diff --git a/compactor/periodic.go b/compactor/periodic.go
index 9e83191fa..9d9164e9c 100644
--- a/compactor/periodic.go
+++ b/compactor/periodic.go
@@ -61,20 +61,59 @@ func newPeriodic(clock clockwork.Clock, h time.Duration, rg RevGetter, c Compact
 	return t
 }
 
-// periodDivisor divides Periodic.period in into checkCompactInterval duration
-const periodDivisor = 10
+/*
+Compaction period 1-hour:
+  1. compute compaction period, which is 1-hour
+  2. record revisions for every 1/10 of 1-hour (6-minute)
+  3. keep recording revisions with no compaction for first 1-hour
+  4. do compact with revs[0]
+	- success? contiue on for-loop and move sliding window; revs = revs[1:]
+	- failure? update revs, and retry after 1/10 of 1-hour (6-minute)
+
+Compaction period 24-hour:
+  1. compute compaction period, which is 1-hour
+  2. record revisions for every 1/10 of 1-hour (6-minute)
+  3. keep recording revisions with no compaction for first 24-hour
+  4. do compact with revs[0]
+	- success? contiue on for-loop and move sliding window; revs = revs[1:]
+	- failure? update revs, and retry after 1/10 of 1-hour (6-minute)
+
+Compaction period 59-min:
+  1. compute compaction period, which is 59-min
+  2. record revisions for every 1/10 of 59-min (5.9-min)
+  3. keep recording revisions with no compaction for first 59-min
+  4. do compact with revs[0]
+	- success? contiue on for-loop and move sliding window; revs = revs[1:]
+	- failure? update revs, and retry after 1/10 of 59-min (5.9-min)
+
+Compaction period 5-sec:
+  1. compute compaction period, which is 5-sec
+  2. record revisions for every 1/10 of 5-sec (0.5-sec)
+  3. keep recording revisions with no compaction for first 5-sec
+  4. do compact with revs[0]
+	- success? contiue on for-loop and move sliding window; revs = revs[1:]
+	- failure? update revs, and retry after 1/10 of 5-sec (0.5-sec)
+*/
 
 // Run runs periodic compactor.
 func (t *Periodic) Run() {
-	interval := t.period / time.Duration(periodDivisor)
+	compactInterval := t.getCompactInterval()
+	retryInterval := t.getRetryInterval()
+	retentions := t.getRetentions()
+
 	go func() {
-		initialWait := t.clock.Now()
+		lastSuccess := t.clock.Now()
+		baseInterval := t.period
 		for {
 			t.revs = append(t.revs, t.rg.Rev())
+			if len(t.revs) > retentions {
+				t.revs = t.revs[1:] // t.revs[0] is always the rev at t.period ago
+			}
+
 			select {
 			case <-t.ctx.Done():
 				return
-			case <-t.clock.After(interval):
+			case <-t.clock.After(retryInterval):
 				t.mu.Lock()
 				p := t.paused
 				t.mu.Unlock()
@@ -83,30 +122,55 @@ func (t *Periodic) Run() {
 				}
 			}
 
-			// wait up to initial given period
-			if t.clock.Now().Sub(initialWait) < t.period {
+			if t.clock.Now().Sub(lastSuccess) < baseInterval {
 				continue
 			}
 
-			rev, remaining := t.getRev()
-			if rev < 0 {
-				continue
+			// wait up to initial given period
+			if baseInterval == t.period {
+				baseInterval = compactInterval
 			}
+			rev := t.revs[0]
 
 			plog.Noticef("Starting auto-compaction at revision %d (retention: %v)", rev, t.period)
 			_, err := t.c.Compact(t.ctx, &pb.CompactionRequest{Revision: rev})
 			if err == nil || err == mvcc.ErrCompacted {
-				// move to next sliding window
-				t.revs = remaining
+				lastSuccess = t.clock.Now()
 				plog.Noticef("Finished auto-compaction at revision %d", rev)
 			} else {
 				plog.Noticef("Failed auto-compaction at revision %d (%v)", rev, err)
-				plog.Noticef("Retry after %v", interval)
+				plog.Noticef("Retry after %v", retryInterval)
 			}
 		}
 	}()
 }
 
+// if given compaction period x is <1-hour, compact every x duration.
+// (e.g. --auto-compaction-mode 'periodic' --auto-compaction-retention='10m', then compact every 10-minute)
+// if given compaction period x is >1-hour, compact every hour.
+// (e.g. --auto-compaction-mode 'periodic' --auto-compaction-retention='2h', then compact every 1-hour)
+func (t *Periodic) getCompactInterval() time.Duration {
+	itv := t.period
+	if itv > time.Hour {
+		itv = time.Hour
+	}
+	return itv
+}
+
+func (t *Periodic) getRetentions() int {
+	return int(t.period/t.getRetryInterval()) + 1
+}
+
+const retryDivisor = 10
+
+func (t *Periodic) getRetryInterval() time.Duration {
+	itv := t.period
+	if itv > time.Hour {
+		itv = time.Hour
+	}
+	return itv / retryDivisor
+}
+
 // Stop stops periodic compactor.
 func (t *Periodic) Stop() {
 	t.cancel()
@@ -125,11 +189,3 @@ func (t *Periodic) Resume() {
 	defer t.mu.Unlock()
 	t.paused = false
 }
-
-func (t *Periodic) getRev() (int64, []int64) {
-	i := len(t.revs) - periodDivisor
-	if i < 0 {
-		return -1, t.revs
-	}
-	return t.revs[i], t.revs[i+1:]
-}
diff --git a/compactor/periodic_test.go b/compactor/periodic_test.go
index f039a8a76..21e539e76 100644
--- a/compactor/periodic_test.go
+++ b/compactor/periodic_test.go
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/jonboulle/clockwork"
 )
 
