diff --git a/db/seg/decompress.go b/db/seg/decompress.go
index 4fa7eb090e3..294e3a39cf3 100644
--- a/db/seg/decompress.go
+++ b/db/seg/decompress.go
@@ -514,6 +514,16 @@ func (d *Decompressor) DictLens() int                   { return d.dictLens }
 func (d *Decompressor) CompressedPageValuesCount() int  { return int(d.compPageValuesCount) }
 func (d *Decompressor) CompressionFormatVersion() uint8 { return d.version }
 
+// BackfillV0PageValuesCount sets the page-compressed values count for V0-format
+// files whose header does not carry this field. It is a no-op for V1+ files.
+// Call once immediately after NewDecompressor when the schema-configured
+// fallback value (HistoryValuesOnCompressedPage) is known.
+func (d *Decompressor) BackfillV0PageValuesCount(n int) {
+	if d.version == FileCompressionFormatV0 {
+		d.compPageValuesCount = uint8(n)
+	}
+}
+
 func (d *Decompressor) Size() int64 {
 	return d.size
 }
@@ -752,10 +762,11 @@ func (g *Getter) MadvNormal() MadvDisabler {
 	g.d.MadvNormal()
 	return g
 }
-func (g *Getter) DisableReadAhead()   { g.d.DisableReadAhead() }
-func (g *Getter) Trace(t bool)        { g.trace = t }
-func (g *Getter) Count() int          { return g.d.Count() }
-func (g *Getter) FileName() string    { return g.fName }
+func (g *Getter) DisableReadAhead()          { g.d.DisableReadAhead() }
+func (g *Getter) Trace(t bool)               { g.trace = t }
+func (g *Getter) Count() int                 { return g.d.Count() }
+func (g *Getter) FileName() string           { return g.fName }
+func (g *Getter) CompressedPageValuesCount() int { return g.d.CompressedPageValuesCount() }
 func (g *Getter) GetMetadata() []byte { return g.d.GetMetadata() }
 
 // nextPosClean aligns to the next byte boundary then reads the next position.
diff --git a/db/seg/seg_interface.go b/db/seg/seg_interface.go
index 8a9cacb51d3..6dd55b1a69e 100644
--- a/db/seg/seg_interface.go
+++ b/db/seg/seg_interface.go
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ type ReaderI interface {
 	GetMetadata() []byte
 	MadvNormal() MadvDisabler
 	DisableReadAhead()
+	CompressedPageValuesCount() int
 }
 
 type MadvDisabler interface {
diff --git a/db/seg/seg_paged_rw.go b/db/seg/seg_paged_rw.go
index 17b31c2b0d9..9bd3ec388ca 100644
--- a/db/seg/seg_paged_rw.go
+++ b/db/seg/seg_paged_rw.go
@@ -126,13 +126,16 @@ type PagedReader struct {
 	currentPageOffset, nextPageOffset uint64
 }
 
-func NewPagedReader(r ReaderI, pageSize int, snappy bool) *PagedReader {
+func NewPagedReader(r ReaderI, snappy bool) *PagedReader {
+	pageSize := r.CompressedPageValuesCount()
 	if pageSize == 0 {
 		pageSize = 1
 	}
 	return &PagedReader{file: r, pageSize: pageSize, isCompressed: snappy, page: &Page{}}
 }
 
+func (g *PagedReader) CompressedPageValuesCount() int { return g.pageSize }
+
 func (g *PagedReader) Reset(offset uint64) {
 	if g.pageSize <= 1 {
 		g.file.Reset(offset)
diff --git a/db/seg/seg_paged_rw_test.go b/db/seg/seg_paged_rw_test.go
index 40e1b2d578e..d193e634b17 100644
--- a/db/seg/seg_paged_rw_test.go
+++ b/db/seg/seg_paged_rw_test.go
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ func TestPagedReader(t *testing.T) {
 	require := require.New(t)
 	d := prepareLoremDictOnPagedWriter(t, 2, false)
 	defer d.Close()
-	g1 := NewPagedReader(d.MakeGetter(), 2, false)
+	g1 := NewPagedReader(d.MakeGetter(), false)
 	var buf []byte
 	_, _, buf, o1 := g1.Next2(buf[:0])
 	require.Zero(o1)
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ func TestPagedReader(t *testing.T) {
 	_, _, buf, o1 = g1.Next2(buf[:0])
 	require.NotZero(o1)
 
-	g := NewPagedReader(d.MakeGetter(), 2, false)
+	g := NewPagedReader(d.MakeGetter(), false)
 	i := 0
 	for g.HasNext() {
 		w := loremStrings[i]
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ func TestPagedReaderWithCompression(t *testing.T) {
 	d := prepareLoremDictOnPagedWriter(t, 2, true) // Enable page-level compression
 	defer d.Close()
 
