diff --git a/src/hanoi.erl b/src/hanoi.erl
index 8758049..27c0aaf 100644
--- a/src/hanoi.erl
+++ b/src/hanoi.erl
@@ -231,15 +231,24 @@ open_levels(Dir,Options) ->
     %% remove old nursery file
     file:delete(filename:join(Dir,"nursery.data")),
 
-    TopLevel =
-        lists:foldl( fun(LevelNo, Prev) ->
+    {TopLevel, MaxMerge} =
+        lists:foldl( fun(LevelNo, {Prev, Max}) ->
                              {ok, Level} = hanoi_level:open(Dir,LevelNo,Prev,Options),
-                             Level
-                     end,
-                     undefined,
-                     lists:seq(MaxLevel, MinLevel, -1)),
 
-    ok = hanoi_level:incremental_merge(TopLevel, 2*?BTREE_SIZE(MaxLevel)),
+                             NextMax = max(Max, hanoi_level:unmerged_count(Level)),
+
+                             {Level, NextMax}
+                     end,
+                     {undefined, 0},
+                     lists:seq(MaxLevel, ?TOP_LEVEL, -1)),
+
+    %% we need to do this much merge work before we can guarantee
+    %% response times ... this is the amount of "in flight" merging
+    %% we lost when the hanoi store was closed.
+    ok = hanoi_level:incremental_merge(TopLevel, MaxMerge),
+
+    %% second incremental merge blocks until the previous is done
+    ok = hanoi_level:incremental_merge(TopLevel, 0),
 
     {ok, TopLevel}.
 
diff --git a/src/hanoi_level.erl b/src/hanoi_level.erl
index 1774b67..b417b13 100644
--- a/src/hanoi_level.erl
+++ b/src/hanoi_level.erl
@@ -42,7 +42,8 @@
 -behavior(plain_fsm).
 -export([data_vsn/0, code_change/3]).
 
--export([open/4, lookup/2, inject/2, close/1, snapshot_range/3, blocking_range/3, incremental_merge/2]).
+-export([open/4, lookup/2, inject/2, close/1, snapshot_range/3, blocking_range/3,
+         incremental_merge/2, unmerged_count/1]).
 
 -include_lib("kernel/include/file.hrl").
 
@@ -72,6 +73,9 @@ inject(Ref, FileName) ->
 incremental_merge(Ref,HowMuch) ->
     call(Ref, {incremental_merge, HowMuch}).
 
+unmerged_count(Ref) ->
+    call(Ref, unmerged_count).
+
 close(Ref) ->
     try
         call(Ref, close)
@@ -242,6 +246,16 @@ main_loop(State = #state{ next=Next }) ->
             check_begin_merge_then_loop(setelement(SetPos, State, BT));
 
 
+        ?REQ(From, unmerged_count) ->
+            Files =
+                  (if State#state.b == undefined -> 0; true -> 1 end)
+                + (if State#state.c == undefined -> 0; true -> 1 end),
+
+            Amount = Files * ?BTREE_SIZE( State#state.level ),
+
+            reply(From, Amount),
+            main_loop(State);
+
         %% replies OK when there is no current step in progress
         ?REQ(From, {incremental_merge, HowMuch})
           when State#state.step_merge_ref == undefined,