diff --git a/hbs2-storage-ncq/lib/HBS2/Storage/NCQ2.hs b/hbs2-storage-ncq/lib/HBS2/Storage/NCQ2.hs
index 727130da..41e9183c 100644
--- a/hbs2-storage-ncq/lib/HBS2/Storage/NCQ2.hs
+++ b/hbs2-storage-ncq/lib/HBS2/Storage/NCQ2.hs
@@ -373,14 +373,29 @@ ncqStorageRun2 ncq@NCQStorage2{..} = flip runContT pure do
 
   spawnActivity measureWPS
 
-  spawnActivity $ forever do
-    ema <- readTVarIO ncqWriteEMA
+  spawnActivity $ fix \again -> (>> again) do
+      ema <- readTVarIO ncqWriteEMA
 
-    when (ema < ncqIdleThrsh) do
-      debug "SPAWN MERGE"
-      spawnJob $ void (ncqStorageMergeStep ncq)
+      if ema > ncqIdleThrsh then do
+        pause @'Seconds 2.5
 
-    pause @'Seconds 10
+      else do
+        mq <- newEmptyTMVarIO
+
+        spawnJob $ do
+          merged <- ncqStorageMergeStep ncq
+          atomically $ putTMVar mq merged
+
+        -- TODO: detect-dead-merge
+        void $ race (pause @'Seconds 300) (atomically $ readTMVar mq) >>= \case
+          Left{}     -> none
+          Right True -> none
+          Right False -> do
+            debug "merge: all done, wait..."
+            n0 <- readTVarIO ncqTrackedFiles <&> HPSQ.size
+            atomically do
+              n <- readTVar ncqTrackedFiles <&> HPSQ.size
+              when (n == n0) STM.retry
 
   ContT $ bracket none $ const $ liftIO do
     fhh <- atomically (STM.flushTQueue closeQ)