diff --git a/core/src/blocktree/kvs.rs b/core/src/blocktree/kvs.rs
index d59235263c..1b97214f4e 100644
--- a/core/src/blocktree/kvs.rs
+++ b/core/src/blocktree/kvs.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 use crate::entry::Entry;
-use crate::kvstore::{self, Key};
+use crate::kvstore::{self, Key, KvStore};
 use crate::packet::Blob;
 use crate::result::{Error, Result};
 
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ use super::db::{
 use super::{Blocktree, BlocktreeError};
 
 #[derive(Debug)]
-pub struct Kvs(());
+pub struct Kvs(KvStore);
 
 /// The metadata column family
 #[derive(Debug)]
diff --git a/core/src/kvstore.rs b/core/src/kvstore.rs
index d27696d66d..2a5ebf7179 100644
--- a/core/src/kvstore.rs
+++ b/core/src/kvstore.rs
@@ -2,14 +2,13 @@ use crate::kvstore::mapper::{Disk, Mapper, Memory};
 use crate::kvstore::sstable::SSTable;
 use crate::kvstore::storage::WriteState;
 use crate::kvstore::writelog::WriteLog;
-
 use std::collections::BTreeMap;
 use std::fs;
 use std::io;
 use std::ops::RangeInclusive;
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 use std::sync::mpsc::{Receiver, Sender};
-use std::sync::{Arc, RwLock};
+use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex, RwLock};
 use std::thread::JoinHandle;
 
 mod compactor;
@@ -48,8 +47,8 @@ pub struct KvStore {
     config: Config,
     root: PathBuf,
     mapper: Arc<dyn Mapper>,
-    req_tx: RwLock<Sender<compactor::Req>>,
-    resp_rx: RwLock<Receiver<compactor::Resp>>,
+    sender: Mutex<Sender<compactor::Req>>,
+    receiver: Mutex<Receiver<compactor::Resp>>,
     compactor_handle: JoinHandle<()>,
 }
 
@@ -201,17 +200,17 @@ impl KvStore {
     }
 
     fn query_compactor(&self) -> Result<()> {
-        if let (Ok(mut req_tx), Ok(mut resp_rx), Ok(mut tables)) = (
-            self.req_tx.try_write(),
-            self.resp_rx.try_write(),
+        if let (Ok(mut sender), Ok(mut receiver), Ok(mut tables)) = (
+            self.sender.try_lock(),
+            self.receiver.try_lock(),
             self.tables.try_write(),
         ) {
             query_compactor(
                 &self.root,
                 &*self.mapper,
                 &mut *tables,
-                &mut *resp_rx,
-                &mut *req_tx,
+                &mut *receiver,
+                &mut *sender,
             )?;
         }
 
@@ -238,8 +237,8 @@ impl KvStore {
         dump_tables(&self.root, &*self.mapper).unwrap();
         if trigger_compact {
             let tables_path = self.root.join(TABLES_FILE);
-            self.req_tx
-                .write()
+            self.sender
+                .lock()
                 .unwrap()
                 .send(compactor::Req::Start(tables_path))
                 .expect("compactor thread dead");
@@ -279,9 +278,9 @@ fn open(root: &Path, mapper: Arc<dyn Mapper>, config: Config) -> Result<KvStore>
         max_pages: config.max_tables,
         page_size: config.page_size,
     };
-    let (req_tx, resp_rx, compactor_handle) = compactor::spawn_compactor(Arc::clone(&mapper), cfg)
+    let (sender, receiver, compactor_handle) = compactor::spawn_compactor(Arc::clone(&mapper), cfg)
         .map_err(|e| io::Error::new(io::ErrorKind::Other, e))?;
-    let (req_tx, resp_rx) = (RwLock::new(req_tx), RwLock::new(resp_rx));
+    let (sender, receiver) = (Mutex::new(sender), Mutex::new(receiver));
 
     Ok(KvStore {
         write,
@@ -289,8 +288,8 @@ fn open(root: &Path, mapper: Arc<dyn Mapper>, config: Config) -> Result<KvStore>
         config,
         mapper,
         root,
-        req_tx,
-        resp_rx,
+        sender,
+        receiver,
         compactor_handle,
     })
 }
@@ -316,14 +315,14 @@ fn query_compactor(
     root: &Path,
     mapper: &dyn Mapper,
     tables: &mut Vec<BTreeMap<Key, SSTable>>,
-    resp_rx: &mut Receiver<compactor::Resp>,
-    req_tx: &mut Sender<compactor::Req>,
+    receiver: &mut Receiver<compactor::Resp>,
+    sender: &mut Sender<compactor::Req>,
 ) -> Result<()> {
-    match resp_rx.try_recv() {
+    match receiver.try_recv() {
         Ok(compactor::Resp::Done(new_tables)) => {
             std::mem::replace(tables, new_tables);
             dump_tables(root, mapper)?;
-            req_tx.send(compactor::Req::Gc).unwrap();
+            sender.send(compactor::Req::Gc).unwrap();
         }
         Ok(compactor::Resp::Failed(e)) => {
             return Err(e);