diff --git a/index/scorch/persister.go b/index/scorch/persister.go
index 61a266ad..b19c1205 100644
--- a/index/scorch/persister.go
+++ b/index/scorch/persister.go
@@ -34,36 +34,40 @@ import (
 
 var DefaultChunkFactor uint32 = 1024
 
+// Arbitrary number, need to make it configurable.
+// Lower values like 10/making persister really slow
+// doesn't work well as it is creating more files to
+// persist for in next persist iteration and spikes the # FDs.
+// Ideal value should let persister also proceed at
+// an optimum pace so that the merger can skip
+// many intermediate snapshots.
+// This needs to be based on empirical data.
+// With high segment count with snapshots,
+// doubtful on the effectiveness of this approach.
+var epochDistance = uint64(100)
+
 type notificationChan chan struct{}
 
 func (s *Scorch) persisterLoop() {
 	defer s.asyncTasks.Done()
 
 	var persistWatchers []*epochWatcher
-	var lastPersistedEpoch uint64
-
-	notifyWatchers := func() {
-		var watchersNext []*epochWatcher
-		for _, w := range persistWatchers {
-			if w.epoch < lastPersistedEpoch {
-				close(w.notifyCh)
-			} else {
-				watchersNext = append(watchersNext, w)
-			}
-		}
-		persistWatchers = watchersNext
-	}
-
+	var lastPersistedEpoch, lastMergedEpoch uint64
+	var ew *epochWatcher
 OUTER:
 	for {
 		select {
 		case <-s.closeCh:
 			break OUTER
-		case ew := <-s.persisterNotifier:
+		case ew = <-s.persisterNotifier:
 			persistWatchers = append(persistWatchers, ew)
-			notifyWatchers()
 		default:
 		}
+		if ew != nil {
+			lastMergedEpoch = ew.epoch
+			persistWatchers = s.pausePersisterForMergerCatchUp(lastPersistedEpoch,
+				&lastMergedEpoch, persistWatchers)
+		}
 
 		var ourSnapshot *IndexSnapshot
 		var ourPersisted []chan error
@@ -136,16 +140,58 @@ OUTER:
 		case <-w.notifyCh:
 			// woken up, next loop should pick up work
 			continue OUTER
-		case ew := <-s.persisterNotifier:
+		case ew = <-s.persisterNotifier:
 			// if the watchers are already caught up then let them wait,
 			// else let them continue to do the catch up
 			persistWatchers = append(persistWatchers, ew)
-			notifyWatchers()
 		}
 	}
 }
 
-func (s *Scorch) persistSnapshot(snapshot *IndexSnapshot) error {
+func notifyMergeWatchers(lastPersistedEpoch uint64,
+	persistWatchers []*epochWatcher) []*epochWatcher {
+	var watchersNext []*epochWatcher
+	for _, w := range persistWatchers {
+		if w.epoch < lastPersistedEpoch {
+			close(w.notifyCh)
+		} else {
+			watchersNext = append(watchersNext, w)
+		}
+	}
+	return watchersNext
+}
+
+func (s *Scorch) pausePersisterForMergerCatchUp(lastPersistedEpoch uint64, lastMergedEpoch *uint64,
+	persistWatchers []*epochWatcher) []*epochWatcher {
+
+OUTER:
+	for {
+
+		// first, let the watchers proceed if they lag behind
+		persistWatchers = notifyMergeWatchers(lastPersistedEpoch, persistWatchers)
+
+		// check for slow merger and pause persister until merger catch up
+		if lastPersistedEpoch > *lastMergedEpoch &&
+			lastPersistedEpoch-*lastMergedEpoch > epochDistance {
+
+			select {
+			case <-s.closeCh:
+				break OUTER
+			case ew := <-s.persisterNotifier:
+				persistWatchers = append(persistWatchers, ew)
+				*lastMergedEpoch = ew.epoch
+				log.Printf("persister waiting as lastPersistedEpoch->%d merger epoch->%d", lastPersistedEpoch, *lastMergedEpoch)
+				continue OUTER
+			}
+		} else {
+			break OUTER
+		}
+	}
+
+	return persistWatchers
+}
+
+func (s *Scorch) persistSnapshot(snapshot *IndexSnapshot) (err error) {
 	// start a write transaction
 	tx, err := s.rootBolt.Begin(true)
 	if err != nil {