diff --git a/src/rdb/rdb_raft.c b/src/rdb/rdb_raft.c
index f1e2f59846b..c46754c4188 100644
--- a/src/rdb/rdb_raft.c
+++ b/src/rdb/rdb_raft.c
@@ -1341,6 +1341,31 @@ static raft_cbs_t rdb_raft_cbs = {
 	.log				= rdb_raft_cb_debug
 };
 
+static int
+rdb_raft_compact_to_index(struct rdb *db, uint64_t index)
+{
+	int rc;
+
+	D_DEBUG(DB_TRACE, DF_DB": snapping "DF_U64"\n", DP_DB(db),
+		index);
+	rc = raft_begin_snapshot(db->d_raft, index);
+	D_ASSERTF(rc == 0, ""DF_RC"\n", DP_RC(rc));
+	/*
+	 * VOS snaps every new index implicitly.
+	 *
+	 * raft_end_snapshot() only polls the log and wakes up
+	 * rdb_compactd(), which does the real compaction (i.e., VOS
+	 * aggregation) in the background.
+	 */
+	rc = raft_end_snapshot(db->d_raft);
+	if (rc != 0) {
+		D_ERROR(DF_DB": failed to poll entries: %d\n",
+			DP_DB(db), rc);
+		rc = rdb_raft_rc(rc);
+	}
+
+	return rc;
+}
 /*
  * Check if the log should be compacted. If so, trigger the compaction by
  * taking a snapshot (i.e., simply increasing the log base index in our
@@ -1375,23 +1400,8 @@ rdb_raft_trigger_compaction(struct rdb *db)
 			index = base + 1;
 		else
 			index = base + n / 2;
-		D_DEBUG(DB_TRACE, DF_DB": snapping "DF_U64"\n", DP_DB(db),
-			index);
-		rc = raft_begin_snapshot(db->d_raft, index);
-		D_ASSERTF(rc == 0, ""DF_RC"\n", DP_RC(rc));
-		/*
-		 * VOS snaps every new index implicitly.
-		 *
-		 * raft_end_snapshot() only polls the log and wakes up
-		 * rdb_compactd(), which does the real compaction (i.e., VOS
-		 * aggregation) in the background.
-		 */
-		rc = raft_end_snapshot(db->d_raft);
-		if (rc != 0) {
-			D_ERROR(DF_DB": failed to poll %d entries: %d\n",
-				DP_DB(db), n, rc);
-			rc = rdb_raft_rc(rc);
-		}
+
+		rc = rdb_raft_compact_to_index(db, index);
 	}
 	return rc;
 }
@@ -1719,7 +1729,11 @@ rdb_raft_check_state(struct rdb *db, const struct rdb_raft_state *state,
 		rc = compaction_rc;
 	switch (rc) {
 	case -DER_NOMEM:
+	case -DER_NOSPACE:
 		if (leader) {
+			/* No space / desperation: compact to committed idx */
+			rdb_raft_compact_to_index(db, committed);
+
 			raft_become_follower(db->d_raft);
 			leader = false;
 			/* If stepping up fails, don't step down. */
@@ -1729,7 +1743,6 @@ rdb_raft_check_state(struct rdb *db, const struct rdb_raft_state *state,
 		}
 		break;
 	case -DER_SHUTDOWN:
-	case -DER_NOSPACE:
 	case -DER_IO:
 		db->d_cbs->dc_stop(db, rc, db->d_arg);
 		break;
diff --git a/src/tests/ftest/server/metadata.py b/src/tests/ftest/server/metadata.py
index e91edf37f18..5f9bbfa8a35 100755
--- a/src/tests/ftest/server/metadata.py
+++ b/src/tests/ftest/server/metadata.py
@@ -45,8 +45,7 @@
 from write_host_file import write_host_file
 from test_utils_pool import TestPool
 
-NO_OF_MAX_CONTAINER = 13180
-
+NO_OF_MAX_CONTAINER = 13034
 
 def ior_runner_thread(manager, uuids, results):
     """IOR run thread method.
@@ -131,19 +130,20 @@ def test_metadata_fillup(self):
         Use Cases:
             ?
 
-        :avocado: tags=all,metadata,pr,small,metadatafill
+        :avocado: tags=all,metadata,large,metadatafill,hw
+        :avocado: tags=full_regression
         """
         self.pool.pool.connect(2)
         container = DaosContainer(self.context)
 
-        self.d_log.debug("Fillup Metadata....")
+        self.log.info("Fillup Metadata....")
         for _cont in range(NO_OF_MAX_CONTAINER):
             container.create(self.pool.pool.handle)
 
         # This should fail with no Metadata space Error.
-        self.d_log.debug("Metadata Overload...")
+        self.log.info("Metadata Overload...")
         try:
-            for _cont in range(250):
+            for _cont in range(400):
                 container.create(self.pool.pool.handle)
             self.fail("Test expected to fail with a no metadata space error")
 
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ def test_metadata_addremove(self):
         Use Cases:
             ?
 
-        :avocado: tags=metadata,metadata_free_space,nvme,medium,hw
+        :avocado: tags=metadata,metadata_free_space,nvme,large,hw
         :avocado: tags=full_regression
         """
         self.pool.pool.connect(2)
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ def test_metadata_server_restart(self):
         Use Cases:
             ?
 
-        :avocado: tags=metadata,metadata_ior,nvme,small
+        :avocado: tags=metadata,metadata_ior,nvme,large
         """
         files_per_thread = 400
         total_ior_threads = 5
diff --git a/src/tests/ftest/server/metadata.yaml b/src/tests/ftest/server/metadata.yaml
index c6ab2522651..7317dc8a407 100644
--- a/src/tests/ftest/server/metadata.yaml
+++ b/src/tests/ftest/server/metadata.yaml
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ hosts:
   test_servers:
     - server-A
     - server-B
+    - server-C
+    - server-D
   test_clients:
     - client-C
 timeout: 1800
@@ -22,7 +24,7 @@ pool:
   createset:
     group: daos_server
   createsvc:
-    svcn: 1
+    svcn: 3
   createsize:
     scm_size: 1073741824
     nvme_size: 1073741824