diff --git a/db/db_impl.cc b/db/db_impl.cc
index 2b409999e..415afe892 100644
--- a/db/db_impl.cc
+++ b/db/db_impl.cc
@@ -1112,9 +1112,8 @@ Status DBImpl::WriteLevel0Table(ColumnFamilyData* cfd,
     mutex_.Unlock();
     std::vector<Iterator*> memtables;
     for (MemTable* m : mems) {
-      Log(options_.info_log,
-          "Flushing memtable with log file: %lu\n",
-          (unsigned long)m->GetLogNumber());
+      Log(options_.info_log, "Flushing memtable with next log file: %lu\n",
+          (unsigned long)m->GetNextLogNumber());
       memtables.push_back(m->NewIterator());
     }
     Iterator* iter = NewMergingIterator(env_, &cfd->internal_comparator(),
@@ -1206,11 +1205,6 @@ Status DBImpl::FlushMemTableToOutputFile(ColumnFamilyData* cfd,
   edit->SetLogNumber(mems.back()->GetNextLogNumber());
   edit->SetColumnFamily(cfd->GetID());
 
-  std::vector<uint64_t> logs_to_delete;
-  for (auto mem : mems) {
-    logs_to_delete.push_back(mem->GetLogNumber());
-  }
-
   // This will release and re-acquire the mutex.
   Status s = WriteLevel0Table(cfd, mems, edit, &file_number);
 
@@ -1239,10 +1233,11 @@ Status DBImpl::FlushMemTableToOutputFile(ColumnFamilyData* cfd,
 
     if (disable_delete_obsolete_files_ == 0) {
       // add to deletion state
-      deletion_state.log_delete_files.insert(
-          deletion_state.log_delete_files.end(),
-          logs_to_delete.begin(),
-          logs_to_delete.end());
+      while (alive_log_files_.size() &&
+             *alive_log_files_.begin() < versions_->MinLogNumber()) {
+        deletion_state.log_delete_files.push_back(*alive_log_files_.begin());
+        alive_log_files_.pop_front();
+      }
     }
   }
   return s;
@@ -3589,12 +3584,14 @@ Status DBImpl::MakeRoomForWrite(ColumnFamilyData* cfd, bool force) {
       logfile_number_ = new_log_number;
       log_.reset(new log::Writer(std::move(lfile)));
       cfd->mem()->SetNextLogNumber(logfile_number_);
+      // TODO also update log number for all column families with empty
+      // memtables (i.e. don't have data in the old log)
       cfd->imm()->Add(cfd->mem());
       if (force) {
         cfd->imm()->FlushRequested();
       }
       new_mem->Ref();
-      new_mem->SetLogNumber(logfile_number_);
+      alive_log_files_.push_back(logfile_number_);
       cfd->SetMemtable(new_mem);
       Log(options_.info_log, "New memtable created with log file: #%lu\n",
           (unsigned long)logfile_number_);
@@ -3936,7 +3933,7 @@ Status DB::Open(const DBOptions& db_options, const std::string& dbname,
     if (s.ok()) {
       for (auto cfd : *impl->versions_->GetColumnFamilySet()) {
         delete cfd->InstallSuperVersion(new SuperVersion());
-        cfd->mem()->SetLogNumber(impl->logfile_number_);
+        impl->alive_log_files_.push_back(impl->logfile_number_);
       }
       impl->DeleteObsoleteFiles();
       impl->MaybeScheduleFlushOrCompaction();
diff --git a/db/db_impl.h b/db/db_impl.h
index 62bbe4c76..43d94b127 100644
--- a/db/db_impl.h
+++ b/db/db_impl.h
@@ -386,6 +386,7 @@ class DBImpl : public DB {
   unique_ptr<log::Writer> log_;
   ColumnFamilyHandleImpl* default_cf_handle_;
   unique_ptr<ColumnFamilyMemTablesImpl> column_family_memtables_;
+  std::deque<uint32_t> alive_log_files_;
 
   std::string host_name_;
 
diff --git a/db/memtable.cc b/db/memtable.cc
index 5a718e70c..c0fdd1cad 100644
--- a/db/memtable.cc
+++ b/db/memtable.cc
@@ -48,7 +48,6 @@ MemTable::MemTable(const InternalKeyComparator& cmp,
       file_number_(0),
       first_seqno_(0),
       mem_next_logfile_number_(0),
-      mem_logfile_number_(0),
       locks_(options.inplace_update_support ? options.inplace_update_num_locks
                                             : 0),
       prefix_extractor_(options.prefix_extractor) {
diff --git a/db/memtable.h b/db/memtable.h
index 6f36ce4a1..cf93aece8 100644
--- a/db/memtable.h
+++ b/db/memtable.h
@@ -143,14 +143,6 @@ class MemTable {
   // be flushed to storage
   void SetNextLogNumber(uint64_t num) { mem_next_logfile_number_ = num; }
 
-  // Returns the logfile number that can be safely deleted when this
-  // memstore is flushed to storage
-  uint64_t GetLogNumber() { return mem_logfile_number_; }
-
-  // Sets the logfile number that can be safely deleted when this
-  // memstore is flushed to storage
-  void SetLogNumber(uint64_t num) { mem_logfile_number_ = num; }
-
   // Notify the underlying storage that no more items will be added
   void MarkImmutable() { table_->MarkReadOnly(); }
 
@@ -186,10 +178,6 @@ class MemTable {
   // The log files earlier than this number can be deleted.
   uint64_t mem_next_logfile_number_;
 
-  // The log file that backs this memtable (to be deleted when
-  // memtable flush is done)
-  uint64_t mem_logfile_number_;
-
   // rw locks for inplace updates
   std::vector<port::RWMutex> locks_;