diff --git a/server/src/db.rs b/server/src/db.rs
index 32d5ef9a78..91ac425b64 100644
--- a/server/src/db.rs
+++ b/server/src/db.rs
@@ -897,16 +897,27 @@ impl Db {
             let sequenced_entry = Arc::new(sequenced_entry);
 
             // store entry
-            match self.store_sequenced_entry(Arc::clone(&sequenced_entry)) {
-                Ok(_) => {
-                    red_observation.ok();
-                }
-                Err(e) => {
-                    debug!(
-                        ?e,
-                        "Error storing SequencedEntry from write buffer in database"
-                    );
-                    red_observation.error();
+            loop {
+                match self.store_sequenced_entry(Arc::clone(&sequenced_entry)) {
+                    Ok(_) => {
+                        red_observation.ok();
+                        break;
+                    }
+                    Err(Error::HardLimitReached {}) => {
+                        // wait a bit and retry
+                        tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_millis(100)).await;
+                        continue;
+                    }
+                    Err(e) => {
+                        debug!(
+                            ?e,
+                            "Error storing SequencedEntry from write buffer in database"
+                        );
+                        red_observation.error();
+
+                        // no retry
+                        break;
+                    }
                 }
             }
 
diff --git a/server/src/db/replay.rs b/server/src/db/replay.rs
index 07f97ced64..9237afe0fc 100644
--- a/server/src/db/replay.rs
+++ b/server/src/db/replay.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 use std::{
     collections::{BTreeMap, BTreeSet},
     sync::Arc,
+    time::Duration,
 };
 
 use futures::TryStreamExt;
@@ -187,9 +188,24 @@ pub async fn perform_replay(db: &Db, replay_plan: &ReplayPlan) -> Result<()> {
                     }
 
                     let entry = Arc::new(entry);
-                    db.store_sequenced_entry(entry)
-                        .map_err(Box::new)
-                        .context(StoreError { sequencer_id })?;
+                    let n_tries = 100;
+                    for n_try in 1..=n_tries {
+                        match db.store_sequenced_entry(Arc::clone(&entry)) {
+                            Ok(_) => {
+                                break;
+                            }
+                            Err(crate::db::Error::HardLimitReached {}) if n_try < n_tries => {
+                                tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_millis(100)).await;
+                                continue;
+                            }
+                            Err(e) => {
+                                return Err(Error::StoreError {
+                                    sequencer_id,
+                                    source: Box::new(e),
+                                });
+                            }
+                        }
+                    }
 
                     // done replaying?
                     if sequence.number == min_max.max() {
@@ -209,7 +225,7 @@ mod tests {
 
     use std::{
         convert::TryFrom,
-        num::NonZeroU32,
+        num::{NonZeroU32, NonZeroUsize},
         sync::Arc,
         time::{Duration, Instant},
     };
@@ -477,6 +493,7 @@ mod tests {
                     tokio::sync::Mutex::new(Box::new(write_buffer) as _),
                 )))
                 .lifecycle_rules(data_types::database_rules::LifecycleRules {
+                    buffer_size_hard: Some(NonZeroUsize::new(10_000).unwrap()),
                     late_arrive_window_seconds: NonZeroU32::try_from(1).unwrap(),
                     ..Default::default()
                 })
@@ -1234,6 +1251,52 @@ mod tests {
         .await;
     }
 
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn replay_compacts() {
+        // these numbers are handtuned to trigger hard buffer limits w/o making the test too big, it still takes ~10s
+        // :(
+        let n_entries = 400u64;
+        let sequenced_entries: Vec<_> = (0..n_entries)
+            .map(|sequence_number| {
+                let lp = format!(
+                    "table_1,tag_partition_by=a foo=\"hello\",bar=10 {}",
+                    sequence_number
+                );
+                let lp: &'static str = Box::leak(Box::new(lp));
+                TestSequencedEntry {
+                    sequencer_id: 0,
+                    sequence_number,
+                    lp,
+                }
+            })
+            .collect();
+
+        ReplayTest {
+            n_sequencers: 1,
+            steps: vec![
+                Step::Ingest(sequenced_entries),
+                Step::Ingest(vec![TestSequencedEntry {
+                    sequencer_id: 0,
+                    sequence_number: n_entries,
+                    lp: "table_2,tag_partition_by=a bar=11 10",
+                }]),
+                Step::Await(vec![Check::Partitions(vec![
+                    ("table_1", "tag_partition_by_a"),
+                    ("table_2", "tag_partition_by_a"),
+                ])]),
+                Step::Persist(vec![("table_2", "tag_partition_by_a")]),
+                Step::Restart,
+                Step::Assert(vec![Check::Partitions(vec![(
+                    "table_2",
+                    "tag_partition_by_a",
+                )])]),
+                Step::Replay,
+            ],
+        }
+        .run()
+        .await;
+    }
+
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn replay_fail_sequencers_change() {
         // create write buffer w/ sequencer 0 and 1