diff --git a/tempodb/backend/gcs/gcs.go b/tempodb/backend/gcs/gcs.go
index 90297a2738d..32871d53426 100644
--- a/tempodb/backend/gcs/gcs.go
+++ b/tempodb/backend/gcs/gcs.go
@@ -132,6 +132,10 @@ func (rw *readerWriter) Append(ctx context.Context, name string, blockID uuid.UU
 
 // CloseAppend implements backend.Writer
 func (rw *readerWriter) CloseAppend(_ context.Context, tracker backend.AppendTracker) error {
+	if tracker == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	w := tracker.(*storage.Writer)
 	return w.Close()
 }
diff --git a/tempodb/backend/local/local.go b/tempodb/backend/local/local.go
index f0022f9fea3..1c71bc2d254 100644
--- a/tempodb/backend/local/local.go
+++ b/tempodb/backend/local/local.go
@@ -112,6 +112,10 @@ func (rw *readerWriter) Append(ctx context.Context, name string, blockID uuid.UU
 
 // CloseAppend implements backend.Writer
 func (rw *readerWriter) CloseAppend(ctx context.Context, tracker backend.AppendTracker) error {
+	if tracker == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	var dst *os.File = tracker.(*os.File)
 	return dst.Close()
 }
diff --git a/tempodb/backend/s3/s3.go b/tempodb/backend/s3/s3.go
index 4e3b7cb378b..875067ae86e 100644
--- a/tempodb/backend/s3/s3.go
+++ b/tempodb/backend/s3/s3.go
@@ -226,6 +226,10 @@ func (rw *readerWriter) Append(ctx context.Context, name string, blockID uuid.UU
 
 // CloseAppend implements backend.Writer
 func (rw *readerWriter) CloseAppend(ctx context.Context, tracker backend.AppendTracker) error {
+	if tracker == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	a := tracker.(appendTracker)
 	completeParts := make([]minio.CompletePart, 0)
 	for _, p := range a.parts {
diff --git a/tempodb/encoding/compactor_block.go b/tempodb/encoding/compactor_block.go
index 6431add9c24..611523fd282 100644
--- a/tempodb/encoding/compactor_block.go
+++ b/tempodb/encoding/compactor_block.go
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ func (c *CompactorBlock) Complete(ctx context.Context, tracker backend.AppendTra
 	}
 
 	// one final flush
-	_, bytesFlushed, err := c.FlushBuffer(ctx, tracker, w)
+	tracker, bytesFlushed, err := c.FlushBuffer(ctx, tracker, w)
 	if err != nil {
 		return 0, err
 	}