diff --git a/db/compaction_job.cc b/db/compaction_job.cc
index 22f376f90..d99ab5457 100644
--- a/db/compaction_job.cc
+++ b/db/compaction_job.cc
@@ -854,8 +854,9 @@ void CompactionJob::ProcessKeyValueCompaction(SubcompactionState* sub_compact) {
     // during subcompactions (i.e. if output size, estimated by input size, is
     // going to be 1.2MB and max_output_file_size = 1MB, prefer to have 0.6MB
     // and 0.6MB instead of 1MB and 0.2MB)
-    if (sub_compact->current_output_file_size >=
-        sub_compact->compaction->max_output_file_size()) {
+    if (sub_compact->compaction->output_level() != 0 &&
+        sub_compact->current_output_file_size >=
+            sub_compact->compaction->max_output_file_size()) {
       const Slice* next_key = nullptr;
       if (c_iter->Valid()) {
         next_key = &c_iter->key();