diff --git a/replica/database.hh b/replica/database.hh
index 3e16c29dbd..badf1ba6eb 100644
--- a/replica/database.hh
+++ b/replica/database.hh
@@ -409,9 +409,9 @@ private:
 
     compaction_manager& _compaction_manager;
     sstables::compaction_strategy _compaction_strategy;
-    // TODO: Still holds a single compaction group, meaning all sstables are eligible to be compacted with one another. Soon, a table
-    //  will be able to hold more than one group.
-    std::unique_ptr<compaction_group> _compaction_group;
+    std::vector<std::unique_ptr<compaction_group>> _compaction_groups;
+    // FIXME: will be removed once the last ref to single compaction group is gone.
+    compaction_group* _compaction_group;
     // Compound SSTable set for all the compaction groups, which is useful for operations spanning all of them.
     lw_shared_ptr<sstables::sstable_set> _sstables;
     // Control background fibers waiting for sstables to be deleted
@@ -526,6 +526,7 @@ public:
                        const std::vector<sstables::shared_sstable>& old_sstables);
     };
 private:
+    std::vector<std::unique_ptr<compaction_group>> make_compaction_groups();
     // Return compaction group if table owns a single one. Otherwise, null is returned.
     compaction_group* single_compaction_group_if_available() const noexcept;
     // Select a compaction group from a given token.
diff --git a/replica/table.cc b/replica/table.cc
index cef32bdfb8..94fcd1a507 100644
--- a/replica/table.cc
+++ b/replica/table.cc
@@ -472,6 +472,12 @@ void table::enable_off_strategy_trigger() {
     do_update_off_strategy_trigger();
 }
 
+std::vector<std::unique_ptr<compaction_group>> table::make_compaction_groups() {
+    std::vector<std::unique_ptr<compaction_group>> ret;
+    ret.emplace_back(std::make_unique<compaction_group>(*this));
+    return ret;
+}
+
 compaction_group* table::single_compaction_group_if_available() const noexcept {
     return &*_compaction_group;
 }
@@ -1324,7 +1330,8 @@ table::table(schema_ptr schema, config config, db::commitlog* cl, compaction_man
                         )
     , _compaction_manager(compaction_manager)
     , _compaction_strategy(make_compaction_strategy(_schema->compaction_strategy(), _schema->compaction_strategy_options()))
-    , _compaction_group(std::make_unique<compaction_group>(*this))
+    , _compaction_groups(make_compaction_groups())
+    , _compaction_group(_compaction_groups.front().get())
     , _sstables(make_compound_sstable_set())
     , _cache(_schema, sstables_as_snapshot_source(), row_cache_tracker, is_continuous::yes)
     , _commitlog(cl)
diff --git a/scylla-gdb.py b/scylla-gdb.py
index 375a4fb390..e23d41a1cc 100755
--- a/scylla-gdb.py
+++ b/scylla-gdb.py
@@ -4209,9 +4209,13 @@ class scylla_memtables(gdb.Command):
         for table in all_tables(db):
             gdb.write('table %s:\n' % schema_ptr(table['_schema']).table_name())
             try:
-                scylla_memtables.dump_compaction_group_memtables(std_unique_ptr(table["_compaction_group"]).get())
+                for cg_ptr in std_vector(table["_compaction_groups"]):
+                    scylla_memtables.dump_compaction_group_memtables(std_unique_ptr(cg_ptr).get())
             except gdb.error:
-                scylla_memtables.dump_memtable_list(seastar_lw_shared_ptr(table['_memtables']).get()) # Scylla 5.1 compatibility
+                try:
+                    scylla_memtables.dump_compaction_group_memtables(std_unique_ptr(table["_compaction_group"]).get())
+                except gdb.error:
+                    scylla_memtables.dump_memtable_list(seastar_lw_shared_ptr(table['_memtables']).get()) # Scylla 5.1 compatibility
 
 def escape_html(s):
     return s.replace('&', '&amp;').replace('<', '&lt;').replace('>', '&gt;')