diff --git a/gossipd/gossip_store.c b/gossipd/gossip_store.c
index b791a0828..e48fe673d 100644
--- a/gossipd/gossip_store.c
+++ b/gossipd/gossip_store.c
@@ -156,8 +156,7 @@ static bool gossip_store_append(int fd, struct routing_state *rstate, const u8 *
  * Creates a new file, writes all the updates from the `broadcast_state`, and
  * then atomically swaps the files.
  */
-
-static void gossip_store_compact(struct gossip_store *gs)
+bool gossip_store_compact(struct gossip_store *gs)
 {
 	size_t count = 0;
 	u64 index = 0;
@@ -206,7 +205,7 @@ static void gossip_store_compact(struct gossip_store *gs)
 	gs->count = count;
 	close(gs->fd);
 	gs->fd = fd;
-	return;
+	return true;
 
 unlink_disable:
 	unlink(GOSSIP_STORE_TEMP_FILENAME);
@@ -214,6 +213,7 @@ disable:
 	status_trace("Encountered an error while compacting, disabling "
 		     "future compactions.");
 	gs->disable_compaction = true;
+	return false;
 }
 
 void gossip_store_add(struct gossip_store *gs, const u8 *gossip_msg)
diff --git a/gossipd/gossip_store.h b/gossipd/gossip_store.h
index 03406fcf6..a25004458 100644
--- a/gossipd/gossip_store.h
+++ b/gossipd/gossip_store.h
@@ -39,4 +39,6 @@ void gossip_store_add(struct gossip_store *gs, const u8 *gossip_msg);
 void gossip_store_add_channel_delete(struct gossip_store *gs,
 				     const struct short_channel_id *scid);
 
+/* Expose for dev-compact-gossip-store */
+bool gossip_store_compact(struct gossip_store *gs);
 #endif /* LIGHTNING_GOSSIPD_GOSSIP_STORE_H */
diff --git a/gossipd/gossip_wire.csv b/gossipd/gossip_wire.csv
index 288f9dcb3..8c6ffb470 100644
--- a/gossipd/gossip_wire.csv
+++ b/gossipd/gossip_wire.csv
@@ -142,6 +142,13 @@ gossip_dev_memleak,3033
 gossip_dev_memleak_reply,3133
 gossip_dev_memleak_reply,,leak,bool
 
+# master -> gossipd: please rewrite the gossip_store
+gossip_dev_compact_store,3034
+
+# gossipd -> master: ok
+gossip_dev_compact_store_reply,3134
+gossip_dev_compact_store_reply,,success,bool
+
 #include <common/bolt11.h>
 
 # master -> gossipd: get route_info for our incoming channels
diff --git a/gossipd/gossipd.c b/gossipd/gossipd.c
index e2e3020eb..6213eda7f 100644
--- a/gossipd/gossipd.c
+++ b/gossipd/gossipd.c
@@ -2490,6 +2490,17 @@ static struct io_plan *dev_gossip_memleak(struct io_conn *conn,
 							      found_leak)));
 	return daemon_conn_read_next(conn, daemon->master);
 }
+
+static struct io_plan *dev_compact_store(struct io_conn *conn,
+					 struct daemon *daemon,
+					 const u8 *msg)
+{
+	bool done = gossip_store_compact(daemon->rstate->store);
+	daemon_conn_send(daemon->master,
+			 take(towire_gossip_dev_compact_store_reply(NULL,
+								    done)));
+	return daemon_conn_read_next(conn, daemon->master);
+}
 #endif /* DEVELOPER */
 
 /*~ lightningd: so, tell me about this channel, so we can forward to it. */
@@ -2749,6 +2760,8 @@ static struct io_plan *recv_req(struct io_conn *conn,
 		return dev_gossip_suppress(conn, daemon, msg);
 	case WIRE_GOSSIP_DEV_MEMLEAK:
 		return dev_gossip_memleak(conn, daemon, msg);
+	case WIRE_GOSSIP_DEV_COMPACT_STORE:
+		return dev_compact_store(conn, daemon, msg);
 #else
 	case WIRE_GOSSIP_QUERY_SCIDS:
 	case WIRE_GOSSIP_SEND_TIMESTAMP_FILTER:
@@ -2756,6 +2769,7 @@ static struct io_plan *recv_req(struct io_conn *conn,
 	case WIRE_GOSSIP_DEV_SET_MAX_SCIDS_ENCODE_SIZE:
 	case WIRE_GOSSIP_DEV_SUPPRESS:
 	case WIRE_GOSSIP_DEV_MEMLEAK:
+	case WIRE_GOSSIP_DEV_COMPACT_STORE:
 		break;
 #endif /* !DEVELOPER */
 
