diff --git a/logd/SerializedFlushToState.cpp b/logd/SerializedFlushToState.cpp
index 2633348..b02ccc3 100644
--- a/logd/SerializedFlushToState.cpp
+++ b/logd/SerializedFlushToState.cpp
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 SerializedFlushToState::~SerializedFlushToState() {
     log_id_for_each(i) {
         if (log_positions_[i]) {
-            log_positions_[i]->buffer_it->DecReaderRefCount(true);
+            log_positions_[i]->buffer_it->DecReaderRefCount();
         }
     }
 }
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@
             logs_needed_from_next_position_[log_id] = true;
         } else {
             // Otherwise, if there is another buffer piece, move to that and do the same check.
-            buffer_it->DecReaderRefCount(true);
+            buffer_it->DecReaderRefCount();
             ++buffer_it;
             buffer_it->IncReaderRefCount();
             log_positions_[log_id]->read_offset = 0;
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@
     }
 
     // // Decrease the ref count since we're deleting our reference.
-    buffer_it->DecReaderRefCount(false);
+    buffer_it->DecReaderRefCount();
 
     // Delete in the reference.
     log_positions_[log_id].reset();
diff --git a/logd/SerializedLogBuffer.cpp b/logd/SerializedLogBuffer.cpp
index a626d30..972a3f3 100644
--- a/logd/SerializedLogBuffer.cpp
+++ b/logd/SerializedLogBuffer.cpp
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@
         stats_->Subtract(entry->ToLogStatisticsElement(log_id));
         read_offset += entry->total_len();
     }
-    chunk.DecReaderRefCount(false);
+    chunk.DecReaderRefCount();
 }
 
 void SerializedLogBuffer::NotifyReadersOfPrune(
diff --git a/logd/SerializedLogChunk.cpp b/logd/SerializedLogChunk.cpp
index e444856..de641d6 100644
--- a/logd/SerializedLogChunk.cpp
+++ b/logd/SerializedLogChunk.cpp
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@
                   << " size used: " << write_offset_
                   << " compressed size: " << compressed_log_.size();
     }
-    contents_.Resize(0);
 }
 
 // TODO: Develop a better reference counting strategy to guard against the case where the writer is
@@ -44,13 +43,13 @@
     CompressionEngine::GetInstance().Decompress(compressed_log_, contents_);
 }
 
-void SerializedLogChunk::DecReaderRefCount(bool compress) {
+void SerializedLogChunk::DecReaderRefCount() {
     CHECK_NE(reader_ref_count_, 0U);
     if (--reader_ref_count_ != 0) {
         return;
     }
-    if (compress && !writer_active_) {
-        Compress();
+    if (!writer_active_) {
+        contents_.Resize(0);
     }
 }
 
@@ -83,18 +82,19 @@
     }
 
     if (new_write_offset == 0) {
-        DecReaderRefCount(false);
+        DecReaderRefCount();
         return true;
     }
 
-    // Clear the old compressed logs and set write_offset_ appropriately for DecReaderRefCount()
-    // to compress the new partially cleared log.
+    // Clear the old compressed logs and set write_offset_ appropriately to compress the new
+    // partially cleared log.
     if (new_write_offset != write_offset_) {
         compressed_log_.Resize(0);
         write_offset_ = new_write_offset;
+        Compress();
     }
 
-    DecReaderRefCount(true);
+    DecReaderRefCount();
 
     return false;
 }
diff --git a/logd/SerializedLogChunk.h b/logd/SerializedLogChunk.h
index 50bae63..0991eac 100644
--- a/logd/SerializedLogChunk.h
+++ b/logd/SerializedLogChunk.h
@@ -30,9 +30,7 @@
 
     void Compress();
     void IncReaderRefCount();
-    // Decrease the reader ref count and compress the log if appropriate.  `compress` should only be
-    // set to false in the case that the log buffer will be deleted afterwards.
-    void DecReaderRefCount(bool compress);
+    void DecReaderRefCount();
 
     // Must have no readers referencing this.  Return true if there are no logs left in this chunk.
     bool ClearUidLogs(uid_t uid, log_id_t log_id, LogStatistics* stats);
@@ -50,8 +48,9 @@
 
     void FinishWriting() {
         writer_active_ = false;
+        Compress();
         if (reader_ref_count_ == 0) {
-            Compress();
+            contents_.Resize(0);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/logd/SerializedLogChunkTest.cpp b/logd/SerializedLogChunkTest.cpp
index 2b478a3..f10b9c6 100644
--- a/logd/SerializedLogChunkTest.cpp
+++ b/logd/SerializedLogChunkTest.cpp
@@ -113,8 +113,7 @@
 TEST(SerializedLogChunk, catch_DecCompressedRef_CHECK) {
     size_t chunk_size = 10 * 4096;
     auto chunk = SerializedLogChunk{chunk_size};
-    EXPECT_DEATH({ chunk.DecReaderRefCount(true); }, "");
-    EXPECT_DEATH({ chunk.DecReaderRefCount(false); }, "");
+    EXPECT_DEATH({ chunk.DecReaderRefCount(); }, "");
 }
 
 // Check that the CHECK() in ClearUidLogs() if the ref count is greater than 0 is caught.
@@ -123,7 +122,7 @@
     auto chunk = SerializedLogChunk{chunk_size};
     chunk.IncReaderRefCount();
     EXPECT_DEATH({ chunk.ClearUidLogs(1000, LOG_ID_MAIN, nullptr); }, "");
-    chunk.DecReaderRefCount(false);
+    chunk.DecReaderRefCount();
 }
 
 class UidClearTest : public testing::TestWithParam<bool> {
@@ -144,7 +143,7 @@
         check(chunk_);
 
         if (finish_writing) {
-            chunk_.DecReaderRefCount(false);
+            chunk_.DecReaderRefCount();
         }
     }