('filename is correct', () => {
+                     expect(result.name).equal(`test_stat.txt`);
+                });
+            await t.case(`result has versions array`, () => {
+                expect(Array.isArray(result.versions)).true;
+            });
+        })
+
+        // Backend should return 'shares' field when 'return_shares' is true. And
+        // the backwards compatiable of `return_permissions` is also tested here.
+        const flags = ['shares', 'permissions'];
         for ( const flag of flags ) {
             await t.case('stat with ' + flag, async () => {
                 result = await t.stat(TEST_FILENAME, {
@@ -57,8 +73,10 @@ module.exports = {
                 await t.case('filename is correct', () => {
                     expect(result.name).equal(`test_stat.txt`);
                 });
-                await t.case(`result has ${flag} array`, () => {
-                    expect(Array.isArray(result[flag])).true;
+                await t.case(`result has shares (apps and users)`, () => {
+                    expect('shares' in result).true;
+                    expect(Array.isArray(result['shares']['users'])).true;
+                    expect(Array.isArray(result['shares']['apps'])).true;
                 });
             })
         }