diff --git a/kmod/src/compact.c b/kmod/src/compact.c
index 9bcefa30..56b248a8 100644
--- a/kmod/src/compact.c
+++ b/kmod/src/compact.c
@@ -272,53 +272,21 @@ out:
 	return ret;
 }
 
-/*
- * Walk the input segments for items and append them to the output segment.
- * Items can exist in the input segments but not be written to the output
- * segment, for example if they're deletions.  The output segment can be
- * full.
- *
- * Return -errno if something went wrong, then 1 or 0 indicating items written.
- */
-static int compact_items(struct super_block *sb, struct compact_cursor *curs,
-			 struct scoutfs_segment *seg)
-{
-	struct scoutfs_key_buf item_key;
-	SCOUTFS_DECLARE_KVEC(item_val);
-	int has_next;
-	int ret = 0;
-	u8 flags;
-
-	for (;;) {
-		has_next = next_item(sb, curs, &item_key, item_val, &flags);
-		if (has_next <= 0) {
-			if (has_next < 0)
-				ret = has_next;
-			break;
-
-		}
-
-		if (scoutfs_seg_append_item(sb, seg, &item_key, item_val, flags,
-					     curs->links))
-			ret = 1;
-		else
-			break;
-	}
-
-	return ret;
-}
-
 static int compact_segments(struct super_block *sb,
 			    struct compact_cursor *curs,
 			    struct scoutfs_bio_completion *comp,
 			    struct list_head *results)
 {
+	struct scoutfs_key_buf item_key;
+	SCOUTFS_DECLARE_KVEC(item_val);
 	struct scoutfs_segment *seg;
 	struct compact_seg *cseg;
 	struct compact_seg *upper;
 	struct compact_seg *lower;
 	unsigned next_segno = 0;
+	bool append_filled = false;
 	int ret = 0;
+	u8 flags;
 
 	scoutfs_inc_counter(sb, compact_operations);
 	if (curs->sticky)
@@ -394,6 +362,13 @@ static int compact_segments(struct super_block *sb,
 		if (ret)
 			break;
 
+		if (!append_filled)
+			ret = next_item(sb, curs, &item_key, item_val, &flags);
+		else
+			ret = 1;
+		if (ret <= 0)
+			break;
+
 		/* no cseg keys, manifest update uses seg item keys */
 		cseg = kzalloc(sizeof(struct compact_seg), GFP_NOFS);
 		if (!cseg) {
@@ -411,9 +386,7 @@ static int compact_segments(struct super_block *sb,
 		 * case.
 		 */
 		ret = scoutfs_seg_alloc(sb, cseg->segno, &seg);
-		if (ret == 0)
-			ret = compact_items(sb, curs, seg);
-		if (ret < 1) {
+		if (ret < 0) {
 			next_segno--;
 			curs->segnos[next_segno] = cseg->segno;
 			kfree(cseg);
@@ -436,6 +409,22 @@ static int compact_segments(struct super_block *sb,
 		cseg->seg = seg;
 		list_add_tail(&cseg->entry, results);
 
+		for (;;) {
+			if (!scoutfs_seg_append_item(sb, seg, &item_key, item_val,
+						     flags, curs->links)) {
+				append_filled = true;
+				ret = 0;
+				break;
+			}
+			ret = next_item(sb, curs, &item_key, item_val, &flags);
+			if (ret <= 0) {
+				append_filled = false;
+				break;
+			}
+		}
+		if (ret < 0)
+			break;
+
 		/* start a complete segment write now, we'll wait later */
 		ret = scoutfs_seg_submit_write(sb, seg, comp);
 		if (ret)