diff --git a/tsdb/compact.go b/tsdb/compact.go
index fc34b9bef9..3e57512df5 100644
--- a/tsdb/compact.go
+++ b/tsdb/compact.go
@@ -569,7 +569,7 @@ func (c *LeveledCompactor) write(dest string, meta *BlockMeta, blocks ...BlockRe
 		}
 	}
 
-	indexw, err := index.NewWriter(filepath.Join(tmp, indexFilename))
+	indexw, err := index.NewWriter(c.ctx, filepath.Join(tmp, indexFilename))
 	if err != nil {
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "open index writer")
 	}
diff --git a/tsdb/compact_test.go b/tsdb/compact_test.go
index 09d75c803e..db90651099 100644
--- a/tsdb/compact_test.go
+++ b/tsdb/compact_test.go
@@ -956,8 +956,8 @@ func TestCancelCompactions(t *testing.T) {
 	}()
 
 	// Create some blocks to fall within the compaction range.
-	createBlock(t, tmpdir, genSeries(10, 10000, 0, 1000))
-	createBlock(t, tmpdir, genSeries(10, 10000, 1000, 2000))
+	createBlock(t, tmpdir, genSeries(1, 10000, 0, 1000))
+	createBlock(t, tmpdir, genSeries(1, 10000, 1000, 2000))
 	createBlock(t, tmpdir, genSeries(1, 1, 2000, 2001)) // The most recent block is ignored so can be e small one.
 
 	// Copy the db so we have an exact copy to compare compaction times.
diff --git a/tsdb/index/index.go b/tsdb/index/index.go
index 882d00ef49..e51ff0e8d7 100644
--- a/tsdb/index/index.go
+++ b/tsdb/index/index.go
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ package index
 
 import (
 	"bufio"
+	"context"
 	"encoding/binary"
 	"hash"
 	"hash/crc32"
@@ -111,6 +112,7 @@ func newCRC32() hash.Hash32 {
 // Writer implements the IndexWriter interface for the standard
 // serialization format.
 type Writer struct {
+	ctx  context.Context
 	f    *os.File
 	fbuf *bufio.Writer
 	pos  uint64
@@ -176,7 +178,7 @@ func NewTOCFromByteSlice(bs ByteSlice) (*TOC, error) {
 }
 
 // NewWriter returns a new Writer to the given filename. It serializes data in format version 2.
-func NewWriter(fn string) (*Writer, error) {
+func NewWriter(ctx context.Context, fn string) (*Writer, error) {
 	dir := filepath.Dir(fn)
 
 	df, err := fileutil.OpenDir(dir)
@@ -198,6 +200,7 @@ func NewWriter(fn string) (*Writer, error) {
 	}
 
 	iw := &Writer{
+		ctx:   ctx,
 		f:     f,
 		fbuf:  bufio.NewWriterSize(f, 1<<22),
 		pos:   0,
@@ -256,6 +259,12 @@ func (w *Writer) addPadding(size int) error {
 // ensureStage handles transitions between write stages and ensures that IndexWriter
 // methods are called in an order valid for the implementation.
 func (w *Writer) ensureStage(s indexWriterStage) error {
+	select {
+	case <-w.ctx.Done():
+		return w.ctx.Err()
+	default:
+	}
+
 	if w.stage == s {
 		return nil
 	}
@@ -699,6 +708,11 @@ func (w *Writer) writePostings() error {
 				}
 			}
 		}
+		select {
+		case <-w.ctx.Done():
+			return w.ctx.Err()
+		default:
+		}
 
 	}
 	return nil
diff --git a/tsdb/index/index_test.go b/tsdb/index/index_test.go
index 7cd891abc4..d60af036cf 100644
--- a/tsdb/index/index_test.go
+++ b/tsdb/index/index_test.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 package index
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"math/rand"
@@ -155,7 +156,7 @@ func TestIndexRW_Create_Open(t *testing.T) {
 	fn := filepath.Join(dir, indexFilename)
 
 	// An empty index must still result in a readable file.
-	iw, err := NewWriter(fn)
+	iw, err := NewWriter(context.Background(), fn)
 	testutil.Ok(t, err)
 	testutil.Ok(t, iw.Close())
 
@@ -183,7 +184,7 @@ func TestIndexRW_Postings(t *testing.T) {
 
 	fn := filepath.Join(dir, indexFilename)
 
-	iw, err := NewWriter(fn)
+	iw, err := NewWriter(context.Background(), fn)
 	testutil.Ok(t, err)
 
 	series := []labels.Labels{
@@ -247,7 +248,7 @@ func TestPostingsMany(t *testing.T) {
 
 	fn := filepath.Join(dir, indexFilename)
 
-	iw, err := NewWriter(fn)
+	iw, err := NewWriter(context.Background(), fn)
 	testutil.Ok(t, err)
 
 	// Create a label in the index which has 999 values.
@@ -368,7 +369,7 @@ func TestPersistence_index_e2e(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 
-	iw, err := NewWriter(filepath.Join(dir, indexFilename))
+	iw, err := NewWriter(context.Background(), filepath.Join(dir, indexFilename))
 	testutil.Ok(t, err)
 
 	testutil.Ok(t, iw.AddSymbols(symbols))