diff --git a/src/dbnode/storage/index/mutable_segments.go b/src/dbnode/storage/index/mutable_segments.go
index bb88142895..681923b818 100644
--- a/src/dbnode/storage/index/mutable_segments.go
+++ b/src/dbnode/storage/index/mutable_segments.go
@@ -188,11 +188,21 @@ func (m *mutableSegments) NotifySealedBlocks(
 	}
 
 	m.Lock()
+	updated := false
 	for _, blockStart := range sealed {
+		_, exists := m.sealedBlockStarts[blockStart]
+		if exists {
+			continue
+		}
 		m.sealedBlockStarts[blockStart] = struct{}{}
+		updated = true
+	}
+	if updated {
+		// Only trigger background compact GC if
+		// and only if updated the sealed block starts.
+		m.backgroundCompactGCPending = true
+		m.maybeBackgroundCompactWithLock()
 	}
-	m.backgroundCompactGCPending = true
-	m.maybeBackgroundCompactWithLock()
 	m.Unlock()
 
 	return nil
@@ -445,6 +455,7 @@ func (m *mutableSegments) maybeBackgroundCompactWithLock() {
 	}
 
 	var (
+		gcRequired        = false
 		gcPlan            = &compaction.Plan{}
 		gcAlreadyRunning  = m.compact.compactingBackgroundGarbageCollect
 		sealedBlockStarts = make(map[xtime.UnixNano]struct{}, len(m.sealedBlockStarts))
@@ -455,6 +466,7 @@ func (m *mutableSegments) maybeBackgroundCompactWithLock() {
 		sealedBlockStarts[k] = v
 	}
 	if !gcAlreadyRunning && m.backgroundCompactGCPending {
+		gcRequired = true
 		m.backgroundCompactGCPending = false
 
 		for _, seg := range m.backgroundSegments {
@@ -503,7 +515,7 @@ func (m *mutableSegments) maybeBackgroundCompactWithLock() {
 		m.compact.compactingBackgroundStandard = true
 		go func() {
 			m.backgroundCompactWithPlan(plan, m.compact.backgroundCompactors,
-				sealedBlockStarts)
+				gcRequired, sealedBlockStarts)
 
 			m.Lock()
 			m.compact.compactingBackgroundStandard = false
@@ -523,7 +535,7 @@ func (m *mutableSegments) maybeBackgroundCompactWithLock() {
 				})
 			} else {
 				m.backgroundCompactWithPlan(gcPlan, compactors,
-					sealedBlockStarts)
+					gcRequired, sealedBlockStarts)
 				m.closeCompactors(compactors)
 			}
 
@@ -593,6 +605,7 @@ func (m *mutableSegments) closeCompactedSegmentsWithLock(segments []*readableSeg
 func (m *mutableSegments) backgroundCompactWithPlan(
 	plan *compaction.Plan,
 	compactors chan *compaction.Compactor,
+	gcRequired bool,
 	sealedBlocks map[xtime.UnixNano]struct{},
 ) {
 	sw := m.metrics.backgroundCompactionPlanRunLatency.Start()
@@ -629,7 +642,7 @@ func (m *mutableSegments) backgroundCompactWithPlan(
 				compactors <- compactor
 				wg.Done()
 			}()
-			err := m.backgroundCompactWithTask(task, compactor,
+			err := m.backgroundCompactWithTask(task, compactor, gcRequired,
 				sealedBlocks, log, logger.With(zap.Int("task", i)))
 			if err != nil {
 				instrument.EmitAndLogInvariantViolation(m.iopts, func(l *zap.Logger) {
@@ -656,6 +669,7 @@ func (m *mutableSegments) newReadThroughSegment(seg fst.Segment) segment.Segment
 func (m *mutableSegments) backgroundCompactWithTask(
 	task compaction.Task,
 	compactor *compaction.Compactor,
+	gcRequired bool,
 	sealedBlocks map[xtime.UnixNano]struct{},
 	log bool,
 	logger *zap.Logger,
@@ -669,9 +683,10 @@ func (m *mutableSegments) backgroundCompactWithTask(
 		segments = append(segments, seg.Segment)
 	}
 
-	start := time.Now()
-	compacted, err := compactor.Compact(segments,
-		segment.DocumentsFilterFn(func(d doc.Document) bool {
+	var documentsFilter segment.DocumentsFilter
+	if gcRequired {
+		// Only actively filter out documents if GC is required.
+		documentsFilter = segment.DocumentsFilterFn(func(d doc.Document) bool {
 			// Filter out any documents that only were indexed for
 			// sealed blocks.
 			if d.Ref == nil {
@@ -691,7 +706,11 @@ func (m *mutableSegments) backgroundCompactWithTask(
 			// Keep the series if and only if there are remaining
 			// index block starts outside of the sealed blocks starts.
 			return result.IndexedBlockStartsRemaining > 0
-		}),
+		})
+	}
+
+	start := time.Now()
+	compacted, err := compactor.Compact(segments, documentsFilter,
 		m.metrics.activeBlockGarbageCollectSeries,
 		mmap.ReporterOptions{
 			Context: mmap.Context{
diff --git a/src/m3ninx/index/segment/builder/multi_segments_terms_iter.go b/src/m3ninx/index/segment/builder/multi_segments_terms_iter.go
index 5c40542ab7..f05a2fb203 100644
--- a/src/m3ninx/index/segment/builder/multi_segments_terms_iter.go
+++ b/src/m3ninx/index/segment/builder/multi_segments_terms_iter.go
@@ -161,10 +161,19 @@ func (i *termsIterFromSegments) Next() bool {
 		)
 		for iter.Next() {
 			curr := iter.Current()
+			factor := 2
+			// First do exponential skipping.
+			for len(skip) >= factor && curr > skip[factor-1] {
+				skip = skip[factor:]
+				negativeOffset += postings.ID(factor)
+				factor *= 2
+			}
+			// Then linear.
 			for len(skip) > 0 && curr > skip[0] {
 				skip = skip[1:]
 				negativeOffset++
 			}
+			// Then skip the individual if matches.
 			if len(skip) > 0 && curr == skip[0] {
 				skip = skip[1:]
 				negativeOffset++