@@ -2770,6 +2784,7 @@ static struct io_plan *recv_req(struct io_conn *conn,
 	case WIRE_GOSSIP_GET_INCOMING_CHANNELS_REPLY:
 	case WIRE_GOSSIP_GET_TXOUT:
 	case WIRE_GOSSIP_DEV_MEMLEAK_REPLY:
+	case WIRE_GOSSIP_DEV_COMPACT_STORE_REPLY:
 		break;
 	}
 
diff --git a/lightningd/gossip_control.c b/lightningd/gossip_control.c
index 9a881ba43..e316d6a34 100644
--- a/lightningd/gossip_control.c
+++ b/lightningd/gossip_control.c
@@ -121,6 +121,7 @@ static unsigned gossip_msg(struct subd *gossip, const u8 *msg, const int *fds)
 	case WIRE_GOSSIP_DEV_SUPPRESS:
 	case WIRE_GOSSIP_LOCAL_CHANNEL_CLOSE:
 	case WIRE_GOSSIP_DEV_MEMLEAK:
+	case WIRE_GOSSIP_DEV_COMPACT_STORE:
 	/* This is a reply, so never gets through to here. */
 	case WIRE_GOSSIP_GETNODES_REPLY:
 	case WIRE_GOSSIP_GETROUTE_REPLY:
@@ -130,6 +131,7 @@ static unsigned gossip_msg(struct subd *gossip, const u8 *msg, const int *fds)
 	case WIRE_GOSSIP_GET_CHANNEL_PEER_REPLY:
 	case WIRE_GOSSIP_GET_INCOMING_CHANNELS_REPLY:
 	case WIRE_GOSSIP_DEV_MEMLEAK_REPLY:
+	case WIRE_GOSSIP_DEV_COMPACT_STORE_REPLY:
 		break;
 
 	case WIRE_GOSSIP_PING_REPLY:
@@ -680,4 +682,46 @@ static const struct json_command dev_suppress_gossip = {
 	"Stop this node from sending any more gossip."
 };
 AUTODATA(json_command, &dev_suppress_gossip);
+
+static void dev_compact_gossip_store_reply(struct subd *gossip UNUSED,
+					   const u8 *reply,
+					   const int *fds UNUSED,
+					   struct command *cmd)
+{
+	bool success;
+
+	if (!fromwire_gossip_dev_compact_store_reply(reply, &success)) {
+		was_pending(command_fail(cmd, LIGHTNINGD,
+					 "Gossip gave bad dev_gossip_compact_store_reply"));
+		return;
+	}
+
+	if (!success)
+		was_pending(command_fail(cmd, LIGHTNINGD,
+					 "gossip_compact_store failed"));
+	else
+		was_pending(command_success(cmd, null_response(cmd)));
+}
+
+static struct command_result *json_dev_compact_gossip_store(struct command *cmd,
+							    const char *buffer,
+							    const jsmntok_t *obj UNNEEDED,
+							    const jsmntok_t *params)
+{
+	u8 *msg;
+	if (!param(cmd, buffer, params, NULL))
+		return command_param_failed();
+
+	msg = towire_gossip_dev_compact_store(NULL);
+	subd_req(cmd->ld->gossip, cmd->ld->gossip,
+		 take(msg), -1, 0, dev_compact_gossip_store_reply, cmd);
+	return command_still_pending(cmd);
+}
+
+static const struct json_command dev_compact_gossip_store = {
+	"dev-compact-gossip-store",
+	json_dev_compact_gossip_store,
+	"Ask gossipd to rewrite the gossip store."
+};
+AUTODATA(json_command, &dev_compact_gossip_store);
 #endif /* DEVELOPER */