diff --git a/db/db_impl.cc b/db/db_impl.cc
index 2b073aae7..1461e7d22 100644
--- a/db/db_impl.cc
+++ b/db/db_impl.cc
@@ -1686,7 +1686,7 @@ Status DBImpl::RunManualCompaction(ColumnFamilyData* cfd, int input_level,
       cfd->ioptions()->compaction_style == kCompactionStyleFIFO) {
     manual.begin = nullptr;
   } else {
-    begin_storage = InternalKey(*begin, kMaxSequenceNumber, kValueTypeForSeek);
+    begin_storage.SetMaxPossibleForUserKey(*begin);
     manual.begin = &begin_storage;
   }
   if (end == nullptr ||
@@ -1694,7 +1694,7 @@ Status DBImpl::RunManualCompaction(ColumnFamilyData* cfd, int input_level,
       cfd->ioptions()->compaction_style == kCompactionStyleFIFO) {
     manual.end = nullptr;
   } else {
-    end_storage = InternalKey(*end, 0, static_cast<ValueType>(0));
+    end_storage.SetMinPossibleForUserKey(*end);
     manual.end = &end_storage;
   }
 
@@ -3555,8 +3555,9 @@ void DBImpl::GetApproximateSizes(ColumnFamilyHandle* column_family,
 
   for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
     // Convert user_key into a corresponding internal key.
-    InternalKey k1(range[i].start, kMaxSequenceNumber, kValueTypeForSeek);
-    InternalKey k2(range[i].limit, kMaxSequenceNumber, kValueTypeForSeek);
+    InternalKey k1, k2;
+    k1.SetMaxPossibleForUserKey(range[i].start);
+    k2.SetMaxPossibleForUserKey(range[i].limit);
     uint64_t start = versions_->ApproximateOffsetOf(v, k1);
     uint64_t limit = versions_->ApproximateOffsetOf(v, k2);
     sizes[i] = (limit >= start ? limit - start : 0);
diff --git a/db/db_impl_experimental.cc b/db/db_impl_experimental.cc
index e8d5b1561..f2c70740e 100644
--- a/db/db_impl_experimental.cc
+++ b/db/db_impl_experimental.cc
@@ -30,10 +30,10 @@ Status DBImpl::SuggestCompactRange(ColumnFamilyHandle* column_family,
   auto cfd = cfh->cfd();
   InternalKey start_key, end_key;
   if (begin != nullptr) {
-    start_key = InternalKey(*begin, kMaxSequenceNumber, kValueTypeForSeek);
+    start_key.SetMaxPossibleForUserKey(*begin);
   }
   if (end != nullptr) {
-    end_key = InternalKey(*end, 0, static_cast<ValueType>(0));
+    end_key.SetMinPossibleForUserKey(*end);
   }
   {
     InstrumentedMutexLock l(&mutex_);
diff --git a/db/dbformat.h b/db/dbformat.h
index 58b3aa386..f15a8c059 100644
--- a/db/dbformat.h
+++ b/db/dbformat.h
@@ -135,6 +135,20 @@ class InternalKey {
     AppendInternalKey(&rep_, ParsedInternalKey(_user_key, s, t));
   }
 
+  // sets the internal key to be bigger or equal to all internal keys with this
+  // user key
+  void SetMaxPossibleForUserKey(const Slice& _user_key) {
+    AppendInternalKey(&rep_, ParsedInternalKey(_user_key, kMaxSequenceNumber,
+                                               kValueTypeForSeek));
+  }
+
+  // sets the internal key to be smaller or equal to all internal keys with this
+  // user key
+  void SetMinPossibleForUserKey(const Slice& _user_key) {
+    AppendInternalKey(
+        &rep_, ParsedInternalKey(_user_key, 0, static_cast<ValueType>(0)));
+  }
+
   bool Valid() const {
     ParsedInternalKey parsed;
     return ParseInternalKey(Slice(rep_), &parsed);
diff --git a/db/version_set.cc b/db/version_set.cc
index aa8256a58..a623e51ae 100644
--- a/db/version_set.cc
+++ b/db/version_set.cc
@@ -397,7 +397,8 @@ bool SomeFileOverlapsRange(
   uint32_t index = 0;
   if (smallest_user_key != nullptr) {
     // Find the earliest possible internal key for smallest_user_key
-    InternalKey small(*smallest_user_key, kMaxSequenceNumber,kValueTypeForSeek);
+    InternalKey small;
+    small.SetMaxPossibleForUserKey(*smallest_user_key);
     index = FindFile(icmp, file_level, small.Encode());
   }
 
@@ -1230,7 +1231,8 @@ int VersionStorageInfo::PickLevelForMemTableOutput(
   if (!OverlapInLevel(0, &smallest_user_key, &largest_user_key)) {
     // Push to next level if there is no overlap in next level,
     // and the #bytes overlapping in the level after that are limited.
-    InternalKey start(smallest_user_key, kMaxSequenceNumber, kValueTypeForSeek);
+    InternalKey start;
+    start.SetMaxPossibleForUserKey(smallest_user_key);
     InternalKey limit(largest_user_key, 0, static_cast<ValueType>(0));
     std::vector<FileMetaData*> overlaps;
     while (mutable_cf_options.max_mem_compaction_level > 0 &&
diff --git a/util/ldb_cmd.cc b/util/ldb_cmd.cc
index b73ec3666..0ea2fd4e0 100644
--- a/util/ldb_cmd.cc
+++ b/util/ldb_cmd.cc
@@ -796,7 +796,8 @@ void InternalDumpCommand::DoCommand() {
   }
 
   if (has_from_) {
-    InternalKey ikey(from_, kMaxSequenceNumber, kValueTypeForSeek);
+    InternalKey ikey;
+    ikey.SetMaxPossibleForUserKey(from_);
     iter->Seek(ikey.Encode());
   } else {
     iter->SeekToFirst();
diff --git a/util/sst_dump_tool.cc b/util/sst_dump_tool.cc
index d65feb220..04486da83 100644
--- a/util/sst_dump_tool.cc
+++ b/util/sst_dump_tool.cc
@@ -187,7 +187,8 @@ Status SstFileReader::ReadSequential(bool print_kv,
                                                          false));
   uint64_t i = 0;
   if (has_from) {
-    InternalKey ikey(from_key, kMaxSequenceNumber, kValueTypeForSeek);
+    InternalKey ikey;
+    ikey.SetMaxPossibleForUserKey(from_key);
     iter->Seek(ikey.Encode());
   } else {
     iter->SeekToFirst();