diff --git a/db/builder.cc b/db/builder.cc
index 5d2eaaa0e..00d78de77 100644
--- a/db/builder.cc
+++ b/db/builder.cc
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ Status BuildTable(
   assert(fs);
 
   TableProperties tp;
+  bool table_file_created = false;
   if (iter->Valid() || !range_del_agg->IsEmpty()) {
     std::unique_ptr<CompactionFilter> compaction_filter;
     if (ioptions.compaction_filter_factory != nullptr &&
@@ -158,6 +159,8 @@ Status BuildTable(
             file_checksum_func_name);
         return s;
       }
+
+      table_file_created = true;
       FileTypeSet tmp_set = ioptions.checksum_handoff_file_types;
       file->SetIOPriority(io_priority);
       file->SetWriteLifeTimeHint(write_hint);
@@ -371,15 +374,17 @@ Status BuildTable(
 
     constexpr IODebugContext* dbg = nullptr;
 
-    Status ignored = fs->DeleteFile(fname, IOOptions(), dbg);
-    ignored.PermitUncheckedError();
+    if (table_file_created) {
+      Status ignored = fs->DeleteFile(fname, IOOptions(), dbg);
+      ignored.PermitUncheckedError();
+    }
 
     assert(blob_file_additions || blob_file_paths.empty());
 
     if (blob_file_additions) {
       for (const std::string& blob_file_path : blob_file_paths) {
-        ignored = DeleteDBFile(&db_options, blob_file_path, dbname,
-                               /*force_bg=*/false, /*force_fg=*/false);
+        Status ignored = DeleteDBFile(&db_options, blob_file_path, dbname,
+                                      /*force_bg=*/false, /*force_fg=*/false);
         ignored.PermitUncheckedError();
         TEST_SYNC_POINT("BuildTable::AfterDeleteFile");
       }
diff --git a/db/db_sst_test.cc b/db/db_sst_test.cc
index fac924d31..9248814c8 100644
--- a/db/db_sst_test.cc
+++ b/db/db_sst_test.cc
@@ -280,6 +280,58 @@ TEST_F(DBSSTTest, DeleteObsoleteFilesPendingOutputs) {
   listener->VerifyMatchedCount(1);
 }
 
+// Test that producing an empty .sst file does not write it out to
+// disk, and that the DeleteFile() env method is not called for
+// removing the non-existing file later.
+TEST_F(DBSSTTest, DeleteFileNotCalledForNotCreatedSSTFile) {
+  Options options = CurrentOptions();
+  options.env = env_;
+
+  OnFileDeletionListener* listener = new OnFileDeletionListener();
+  options.listeners.emplace_back(listener);
+
+  Reopen(options);
+
+  // Flush the empty database.
+  ASSERT_OK(Flush());
+  ASSERT_EQ("", FilesPerLevel(0));
+
+  // We expect no .sst files.
+  std::vector<LiveFileMetaData> metadata;
+  db_->GetLiveFilesMetaData(&metadata);
+  ASSERT_EQ(metadata.size(), 0U);
+
+  // We expect no file deletions.
+  listener->VerifyMatchedCount(0);
+}
+
+// Test that producing a non-empty .sst file does write it out to
+// disk, and that the DeleteFile() env method is not called for removing
+// the file later.
+TEST_F(DBSSTTest, DeleteFileNotCalledForCreatedSSTFile) {
+  Options options = CurrentOptions();
+  options.env = env_;
+
+  OnFileDeletionListener* listener = new OnFileDeletionListener();
+  options.listeners.emplace_back(listener);
+
+  Reopen(options);
+
+  ASSERT_OK(Put("pika", "choo"));
+
+  // Flush the non-empty database.
+  ASSERT_OK(Flush());
+  ASSERT_EQ("1", FilesPerLevel(0));
+
+  // We expect 1 .sst files.
+  std::vector<LiveFileMetaData> metadata;
+  db_->GetLiveFilesMetaData(&metadata);
+  ASSERT_EQ(metadata.size(), 1U);
+
+  // We expect no file deletions.
+  listener->VerifyMatchedCount(0);
+}
+
 TEST_F(DBSSTTest, DBWithSstFileManager) {
   std::shared_ptr<SstFileManager> sst_file_manager(NewSstFileManager(env_));
   auto sfm = static_cast<SstFileManagerImpl*>(sst_file_manager.get());