diff --git a/index/scorch/segment/zap/merge.go b/index/scorch/segment/zap/merge.go
index bef2a087..dbb33110 100644
--- a/index/scorch/segment/zap/merge.go
+++ b/index/scorch/segment/zap/merge.go
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/golang/snappy"
 )
 
+const docDropped = math.MaxUint64 // sentinel docNum to represent a deleted doc
+
 // Merge takes a slice of zap segments and bit masks describing which
 // documents may be dropped, and creates a new segment containing the
 // remaining data.  This new segment is built at the specified path,
@@ -412,8 +414,6 @@ func persistMergedRest(segments []*SegmentBase, drops []*roaring.Bitmap,
 	return rv, fieldDvLocsOffset, nil
 }
 
-const docDropped = math.MaxUint64
-
 func mergeStoredAndRemap(segments []*SegmentBase, drops []*roaring.Bitmap,
 	fieldsMap map[string]uint16, fieldsInv []string, fieldsSame bool, newSegDocCount uint64,
 	w *CountHashWriter) (uint64, [][]uint64, error) {