diff --git a/sstables/compaction_manager.cc b/sstables/compaction_manager.cc
index fb05f126f5..4f0b12eb67 100644
--- a/sstables/compaction_manager.cc
+++ b/sstables/compaction_manager.cc
@@ -673,13 +673,15 @@ future<> compaction_manager::rewrite_sstables(column_family* cf, sstables::compa
                 compacting->release_compacting(exhausted_sstables);
             };
 
-            _stats.pending_tasks--;
-            _stats.active_tasks++;
-            task->compaction_running = true;
-            compaction_backlog_tracker user_initiated(std::make_unique<user_initiated_backlog_tracker>(_compaction_controller.backlog_of_shares(200), _available_memory));
-            return do_with(std::move(user_initiated), [this, &cf, descriptor = std::move(descriptor)] (compaction_backlog_tracker& bt) mutable {
-                return with_scheduling_group(_scheduling_group, [this, &cf, descriptor = std::move(descriptor)] () mutable {
-                    return cf.run_compaction(std::move(descriptor));
+            return with_semaphore(_rewrite_sstables_sem, 1, [this, task, &cf, descriptor = std::move(descriptor)] () mutable {
+                _stats.pending_tasks--;
+                _stats.active_tasks++;
+                task->compaction_running = true;
+                compaction_backlog_tracker user_initiated(std::make_unique<user_initiated_backlog_tracker>(_compaction_controller.backlog_of_shares(200), _available_memory));
+                return do_with(std::move(user_initiated), [this, &cf, descriptor = std::move(descriptor)] (compaction_backlog_tracker& bt) mutable {
+                    return with_scheduling_group(_scheduling_group, [this, &cf, descriptor = std::move(descriptor)]() mutable {
+                        return cf.run_compaction(std::move(descriptor));
+                    });
                 });
             }).then_wrapped([this, task, compacting] (future<> f) mutable {
                 task->compaction_running = false;
diff --git a/sstables/compaction_manager.hh b/sstables/compaction_manager.hh
index e499bbbabc..8193e8ef17 100644
--- a/sstables/compaction_manager.hh
+++ b/sstables/compaction_manager.hh
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ private:
     std::unordered_map<column_family*, rwlock> _compaction_locks;
 
     semaphore _custom_job_sem{1};
+    seastar::named_semaphore _rewrite_sstables_sem = {1, named_semaphore_exception_factory{"rewrite sstables"}};
 
     std::function<void()> compaction_submission_callback();
     // all registered column families are submitted for compaction at a constant interval.