diff --git a/blockstore/badger/blockstore.go b/blockstore/badger/blockstore.go
index cd740e650..7c249880c 100644
--- a/blockstore/badger/blockstore.go
+++ b/blockstore/badger/blockstore.go
@@ -131,6 +131,15 @@ func (b *Blockstore) Close() error {
 	return b.DB.Close()
 }
 
+// GC runs garbage collection on the value log
+func (b *Blockstore) GC() error {
+	if atomic.LoadInt64(&b.state) != stateOpen {
+		return ErrBlockstoreClosed
+	}
+
+	return b.DB.RunValueLogGC(0.125)
+}
+
 // View implements blockstore.Viewer, which leverages zero-copy read-only
 // access to values.
 func (b *Blockstore) View(cid cid.Cid, fn func([]byte) error) error {
diff --git a/blockstore/splitstore/splitstore.go b/blockstore/splitstore/splitstore.go
index 5ed64b54e..c69e26cc2 100644
--- a/blockstore/splitstore/splitstore.go
+++ b/blockstore/splitstore/splitstore.go
@@ -710,6 +710,17 @@ func (s *SplitStore) compactSimple(curTs *types.TipSet) error {
 		return xerrors.Errorf("error syncing tracker: %w", err)
 	}
 
+	if gc, ok := s.hot.(interface{ GC() error }); ok {
+		log.Infof("garbage collecting hotstore")
+		startGC := time.Now()
+		err = gc.GC()
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Warnf("error garbage collecting hotstore: %s", err)
+		} else {
+			log.Infow("garbage collecting done", "took", time.Since(startGC))
+		}
+	}
+
 	err = s.setBaseEpoch(coldEpoch)
 	if err != nil {
 		return xerrors.Errorf("error saving base epoch: %w", err)