-	g := NewPagedReader(d.MakeGetter(), 2, true) // Read with compression enabled
+	g := NewPagedReader(d.MakeGetter(), true) // Read with compression enabled
 	var buf []byte
 	i := 0
 	for g.HasNext() {
diff --git a/db/state/deduplicate.go b/db/state/deduplicate.go
index 4baccea89a1..58fcfb3f858 100644
--- a/db/state/deduplicate.go
+++ b/db/state/deduplicate.go
@@ -72,13 +72,7 @@ func (ht *HistoryRoTx) deduplicateFiles(ctx context.Context, indexFiles, history
 			var g2 *seg.PagedReader
 			for _, hi := range historyFiles { // full-scan, because it's ok to have different amount files. by unclean-shutdown.
 				if hi.startTxNum == item.startTxNum && hi.endTxNum == item.endTxNum {
-					compressedPageValuesCount := hi.decompressor.CompressedPageValuesCount()
-
-					if hi.decompressor.CompressionFormatVersion() == seg.FileCompressionFormatV0 {
-						compressedPageValuesCount = ht.h.HistoryValuesOnCompressedPage
-					}
-
-					g2 = seg.NewPagedReader(ht.dataReader(hi.decompressor), compressedPageValuesCount, true)
+					g2 = seg.NewPagedReader(ht.dataReader(hi.decompressor), true)
 					break
 				}
 			}
diff --git a/db/state/dirty_files.go b/db/state/dirty_files.go
index af3c0a5d0e8..e92d5565939 100644
--- a/db/state/dirty_files.go
+++ b/db/state/dirty_files.go
@@ -493,6 +493,7 @@ func (h *History) openDirtyFiles(dataEntries, accessorEntries []string) error {
 					// don't interrupt on error. other files may be good. but skip indices open.
 					continue
 				}
+				item.decompressor.BackfillV0PageValuesCount(h.HistoryValuesOnCompressedPage)
 			}
 
 			if item.index == nil {
diff --git a/db/state/gc_test.go b/db/state/gc_test.go
index 8c0237c4456..1e9523d8bfa 100644
--- a/db/state/gc_test.go
+++ b/db/state/gc_test.go
@@ -63,13 +63,7 @@ func TestGCReadAfterRemoveFile(t *testing.T) {
 
 			lastInView := hc.files[len(hc.files)-1]
 
-			compressedPageValuesCount := lastInView.src.decompressor.CompressedPageValuesCount()
-
-			if lastInView.src.decompressor.CompressionFormatVersion() == seg.FileCompressionFormatV0 {
-				compressedPageValuesCount = hc.h.HistoryValuesOnCompressedPage
-			}
-
-			g := seg.NewPagedReader(hc.statelessGetter(len(hc.files)-1), compressedPageValuesCount, true)
+			g := seg.NewPagedReader(hc.statelessGetter(len(hc.files)-1), true)
 			require.Equal(lastInView.startTxNum, lastOnFs.startTxNum)
 			require.Equal(lastInView.endTxNum, lastOnFs.endTxNum)
 			if g.HasNext() {
diff --git a/db/state/history.go b/db/state/history.go
index 07c4b5aae33..55ebf2612cc 100644
--- a/db/state/history.go
+++ b/db/state/history.go
@@ -307,10 +307,6 @@ func (h *History) buildVI(ctx context.Context, historyIdxPath string, hist, efHi
 				// file not the config is the source of truth for the .v file compression state
 				compressedPageValuesCount := hist.CompressedPageValuesCount()
 
-				if hist.CompressionFormatVersion() == seg.FileCompressionFormatV0 {
-					compressedPageValuesCount = h.HistoryValuesOnCompressedPage
-				}
-
 				if compressedPageValuesCount == 0 {
 					valOffset, _ = histReader.Skip()
 				} else {
@@ -817,6 +813,7 @@ func (h *History) buildFiles(ctx context.Context, step kv.Step, collation Histor
 	if err != nil {
 		return HistoryFiles{}, fmt.Errorf("open %s v history decompressor: %w", h.FilenameBase, err)
 	}
+	historyDecomp.BackfillV0PageValuesCount(h.HistoryValuesOnCompressedPage)
 
 	historyIdxPath := h.vAccessorNewFilePath(step, step+1)
 	err = h.buildVI(ctx, historyIdxPath, historyDecomp, efHistoryDecomp, collation.efBaseTxNum, ps)
@@ -1253,10 +1250,6 @@ func (ht *HistoryRoTx) historySeekInFiles(key []byte, txNum uint64) ([]byte, boo
 
 	compressedPageValuesCount := historyItem.src.decompressor.CompressedPageValuesCount()
 
