diff --git a/src/termdict/sstable_termdict/sstable/mod.rs b/src/termdict/sstable_termdict/sstable/mod.rs
index 71c387cae1..0afef761cd 100644
--- a/src/termdict/sstable_termdict/sstable/mod.rs
+++ b/src/termdict/sstable_termdict/sstable/mod.rs
@@ -145,6 +145,12 @@ where
     }
 
     pub fn write_key(&mut self, key: &[u8]) {
+        // If this is the first key in the block, we use it to
+        // shorten the last term in the last block.
+        if self.first_ordinal_of_the_block == self.num_terms {
+            self.index_builder
+                .shorten_last_block_key_given_next_key(key);
+        }
         let keep_len = common_prefix_len(&self.previous_key, key);
         let add_len = key.len() - keep_len;
         let increasing_keys = add_len > 0 && (self.previous_key.len() == keep_len)
@@ -273,11 +279,12 @@ mod test {
                 33u8, 18u8, 19u8, // keep 1 push 1 | 20
                 17u8, 20u8, 0u8, 0u8, 0u8, 0u8, // no more blocks
                 // index
-                161, 102, 98, 108, 111, 99, 107, 115, 129, 162, 104, 108, 97, 115, 116, 95, 107,
-                101, 121, 130, 17, 20, 106, 98, 108, 111, 99, 107, 95, 97, 100, 100, 114, 162, 106,
-                98, 121, 116, 101, 95, 114, 97, 110, 103, 101, 162, 101, 115, 116, 97, 114, 116, 0,
-                99, 101, 110, 100, 11, 109, 102, 105, 114, 115, 116, 95, 111, 114, 100, 105, 110,
-                97, 108, 0, 15, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, // offset for the index
+                161, 102, 98, 108, 111, 99, 107, 115, 129, 162, 115, 108, 97, 115, 116, 95, 107,
+                101, 121, 95, 111, 114, 95, 103, 114, 101, 97, 116, 101, 114, 130, 17, 20, 106, 98,
+                108, 111, 99, 107, 95, 97, 100, 100, 114, 162, 106, 98, 121, 116, 101, 95, 114, 97,
+                110, 103, 101, 162, 101, 115, 116, 97, 114, 116, 0, 99, 101, 110, 100, 11, 109,
+                102, 105, 114, 115, 116, 95, 111, 114, 100, 105, 110, 97, 108, 0, 15, 0, 0, 0, 0,
+                0, 0, 0, // offset for the index
                 3u8, 0u8, 0u8, 0u8, 0u8, 0u8, 0u8, 0u8 // num terms
             ]
         );
diff --git a/src/termdict/sstable_termdict/sstable/sstable_index.rs b/src/termdict/sstable_termdict/sstable/sstable_index.rs
index e1fceceeed..f239b20205 100644
--- a/src/termdict/sstable_termdict/sstable/sstable_index.rs
+++ b/src/termdict/sstable_termdict/sstable/sstable_index.rs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ use std::ops::Range;
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 
 use crate::error::DataCorruption;
+use crate::termdict::sstable_termdict::sstable::common_prefix_len;
 
 #[derive(Default, Debug, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub struct SSTableIndex {
@@ -19,7 +20,7 @@ impl SSTableIndex {
     pub fn search(&self, key: &[u8]) -> Option<BlockAddr> {
         self.blocks
             .iter()
-            .find(|block| &block.last_key[..] >= key)
+            .find(|block| &block.last_key_or_greater[..] >= key)
             .map(|block| block.block_addr.clone())
     }
 }
@@ -32,7 +33,9 @@ pub struct BlockAddr {
 
 #[derive(Debug, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 struct BlockMeta {
-    pub last_key: Vec<u8>,
+    /// Any byte string that is lexicographically greater than the last key in the block,
+    /// and yet stricly smaller than the first key in the next block.
+    pub last_key_or_greater: Vec<u8>,
     pub block_addr: BlockAddr,
 }
 
@@ -41,10 +44,39 @@ pub struct SSTableIndexBuilder {
     index: SSTableIndex,
 }
 
+/// Given that left < right,
+/// mutates `left into a shorter byte string left'` that
+/// matches `left <= left' < right`.
+fn find_shorter_str_in_between(left: &mut Vec<u8>, right: &[u8]) {
+    assert!(&left[..] < right);
+    let common_len = common_prefix_len(&left, right);
+    if left.len() == common_len {
+        return;
+    }
+    // It is possible to do one character shorter in some case,
+    // but it is not worth the extra complexity
+    for pos in (common_len + 1)..left.len() {
+        if left[pos] != u8::MAX {
+            left[pos] += 1;
+            left.truncate(pos + 1);
+            return;
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 impl SSTableIndexBuilder {
+    /// In order to make the index as light as possible, we
+    /// try to find a shorter alternative to the last key of the last block
+    /// that is still smaller than the next key.
+    pub(crate) fn shorten_last_block_key_given_next_key(&mut self, next_key: &[u8]) {
+        if let Some(last_block) = self.index.blocks.last_mut() {
+            find_shorter_str_in_between(&mut last_block.last_key_or_greater, next_key);
+        }
+    }
+
     pub fn add_block(&mut self, last_key: &[u8], byte_range: Range<usize>, first_ordinal: u64) {
         self.index.blocks.push(BlockMeta {
-            last_key: last_key.to_vec(),
+            last_key_or_greater: last_key.to_vec(),
             block_addr: BlockAddr {
                 byte_range,
                 first_ordinal,
@@ -97,4 +129,35 @@ mod tests {
             "Data corruption: SSTable index is corrupted."
         );
     }
+
+    #[track_caller]
+    fn test_find_shorter_str_in_between_aux(left: &[u8], right: &[u8]) {
+        let mut left_buf = left.to_vec();
+        super::find_shorter_str_in_between(&mut left_buf, right);
+        assert!(left_buf.len() <= left.len());
+        assert!(left <= &left_buf);
+        assert!(&left_buf[..] < &right);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_find_shorter_str_in_between() {
+        test_find_shorter_str_in_between_aux(b"", b"hello");
+        test_find_shorter_str_in_between_aux(b"abc", b"abcd");
+        test_find_shorter_str_in_between_aux(b"abcd", b"abd");
+        test_find_shorter_str_in_between_aux(&[0, 0, 0], &[1]);
+        test_find_shorter_str_in_between_aux(&[0, 0, 0], &[0, 0, 1]);
+        test_find_shorter_str_in_between_aux(&[0, 0, 255, 255, 255, 0u8], &[0, 1]);
+    }
+
+    use proptest::prelude::*;
+
+    proptest! {
+        #![proptest_config(ProptestConfig::with_cases(100))]
+        #[test]
+        fn test_proptest_find_shorter_str(left in any::<Vec<u8>>(), right in any::<Vec<u8>>()) {
+            if left < right {
+                test_find_shorter_str_in_between_aux(&left, &right);
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }