diff --git a/blockstore/splitstore/splitstore.go b/blockstore/splitstore/splitstore.go
index 208701d25..9764f508d 100644
--- a/blockstore/splitstore/splitstore.go
+++ b/blockstore/splitstore/splitstore.go
@@ -596,75 +596,29 @@ func (s *SplitStore) compactSimple(curTs *types.TipSet) {
 	// 2.2 copy the cold objects to the coldstore
 	log.Info("moving cold objects to the coldstore")
 	startMove := time.Now()
-
-	batch := make([]blocks.Block, 0, batchSize)
-
-	for cid := range cold {
-		blk, err := s.hot.Get(cid)
-		if err != nil {
-			if err == dstore.ErrNotFound {
-				// this can happen if the node is killed after we have deleted the block from the hotstore
-				// but before we have deleted it from the tracker; just delete the tracker.
-				err = s.tracker.Delete(cid)
-				if err != nil {
-					log.Errorf("error deleting cid %s from tracker: %s", cid, err)
-					// TODO do something better here -- just continue?
-					panic(err)
-				}
-			} else {
-				log.Errorf("error retrieving tracked block %s from hotstore: %s", cid, err)
-				// TODO do something better here -- just continue?
-				panic(err)
-			}
-
-			continue
-		}
-
-		batch = append(batch, blk)
-		if len(batch) == batchSize {
-			err = s.cold.PutMany(batch)
-			if err != nil {
-				log.Errorf("error putting cold batch to coldstore: %s", err)
-				// TODO do something better here -- just continue?
-				panic(err)
-			}
-			batch = batch[:0]
-		}
-	}
-
-	if len(batch) > 0 {
-		err = s.cold.PutMany(batch)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Errorf("error putting cold batch to coldstore: %s", err)
-			// TODO do something better here -- just continue?
-			panic(err)
-		}
+	err = s.moveColdBlocks(cold)
+	if err != nil {
+		// TODO do something better here
+		panic(err)
 	}
 	log.Infow("moving done", "took", time.Since(startMove))
 
 	// 2.3 delete cold objects from the hotstore
-	// TODO we really want batching for this!
 	log.Info("purging cold objects from the hotstore")
 	startPurge := time.Now()
-	for cid := range cold {
-		// delete the object from the hotstore
-		err = s.hot.DeleteBlock(cid)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Errorf("error deleting block %s from hotstore: %s", cid, err)
-			// TODO do something better here -- just continue?
-			panic(err)
-		}
+	err = s.purgeBlocks(cold)
+	if err != nil {
+		// TODO do something better here
+		panic(err)
 	}
 	log.Infow("purging cold from hotstore done", "took", time.Since(startPurge))
 
 	// 2.4 remove the tracker tracking for cold objects
 	startPurge = time.Now()
 	log.Info("purging cold objects from tracker")
-
-	err = s.tracker.DeleteBatch(cold)
+	err = s.purgeTracking(cold)
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Errorf("error purging cold objects from tracker: %s", err)
-		// TODO do something better here -- just continue?
+		// TODO do something better here
 		panic(err)
 	}
 	log.Infow("purging cold from tracker done", "took", time.Since(startPurge))
@@ -683,6 +637,68 @@ func (s *SplitStore) compactSimple(curTs *types.TipSet) {
 	}
 }
 