-	if historyItem.src.decompressor.CompressionFormatVersion() == seg.FileCompressionFormatV0 {
-		compressedPageValuesCount = ht.h.HistoryValuesOnCompressedPage
-	}
-
 	if compressedPageValuesCount > 1 {
 		v, ht.snappyReadBuffer = seg.GetFromPage(historyKey, v, ht.snappyReadBuffer, true)
 	}
@@ -1549,10 +1542,6 @@ func (ht *HistoryRoTx) HistoryDump(fromTxNum, toTxNum int, keyToDump *[]byte, du
 
 				compressedPageValuesCount := viFile.src.decompressor.CompressedPageValuesCount()
 
-				if viFile.src.decompressor.CompressionFormatVersion() == seg.FileCompressionFormatV0 {
-					compressedPageValuesCount = ht.h.HistoryValuesOnCompressedPage
-				}
-
 				vReader := ht.statelessGetter(viFile.i)
 				vReader.Reset(vOffset)
 
diff --git a/db/state/history_stream.go b/db/state/history_stream.go
index e9d52f03666..1098a5a22e3 100644
--- a/db/state/history_stream.go
+++ b/db/state/history_stream.go
@@ -145,16 +145,12 @@ func (hi *HistoryRangeAsOfFiles) advanceInFiles() error {
 
 		compressedPageValuesCount := historyItem.src.decompressor.CompressedPageValuesCount()
 
-		if historyItem.src.decompressor.CompressionFormatVersion() == seg.FileCompressionFormatV0 {
-			compressedPageValuesCount = hi.hc.h.HistoryValuesOnCompressedPage
-		}
-
 		if compressedPageValuesCount <= 1 {
 			g := hi.hc.statelessGetter(historyItem.i)
 			g.Reset(offset)
 			hi.nextVal, _ = g.Next(nil)
 		} else {
-			g := seg.NewPagedReader(hi.hc.statelessGetter(historyItem.i), compressedPageValuesCount, true)
+			g := seg.NewPagedReader(hi.hc.statelessGetter(historyItem.i), true)
 			g.Reset(offset)
 			for i := 0; i < compressedPageValuesCount && g.HasNext(); i++ {
 				k, v, _, _ := g.Next2(nil)
@@ -449,16 +445,12 @@ func (hi *HistoryChangesIterFiles) advance() error {
 
 		compressedPageValuesCount := historyItem.src.decompressor.CompressedPageValuesCount()
 
-		if historyItem.src.decompressor.CompressionFormatVersion() == seg.FileCompressionFormatV0 {
-			compressedPageValuesCount = hi.hc.h.HistoryValuesOnCompressedPage
-		}
-
 		if compressedPageValuesCount <= 1 {
 			g := hi.hc.statelessGetter(historyItem.i)
 			g.Reset(offset)
 			hi.nextVal, _ = g.Next(nil)
 		} else {
-			g := seg.NewPagedReader(hi.hc.statelessGetter(historyItem.i), compressedPageValuesCount, true)
+			g := seg.NewPagedReader(hi.hc.statelessGetter(historyItem.i), true)
 			g.Reset(offset)
 			for i := 0; i < compressedPageValuesCount && g.HasNext(); i++ {
 				k, v, _, _ := g.Next2(nil)
@@ -787,17 +779,12 @@ func (ht *HistoryTraceKeyFiles) advance() error {
 
 		compressedPageValuesCount := historyItem.src.decompressor.CompressedPageValuesCount()
 
-		if historyItem.src.decompressor.CompressionFormatVersion() == seg.FileCompressionFormatV0 {
-			compressedPageValuesCount = ht.hc.h.HistoryValuesOnCompressedPage
-		}
-
 		if ht.histReader == nil {
 			idxReader := ht.hc.statelessIdxReader(ht.fileIdx)
 			getter := ht.hc.statelessGetter(ht.fileIdx)
 			getter.Reset(0)
 			ht.histReader = seg.NewPagedReader(
 				getter,
-				compressedPageValuesCount,
 				true,
 			)
 			offset, ok := idxReader.Lookup(ht.histKey)
diff --git a/db/state/history_test.go b/db/state/history_test.go
index fcf537e9899..ed9eb2c33af 100644
--- a/db/state/history_test.go
+++ b/db/state/history_test.go
@@ -113,14 +113,8 @@ func TestHistoryCollationsAndBuilds(t *testing.T) {
 			require.NotNil(t, sf)
 			defer sf.CleanupOnError()
 
