diff --git a/compactor2/src/components/files_split/target_level_non_overlap_split.rs b/compactor2/src/components/files_split/target_level_non_overlap_split.rs
index 35f50de992..d42797e786 100644
--- a/compactor2/src/components/files_split/target_level_non_overlap_split.rs
+++ b/compactor2/src/components/files_split/target_level_non_overlap_split.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ use std::{collections::VecDeque, fmt::Display};
 
 use data_types::{CompactionLevel, ParquetFile};
 
-use crate::file_group::FilesTimeRange;
+use crate::file_group::{split_by_level, FilesTimeRange};
 
 use super::FilesSplit;
 
@@ -67,18 +67,9 @@ impl FilesSplit for TargetLevelNonOverlapSplit {
         let num_files = files.len();
 
         // Split files into levels
-        let mut target_level_files = Vec::with_capacity(num_files);
-        let mut prev_level_files = Vec::with_capacity(num_files);
         let prev_level = target_level.prev();
-        for file in files {
-            if file.compaction_level == target_level {
-                target_level_files.push(file);
-            } else if file.compaction_level == prev_level {
-                prev_level_files.push(file);
-            } else {
-                panic!("Unexpected compaction level: {}", file.compaction_level);
-            }
-        }
+        let (mut target_level_files, prev_level_files) =
+            split_by_level(files, target_level, prev_level);
 
         // compute time range of prev_level_files
         let prev_level_range = if let Some(r) = FilesTimeRange::try_new(&prev_level_files) {
@@ -161,7 +152,9 @@ mod tests {
     }
 
     #[test]
-    #[should_panic(expected = "Unexpected compaction level: CompactionLevel::L2")]
+    #[should_panic(
+        expected = "Unexpected compaction level. Expected CompactionLevel::L1 or CompactionLevel::L0 but got CompactionLevel::L2."
+    )]
     fn test_unexpected_compaction_level_2() {
         let files = create_overlapped_files();
         let split = TargetLevelNonOverlapSplit::new();
@@ -170,7 +163,9 @@ mod tests {
     }
 
     #[test]
-    #[should_panic(expected = "Unexpected compaction level: CompactionLevel::L0")]
+    #[should_panic(
+        expected = "Unexpected compaction level. Expected CompactionLevel::L2 or CompactionLevel::L1 but got CompactionLevel::L0."
+    )]
     fn test_unexpected_compaction_level_0() {
         let files = create_overlapped_files();
         let split = TargetLevelNonOverlapSplit::new();
diff --git a/compactor2/src/components/files_split/target_level_upgrade_split.rs b/compactor2/src/components/files_split/target_level_upgrade_split.rs
index 5844fa5434..b36f833d23 100644
--- a/compactor2/src/components/files_split/target_level_upgrade_split.rs
+++ b/compactor2/src/components/files_split/target_level_upgrade_split.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ use std::fmt::Display;
 use data_types::{CompactionLevel, ParquetFile};
 
 use super::FilesSplit;
-use crate::file_group::{overlaps_in_time, FilesTimeRange};
+use crate::file_group::{overlaps_in_time, split_by_level, FilesTimeRange};
 
 #[derive(Debug)]
 /// Split files into `[files_to_compact]` and `[files_to_upgrade]`
@@ -72,18 +72,9 @@ impl FilesSplit for TargetLevelUpgradeSplit {
         let mut files_to_compact = Vec::with_capacity(files.len());
 
         // Split files into levels
-        let mut target_level_files = Vec::with_capacity(files.len());
-        let mut prev_level_files = Vec::with_capacity(files.len());
         let prev_level = target_level.prev();
-        for file in files {
-            if file.compaction_level == target_level {
-                target_level_files.push(file);
-            } else if file.compaction_level == prev_level {
-                prev_level_files.push(file);
-            } else {
-                panic!("Unexpected compaction level: {}", file.compaction_level);
-            }
-        }
+        let (target_level_files, mut prev_level_files) =
+            split_by_level(files, target_level, prev_level);
 
         // compute time range of target_level_files, if any
         let target_time_range = FilesTimeRange::try_new(&target_level_files);
@@ -178,7 +169,9 @@ mod tests {
     }
 
     #[test]
-    #[should_panic(expected = "Unexpected compaction level: CompactionLevel::L2")]
+    #[should_panic(
+        expected = "Unexpected compaction level. Expected CompactionLevel::L1 or CompactionLevel::L0 but got CompactionLevel::L2."
+    )]
     fn test_unexpected_compaction_level_2() {
         let files = create_overlapped_files();
         let split = TargetLevelUpgradeSplit::new(MAX_SIZE);
@@ -187,7 +180,9 @@ mod tests {
     }
 
     #[test]
-    #[should_panic(expected = "Unexpected compaction level: CompactionLevel::L0")]
+    #[should_panic(
+        expected = "Unexpected compaction level. Expected CompactionLevel::L2 or CompactionLevel::L1 but got CompactionLevel::L0."
+    )]
     fn test_unexpected_compaction_level_0() {
         let files = create_overlapped_files();
         let split = TargetLevelUpgradeSplit::new(MAX_SIZE);
diff --git a/compactor2/src/file_group.rs b/compactor2/src/file_group.rs
index af03d4cf15..8418035df0 100644
--- a/compactor2/src/file_group.rs
+++ b/compactor2/src/file_group.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 //! Utilities for working with groups of [`ParquetFile`]
 
-use data_types::{ParquetFile, Timestamp};
+use data_types::{CompactionLevel, ParquetFile, Timestamp};
 use std::cmp::{max, min};
 
 /// Represent the min/max time range for a group of [`ParquetFile`]s
@@ -43,6 +43,31 @@ pub fn overlaps_in_time<'a>(
     files.into_iter().any(|f| f.overlaps(file))
 }
 
+/// Divide a list of [`ParquetFile`]s into two lists based on the two levels
+///
+/// Panics if there any level other than the two levels is present
+pub fn split_by_level(
+    files: impl IntoIterator<Item = ParquetFile>,
+    first_level: CompactionLevel,
+    second_level: CompactionLevel,
+) -> (Vec<ParquetFile>, Vec<ParquetFile>) {
+    // Split files into levels
+    files
+        .into_iter()
+        .partition(|file| {
+            let file_level = file.compaction_level;
+            if file_level == first_level {
+                true
+            } else if file_level == second_level {
+                false
+            } else {
+                panic!(
+                    "Unexpected compaction level. Expected {first_level} or {second_level} but got {file_level}."
+                );
+            }
+        })
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod test {
     use super::*;