diff --git a/blockstore/splitstore/splitstore.go b/blockstore/splitstore/splitstore.go
index 29ad3a94b..0eadcf3c0 100644
--- a/blockstore/splitstore/splitstore.go
+++ b/blockstore/splitstore/splitstore.go
@@ -237,9 +237,11 @@ func (s *SplitStore) Has(c cid.Cid) (bool, error) {
 
 		// also make sure the object is considered live during compaction in case we have already
 		// flushed pending writes and started compaction
-		s.trackTxnRef(c, true)
+		trackErr := s.trackTxnRef(c, true)
 
-		return true, err
+		// if we failed to track the object and all its dependencies, then return false so as
+		// to cause the vm to recompute
+		return trackErr == nil, nil
 	}
 
 	return s.cold.Has(c)
@@ -253,7 +255,7 @@ func (s *SplitStore) Get(cid cid.Cid) (blocks.Block, error) {
 
 	switch err {
 	case nil:
-		s.trackTxnRef(cid, false)
+		err = s.trackTxnRef(cid, false)
 		return blk, err
 
 	case bstore.ErrNotFound:
@@ -285,7 +287,7 @@ func (s *SplitStore) GetSize(cid cid.Cid) (int, error) {
 
 	switch err {
 	case nil:
-		s.trackTxnRef(cid, false)
+		err = s.trackTxnRef(cid, false)
 		return size, err
 
 	case bstore.ErrNotFound:
@@ -315,7 +317,7 @@ func (s *SplitStore) Put(blk blocks.Block) error {
 	err := s.hot.Put(blk)
 	if err == nil {
 		s.trackWrite(blk.Cid(), false)
-		s.trackTxnRef(blk.Cid(), false)
+		err = s.trackTxnRef(blk.Cid(), false)
 	}
 
 	return err
@@ -333,7 +335,7 @@ func (s *SplitStore) PutMany(blks []blocks.Block) error {
 	err := s.hot.PutMany(blks)
 	if err == nil {
 		s.trackWriteMany(batch)
-		s.trackTxnRefMany(batch)
+		err = s.trackTxnRefMany(batch)
 	}
 
 	return err
@@ -385,8 +387,8 @@ func (s *SplitStore) View(cid cid.Cid, cb func([]byte) error) error {
 	err := s.hot.View(cid, cb)
 	switch err {
 	case nil:
-		s.trackTxnRef(cid, false)
-		return nil
+		err = s.trackTxnRef(cid, false)
+		return err
 
 	case bstore.ErrNotFound:
 		s.mx.Lock()
@@ -643,10 +645,10 @@ func (s *SplitStore) flushPendingWrites(locked bool) {
 	s.debug.LogWriteMany(s.curTs, cids, epoch)
 }
 
-func (s *SplitStore) trackTxnRef(c cid.Cid, implicit bool) {
+func (s *SplitStore) trackTxnRef(c cid.Cid, implicit bool) error {
 	if s.txnProtect == nil {
 		// not compacting
-		return
+		return nil
 	}
 
 	// NOTE: this occurs check assumes a markset without false positives, which is currently the case
@@ -654,11 +656,11 @@ func (s *SplitStore) trackTxnRef(c cid.Cid, implicit bool) {
 	has, err := s.txnProtect.Has(c)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Errorf("error occur checking object (cid: %s) for compaction transaction: %s", c, err)
-		return
+		return err
 	}
 
 	if has {
-		return
+		return nil
 	}
 
 	if c.Prefix().Codec != cid.DagCBOR || !implicit {
@@ -671,19 +673,26 @@ func (s *SplitStore) trackTxnRef(c cid.Cid, implicit bool) {
 
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Warnf("error protecting object (cid: %s) from compaction transaction: %s", c, err)
-		return
 	}
+
+	return err
 }
 
-func (s *SplitStore) trackTxnRefMany(cids []cid.Cid) {
+func (s *SplitStore) trackTxnRefMany(cids []cid.Cid) error {
 	if s.txnProtect == nil {
 		// not compacting
-		return
+		return nil
 	}
 
+	var err error
 	for _, c := range cids {
-		s.trackTxnRef(c, false)
+		err2 := s.trackTxnRef(c, false)
+		if err2 != nil {
+			err = multierr.Combine(err, err2)
+		}
 	}
+
+	return err
 }
 
 func (s *SplitStore) background() {