diff --git a/disktail/disktail.go b/disktail/disktail.go
index 3d15404..269a47b 100644
--- a/disktail/disktail.go
+++ b/disktail/disktail.go
@@ -129,11 +129,12 @@ func NewDiskTail[T any](brokers []string, topic string, codec gtyped.GCodec[T],
 	cache := pebble.NewCache(500 << 20) // << 20 shifts to MB
 
 	store, err := pebble.Open(path, &pebble.Options{
-		DisableWAL:               true,
-		Cache:                    cache,
-		TableCache:               pebble.NewTableCache(cache, 20, 100),
-		MemTableSize:             uint64(100 << 20), // 100mb memtable to avoid too many compactions
-		MaxConcurrentCompactions: func() int { return 3 },
+		DisableWAL:                  true,
+		Cache:                       cache,
+		DisableAutomaticCompactions: true,
+		TableCache:                  pebble.NewTableCache(cache, 20, 100),
+		MemTableSize:                uint64(100 << 20), // 100mb memtable to avoid too many compactions
+		MaxConcurrentCompactions:    func() int { return 3 },
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error opening storage %s: %w", path, err)
@@ -300,6 +301,7 @@ func (r *DiskTail[T]) cleaner(ctx context.Context) error {
 			// oldest timestamp based on now - max age
 			oldest := r.config.Clk.Now().Add(-r.config.MaxAge)
 
+			log.Printf("cleaning disk tail, removing entries older than %v", oldest)
 			// delete the whole range, starting from the minimal offsetkey
 			if err := r.store.DeleteRange(endOffsetRange, encodeKey(oldest, 0, 0), pebble.NoSync); err != nil {
 				log.Printf("error deleting range: %v", err)