diff --git a/pageserver/src/config.rs b/pageserver/src/config.rs
index 869a094963..50030881ca 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/config.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/config.rs
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@ use crate::layered_repository::TIMELINES_SEGMENT_NAME;
 use crate::tenant_config::{TenantConf, TenantConfOpt};
 
 pub const ZSTD_MAX_SAMPLES: usize = 1024;
-pub const ZSTD_MAX_DICTIONARY_SIZE: usize = 64 * 1024;
+pub const ZSTD_MIN_SAMPLES: usize = 8; // magic requirement of zstd
+pub const ZSTD_MAX_DICTIONARY_SIZE: usize = 128 * 1024;
 pub const ZSTD_COMPRESSION_LEVEL: i32 = 0; // default compression level
 
 pub mod defaults {
diff --git a/pageserver/src/layered_repository.rs b/pageserver/src/layered_repository.rs
index 141a1b0780..f7731afd8d 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/layered_repository.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/layered_repository.rs
@@ -1996,8 +1996,11 @@ impl LayeredTimeline {
                             break;
                         }
                     }
-                    let dictionary =
-                        zstd::dict::from_samples(&samples, config::ZSTD_MAX_DICTIONARY_SIZE)?;
+                    let dictionary = if samples.len() >= config::ZSTD_MIN_SAMPLES {
+                        zstd::dict::from_samples(&samples, config::ZSTD_MAX_DICTIONARY_SIZE)?
+                    } else {
+                        Vec::new()
+                    };
 
                     writer = Some(DeltaLayerWriter::new(
                         self.conf,
diff --git a/pageserver/src/layered_repository/delta_layer.rs b/pageserver/src/layered_repository/delta_layer.rs
index 9101f4fff4..e07928c7fa 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/layered_repository/delta_layer.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/layered_repository/delta_layer.rs
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ use crate::{DELTA_FILE_MAGIC, STORAGE_FORMAT_VERSION};
 use anyhow::{bail, ensure, Context, Result};
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 use tracing::*;
-// avoid binding to Write (conflicts with std::io::Write)
+// avoid binding to Write (conflicts with std::sio::Write)
 // while being able to use std::fmt::Write's methods
 use std::fmt::Write as _;
 use std::fs;
@@ -271,11 +271,14 @@ impl Layer for DeltaLayer {
                         file.file.path.display()
                     )
                 })?;
-                let buf = cursor.read_blob(pos)?;
-                let mut decoder = zstd::Decoder::with_dictionary(&*buf, dictionary)?;
-                let mut decompressed: Vec<u8> = Vec::new();
-                decoder.read_to_end(&mut decompressed)?;
-                let val = Value::des(&decompressed).with_context(|| {
+                let val = if dictionary.is_empty() {
+                    Value::des(&buf)
+                } else {
+                    let mut decoder = zstd::Decoder::with_dictionary(&*buf, dictionary)?;
+                    let mut decompressed: Vec<u8> = Vec::new();
+                    decoder.read_to_end(&mut decompressed)?;
+                    Value::des(&decompressed)
+                }.with_context(|| {
                     format!(
                         "Failed to deserialize file blob from virtual file {}",
                         file.file.path.display()
@@ -353,7 +356,6 @@ impl Layer for DeltaLayer {
         }
 
         let inner = self.load()?;
-
         println!(
             "index_start_blk: {}, root {}",
             inner.index_start_blk, inner.index_root_blk
@@ -369,6 +371,8 @@ impl Layer for DeltaLayer {
         tree_reader.dump()?;
 
         let mut cursor = file.block_cursor();
+        let dictionary = inner.dictionary.as_ref().unwrap();
+
         tree_reader.visit(
             &[0u8; DELTA_KEY_SIZE],
             VisitDirection::Forwards,
@@ -380,7 +384,15 @@ impl Layer for DeltaLayer {
                 let mut desc = String::new();
                 match cursor.read_blob(blob_ref.pos()) {
                     Ok(buf) => {
-                        let val = Value::des(&buf);
+                        let val = if dictionary.is_empty() {
+                            Value::des(&buf)
+                        } else {
+                            let mut decoder =
+                                zstd::Decoder::with_dictionary(&*buf, dictionary).unwrap();
+                            let mut decompressed: Vec<u8> = Vec::new();
+                            decoder.read_to_end(&mut decompressed).unwrap();
+                            Value::des(&decompressed)
+                        };
                         match val {
                             Ok(Value::Image(img)) => {
                                 write!(&mut desc, " img {} bytes", img.len()).unwrap();
@@ -664,16 +676,19 @@ impl DeltaLayerWriter {
         assert!(self.lsn_range.start <= lsn);
 
         let body = &Value::ser(&val)?;
-        let mut compressed: Vec<u8> = Vec::new();
-        let mut encoder = zstd::Encoder::with_dictionary(
-            &mut compressed,
-            config::ZSTD_COMPRESSION_LEVEL,
-            &self.dictionary,
-        )?;
-        encoder.write_all(&body)?;
-        encoder.finish()?;
-
-        let off = self.blob_writer.write_blob(&compressed)?;
+        let off = if self.dictionary.is_empty() {
+            self.blob_writer.write_blob(body)
+        } else {
+            let mut compressed: Vec<u8> = Vec::new();
+            let mut encoder = zstd::Encoder::with_dictionary(
+                &mut compressed,
+                config::ZSTD_COMPRESSION_LEVEL,
+                &self.dictionary,
+            )?;
+            encoder.write_all(body)?;
+            encoder.finish()?;
+            self.blob_writer.write_blob(&compressed)
+        }?;
 
         let blob_ref = BlobRef::new(off, val.will_init());
 
@@ -823,13 +838,18 @@ impl<'a> DeltaValueIter<'a> {
             let lsn = delta_key.lsn();
 
             let buf = self.reader.read_blob(blob_ref.pos())?;
-            let mut decoder = zstd::Decoder::with_dictionary(
-                &*buf,
-                self.reader.reader.0.dictionary.as_ref().unwrap(),
-            )?;
-            let mut decompressed: Vec<u8> = Vec::new();
-            decoder.read_to_end(&mut decompressed)?;
-            let val = Value::des(&decompressed)?;
+            let dictionary = self.reader.reader.0.dictionary.as_ref().unwrap();
+            let val = if dictionary.is_empty() {
+                Value::des(&buf)
+            } else {
+                let mut decoder = zstd::Decoder::with_dictionary(
+                    &*buf,
+                    self.reader.reader.0.dictionary.as_ref().unwrap(),
+                )?;
+                let mut decompressed: Vec<u8> = Vec::new();
+                decoder.read_to_end(&mut decompressed)?;
+                Value::des(&decompressed)
+            }?;
             self.next_idx += 1;
             Ok(Some((key, lsn, val)))
         } else {
diff --git a/pageserver/src/layered_repository/inmemory_layer.rs b/pageserver/src/layered_repository/inmemory_layer.rs
index 312e655bfc..5026f89c1b 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/layered_repository/inmemory_layer.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/layered_repository/inmemory_layer.rs
@@ -338,8 +338,11 @@ impl InMemoryLayer {
                 }
             }
         }
-        let dictionary = zstd::dict::from_samples(&samples, config::ZSTD_MAX_DICTIONARY_SIZE)?;
-
+        let dictionary = if samples.len() >= config::ZSTD_MIN_SAMPLES {
+            zstd::dict::from_samples(&samples, config::ZSTD_MAX_DICTIONARY_SIZE)?
+        } else {
+            Vec::new()
+        };
         let mut delta_layer_writer = DeltaLayerWriter::new(
             self.conf,
             self.timelineid,