diff --git a/kmod/src/server.c b/kmod/src/server.c
index 46d50b54..2593ef1a 100644
--- a/kmod/src/server.c
+++ b/kmod/src/server.c
@@ -1966,9 +1966,7 @@ static int server_srch_get_compact(struct super_block *sb,
 	ret = scoutfs_srch_get_compact(sb, &server->alloc, &server->wri,
 				       &super->srch_root, rid, sc);
 	mutex_unlock(&server->srch_mutex);
-	if (ret == 0 && sc->nr == 0)
-		ret = -ENOENT;
-	if (ret < 0)
+	if (ret < 0 || (ret == 0 && sc->nr == 0))
 		goto apply;
 
 	mutex_lock(&server->alloc_mutex);
diff --git a/kmod/src/srch.c b/kmod/src/srch.c
index 36385ad9..49eb27b7 100644
--- a/kmod/src/srch.c
+++ b/kmod/src/srch.c
@@ -2179,7 +2179,7 @@ out:
 
 	scoutfs_block_writer_forget_all(sb, &wri);
 	if (!atomic_read(&srinf->shutdown)) {
-		delay = ret == 0 ? 0 : msecs_to_jiffies(SRCH_COMPACT_DELAY_MS);
+		delay = (sc->nr > 0 && ret == 0) ? 0 : msecs_to_jiffies(SRCH_COMPACT_DELAY_MS);
 		queue_delayed_work(srinf->workq, &srinf->compact_dwork, delay);
 	}