-			compressedPageValuesCount := sf.historyDecomp.CompressedPageValuesCount()
-
-			if sf.historyDecomp.CompressionFormatVersion() == seg.FileCompressionFormatV0 {
-				compressedPageValuesCount = h.HistoryValuesOnCompressedPage
-			}
-
 			efReader := h.InvertedIndex.dataReader(sf.efHistoryDecomp)
-			hReader := seg.NewPagedReader(h.dataReader(sf.historyDecomp), compressedPageValuesCount, true)
+			hReader := seg.NewPagedReader(h.dataReader(sf.historyDecomp), true)
 
 			// ef contains all sorted keys
 			// for each key it has a list of txNums
@@ -242,13 +236,7 @@ func TestHistoryCollationBuild(t *testing.T) {
 		defer sf.CleanupOnError()
 		var valWords []string
 
-		compressedPageValuesCount := sf.historyDecomp.CompressedPageValuesCount()
-
-		if sf.historyDecomp.CompressionFormatVersion() == seg.FileCompressionFormatV0 {
-			compressedPageValuesCount = h.HistoryValuesOnCompressedPage
-		}
-
-		gh := seg.NewPagedReader(h.dataReader(sf.historyDecomp), compressedPageValuesCount, true)
+		gh := seg.NewPagedReader(h.dataReader(sf.historyDecomp), true)
 		gh.Reset(0)
 		for gh.HasNext() {
 			w, _ := gh.Next(nil)
@@ -294,7 +282,7 @@ func TestHistoryCollationBuild(t *testing.T) {
 		r = recsplit.NewIndexReader(sf.historyIdx)
 		defer r.Close()
 
-		gh = seg.NewPagedReader(h.dataReader(sf.historyDecomp), compressedPageValuesCount, true)
+		gh = seg.NewPagedReader(h.dataReader(sf.historyDecomp), true)
 		var vi int
 		for i := 0; i < len(keyWords); i++ {
 			ints := intArrs[i]
diff --git a/db/state/merge.go b/db/state/merge.go
index 07da04909cb..e90c850ec5d 100644
--- a/db/state/merge.go
+++ b/db/state/merge.go
@@ -815,13 +815,7 @@ func (ht *HistoryRoTx) mergeFiles(ctx context.Context, indexFiles, historyFiles
 				var g2 *seg.PagedReader
 				for _, hi := range historyFiles { // full-scan, because it's ok to have different amount files. by unclean-shutdown.
 					if hi.startTxNum == item.startTxNum && hi.endTxNum == item.endTxNum {
-						compressedPageValuesCount := hi.decompressor.CompressedPageValuesCount()
-
-						if hi.decompressor.CompressionFormatVersion() == seg.FileCompressionFormatV0 {
-							compressedPageValuesCount = ht.h.HistoryValuesOnCompressedPage
-						}
-
-						g2 = seg.NewPagedReader(ht.dataReader(hi.decompressor), compressedPageValuesCount, true)
+						g2 = seg.NewPagedReader(ht.dataReader(hi.decompressor), true)
 						break
 					}
 				}
diff --git a/db/state/proto_forkable.go b/db/state/proto_forkable.go
index 117c8466da1..8651a78dd79 100644
--- a/db/state/proto_forkable.go
+++ b/db/state/proto_forkable.go
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ func (a *ProtoForkable) DataReader(f *seg.Decompressor, compress bool) *seg.Read
 }
 
 func (a *ProtoForkable) PagedDataReader(f *seg.Decompressor, compress bool) *seg.PagedReader {
-	return seg.NewPagedReader(a.DataReader(f, compress), a.cfg.ValuesOnCompressedPage, compress)
+	return seg.NewPagedReader(a.DataReader(f, compress), compress)
 }
 
 func (a *ProtoForkable) BuildIndexes(ctx context.Context, decomp *seg.Decompressor, from, to RootNum, ps *background.ProgressSet) (indexes []*recsplit.Index, err error) {
diff --git a/db/state/simple_accessor_builder.go b/db/state/simple_accessor_builder.go
index c7242e17739..988833ff8d2 100644
--- a/db/state/simple_accessor_builder.go
+++ b/db/state/simple_accessor_builder.go
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ func (s *SimpleAccessorBuilder) SetAccessorArgs(args *AccessorArgs) {
 func (s *SimpleAccessorBuilder) GetInputDataQuery(decomp *seg.Decompressor, compressionUsed bool) (*DecompressorIndexInputDataQuery, error) {
 	//sgname := s.parser.DataFile(version.V1_0, from, to)
 	//decomp, _ := seg.NewDecompressorWithMetadata(sgname, true)
-	reader := seg.NewPagedReader(decomp.MakeGetter(), s.args.ValuesOnCompressedPage, compressionUsed)
+	reader := seg.NewPagedReader(decomp.MakeGetter(), compressionUsed)
 	return NewDecompressorIndexInputDataQuery(reader)
 }