-func TestPeriodic(t *testing.T) {
+func TestPeriodicHourly(t *testing.T) {
 	retentionHours := 2
 	retentionDuration := time.Duration(retentionHours) * time.Hour
 
@@ -36,32 +36,94 @@ func TestPeriodic(t *testing.T) {
 
 	tb.Run()
 	defer tb.Stop()
-	checkCompactInterval := retentionDuration / time.Duration(periodDivisor)
-	n := periodDivisor
-	// simulate 5 hours worth of intervals.
-	for i := 0; i < n/retentionHours*5; i++ {
+
+	initialIntervals, intervalsPerPeriod := tb.getRetentions(), 10
+
+	// compaction doesn't happen til 2 hours elapse
+	for i := 0; i < initialIntervals; i++ {
 		rg.Wait(1)
-		fc.Advance(checkCompactInterval)
-		// compaction doesn't happen til 2 hours elapses.
-		if i < n {
-			continue
+		fc.Advance(tb.getRetryInterval())
+	}
+
+	// very first compaction
+	a, err := compactable.Wait(1)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	expectedRevision := int64(1)
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(a[0].Params[0], &pb.CompactionRequest{Revision: expectedRevision}) {
+		t.Errorf("compact request = %v, want %v", a[0].Params[0], &pb.CompactionRequest{Revision: expectedRevision})
+	}
+
+	// simulate 3 hours
+	// now compactor kicks in, every hour
+	for i := 0; i < 3; i++ {
+		// advance one hour, one revision for each interval
+		for j := 0; j < intervalsPerPeriod; j++ {
+			rg.Wait(1)
+			fc.Advance(tb.getRetryInterval())
 		}
-		// after 2 hours, compaction happens at every checkCompactInterval.
-		a, err := compactable.Wait(1)
+
+		a, err = compactable.Wait(1)
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatal(err)
 		}
-		expectedRevision := int64(i + 1 - n)
+
+		expectedRevision = int64((i + 1) * 10)
 		if !reflect.DeepEqual(a[0].Params[0], &pb.CompactionRequest{Revision: expectedRevision}) {
 			t.Errorf("compact request = %v, want %v", a[0].Params[0], &pb.CompactionRequest{Revision: expectedRevision})
 		}
 	}
+}
 
-	// unblock the rev getter, so we can stop the compactor routine.
-	_, err := rg.Wait(1)
+func TestPeriodicMinutes(t *testing.T) {
+	retentionMinutes := 5
+	retentionDuration := time.Duration(retentionMinutes) * time.Minute
+
+	fc := clockwork.NewFakeClock()
+	rg := &fakeRevGetter{testutil.NewRecorderStream(), 0}
+	compactable := &fakeCompactable{testutil.NewRecorderStream()}
+	tb := newPeriodic(fc, retentionDuration, rg, compactable)
+
+	tb.Run()
+	defer tb.Stop()
+
+	initialIntervals, intervalsPerPeriod := tb.getRetentions(), 10
+
+	// compaction doesn't happen til 5 minutes elapse
+	for i := 0; i < initialIntervals; i++ {
+		rg.Wait(1)
+		fc.Advance(tb.getRetryInterval())
+	}
+
+	// very first compaction
+	a, err := compactable.Wait(1)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
+	expectedRevision := int64(1)
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(a[0].Params[0], &pb.CompactionRequest{Revision: expectedRevision}) {
+		t.Errorf("compact request = %v, want %v", a[0].Params[0], &pb.CompactionRequest{Revision: expectedRevision})
+	}
+
+	// compaction happens at every interval
+	for i := 0; i < 5; i++ {
+		// advance 5-minute, one revision for each interval
+		for j := 0; j < intervalsPerPeriod; j++ {
+			rg.Wait(1)
+			fc.Advance(tb.getRetryInterval())
+		}
+
+		a, err := compactable.Wait(1)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+
+		expectedRevision = int64((i + 1) * 10)
+		if !reflect.DeepEqual(a[0].Params[0], &pb.CompactionRequest{Revision: expectedRevision}) {
+			t.Errorf("compact request = %v, want %v", a[0].Params[0], &pb.CompactionRequest{Revision: expectedRevision})
+		}
+	}
 }
 
 func TestPeriodicPause(t *testing.T) {
@@ -74,14 +136,14 @@ func TestPeriodicPause(t *testing.T) {
 	tb.Run()
 	tb.Pause()
 
+	n := tb.getRetentions()
+
 	// tb will collect 3 hours of revisions but not compact since paused
-	checkCompactInterval := retentionDuration / time.Duration(periodDivisor)
-	n := periodDivisor
-	for i := 0; i < 3*n; i++ {
+	for i := 0; i < n*3; i++ {
 		rg.Wait(1)
-		fc.Advance(checkCompactInterval)
+		fc.Advance(tb.getRetryInterval())
 	}
-	// tb ends up waiting for the clock
+	// t.revs = [21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30]
 
 	select {
 	case a := <-compactable.Chan():
@@ -91,14 +153,17 @@ func TestPeriodicPause(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// tb resumes to being blocked on the clock
 	tb.Resume()
-
-	// unblock clock, will kick off a compaction at hour 3:06
 	rg.Wait(1)
-	fc.Advance(checkCompactInterval)
+
+	// unblock clock, will kick off a compaction at T=3h6m by retry
+	fc.Advance(tb.getRetryInterval())
+
+	// T=3h6m
 	a, err := compactable.Wait(1)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
+
 	// compact the revision from hour 2:06
 	wreq := &pb.CompactionRequest{Revision: int64(1 + 2*n + 1)}
 	if !reflect.DeepEqual(a[0].Params[0], wreq) {