diff --git a/src/database/engine/descriptor.rs b/src/database/engine/descriptor.rs
index 934ef831f..816555d26 100644
--- a/src/database/engine/descriptor.rs
+++ b/src/database/engine/descriptor.rs
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ pub(crate) struct Descriptor {
 	write_size: 1024 * 1024 * 32,
 	cache_shards: 128,
 	compression_level: -3,
-	bottommost_level: Some(-1),
+	bottommost_level: Some(2),
 	compressed_index: true,
 	..BASE
 };
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ pub(crate) struct Descriptor {
 	file_size: 1024 * 1024 * 2,
 	cache_shards: 128,
 	compression_level: -2,
-	bottommost_level: Some(-1),
+	bottommost_level: Some(2),
 	compression_shape: [0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
 	compressed_index: false,
 	..BASE
diff --git a/src/database/maps.rs b/src/database/maps.rs
index 9ae5ab44a..fc216ee03 100644
--- a/src/database/maps.rs
+++ b/src/database/maps.rs
@@ -171,6 +171,8 @@ pub(super) fn open_list(db: &Arc<Engine>, maps: &[Descriptor]) -> Result<Maps> {
 		name: "roomsynctoken_shortstatehash",
 		val_size_hint: Some(8),
 		block_size: 512,
+		compression_level: 3,
+		bottommost_level: Some(6),
 		..descriptor::SEQUENTIAL
 	},
 	Descriptor {