+func (s *SplitStore) moveColdBlocks(cold map[cid.Cid]struct{}) error {
+	batch := make([]blocks.Block, 0, batchSize)
+
+	for cid := range cold {
+		blk, err := s.hot.Get(cid)
+		if err != nil {
+			if err == dstore.ErrNotFound {
+				// this can happen if the node is killed after we have deleted the block from the hotstore
+				// but before we have deleted it from the tracker; just delete the tracker.
+				err = s.tracker.Delete(cid)
+				if err != nil {
+					return xerrors.Errorf("error deleting unreachable cid %s from tracker: %w", cid, err)
+				}
+			} else {
+				return xerrors.Errorf("error retrieving tracked block %s from hotstore: %w", cid, err)
+			}
+
+			continue
+		}
+
+		batch = append(batch, blk)
+		if len(batch) == batchSize {
+			err = s.cold.PutMany(batch)
+			if err != nil {
+				return xerrors.Errorf("error putting batch to coldstore: %w", err)
+			}
+			batch = batch[:0]
+		}
+	}
+
+	if len(batch) > 0 {
+		err := s.cold.PutMany(batch)
+		if err != nil {
+			return xerrors.Errorf("error putting cold to coldstore: %w", err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (s *SplitStore) purgeBlocks(cids map[cid.Cid]struct{}) error {
+	// TODO batch deletion -- this is very slow with many objects, but we need
+	//      a DeleteBatch method in the blockstore interface
+	for cid := range cids {
+		err := s.hot.DeleteBlock(cid)
+		if err != nil {
+			return xerrors.Errorf("error deleting block %s from hotstore: %e", cid, err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (s *SplitStore) purgeTracking(cids map[cid.Cid]struct{}) error {
+	err := s.tracker.DeleteBatch(cids)
+	if err != nil {
+		return xerrors.Errorf("error deleting batch from tracker: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (s *SplitStore) compactFull(curTs *types.TipSet) {
 	epoch := curTs.Height()
 	coldEpoch := s.baseEpoch + CompactionCold
@@ -825,74 +841,29 @@ func (s *SplitStore) compactFull(curTs *types.TipSet) {
 	// 2.2 copy the cold objects to the coldstore
 	log.Info("moving cold objects to the coldstore")
 	startMove := time.Now()
-
-	batch := make([]blocks.Block, 0, batchSize)
-	for cid := range cold {
-		blk, err := s.hot.Get(cid)
-		if err != nil {
-			if err == dstore.ErrNotFound {
-				// this can happen if the node is killed after we have deleted the block from the hotstore
-				// but before we have deleted it from the tracker; just delete the tracker.
-				err = s.tracker.Delete(cid)
-				if err != nil {
-					log.Errorf("error deleting cid %s from tracker: %s", cid, err)
-					// TODO do something better here -- just continue?
-					panic(err)
-				}
-			} else {
-				log.Errorf("error retrieving tracked block %s from hotstore: %s", cid, err)
-				// TODO do something better here -- just continue?
-				panic(err)
-			}
-
-			continue
-		}
-
-		batch = append(batch, blk)
-		if len(batch) == batchSize {
-			err = s.cold.PutMany(batch)
-			if err != nil {
-				log.Errorf("error putting cold batch to coldstore: %s", err)
-				// TODO do something better here -- just continue?
-				panic(err)
-			}
-			batch = batch[:0]
-		}
-	}
-
-	if len(batch) > 0 {
-		err = s.cold.PutMany(batch)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Errorf("error putting cold batch to coldstore: %s", err)
-			// TODO do something better here -- just continue?
-			panic(err)
-		}
+	err = s.moveColdBlocks(cold)
+	if err != nil {
+		// TODO do something better here
+		panic(err)
 	}
 	log.Infow("moving done", "took", time.Since(startMove))
 
 	// 2.3 delete cold objects from the hotstore
-	// TODO we really want batching for this!
 	log.Info("purging cold objects from the hotstore")
 	startPurge := time.Now()
-	for cid := range cold {
-		// delete the object from the hotstore
-		err = s.hot.DeleteBlock(cid)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Errorf("error deleting block %s from hotstore: %s", cid, err)
-			// TODO do something better here -- just continue?
-			panic(err)
-		}
+	err = s.purgeBlocks(cold)
+	if err != nil {
+		// TODO do something better here
+		panic(err)
 	}
 	log.Infow("purging cold from hotstore done", "took", time.Since(startPurge))
 
 	// 2.4 remove the tracker tracking for cold objects
 	startPurge = time.Now()
 	log.Info("purging cold objects from tracker")
-
-	err = s.tracker.DeleteBatch(cold)
+	err = s.purgeTracking(cold)
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Errorf("error purging cold objects from tracker: %s", err)
-		// TODO do something better here -- just continue?
+		// TODO do something better here
 		panic(err)
 	}
 	log.Infow("purging cold from tracker done", "took", time.Since(startPurge))
@@ -900,32 +871,20 @@ func (s *SplitStore) compactFull(curTs *types.TipSet) {
 	// 3. if we have dead objects, delete them from the hotstore and remove the tracking
 	if len(dead) > 0 {
 		log.Info("deleting dead objects")
-
-		startPurge = time.Now()
-		log.Info("purging dead objects from the hotstore")
-		// TODO we really want batching for this!
-		for cid := range dead {
-			// delete the object from the hotstore
-			err = s.hot.DeleteBlock(cid)
-			if err != nil {
-				log.Errorf("error deleting block %s from hotstore: %s", cid, err)
-				// TODO do something better here -- just continue?
-				panic(err)
-			}
+		err = s.purgeBlocks(dead)
+		if err != nil {
+			// TODO do something better here
+			panic(err)
 		}
-		log.Infow("purging dead from hotstore done", "took", time.Since(startPurge))
 
 		// remove the tracker tracking
 		startPurge := time.Now()
 		log.Info("purging dead objects from tracker")
-
-		err = s.tracker.DeleteBatch(dead)
+		err = s.purgeTracking(dead)
 		if err != nil {
-			log.Errorf("error purging dead objects from tracker: %s", err)
-			// TODO do something better here -- just continue?
+			// TODO do something better here
 			panic(err)
 		}
-
 		log.Infow("purging dead from tracker done", "took", time.Since(startPurge))
 	}