diff --git a/tree/ntuple/src/RNTupleMerger.cxx b/tree/ntuple/src/RNTupleMerger.cxx
index 9b5462fbf2446..9cf7593120315 100644
--- a/tree/ntuple/src/RNTupleMerger.cxx
+++ b/tree/ntuple/src/RNTupleMerger.cxx
@@ -267,6 +267,38 @@ struct RChangeCompressionFunc {
    RPageStorage::RSealedPage &fSealedPage;
    ROOT::Internal::RPageAllocator &fPageAlloc;
    std::uint8_t *fBuffer;
+   std::size_t fBufSize;
+
+   void operator()() const
+   {
+      assert(fSrcColElement.GetIdentifier() == fDstColElement.GetIdentifier());
+
+      const auto bytesPacked = fSrcColElement.GetPackedSize(fSealedPage.GetNElements());
+      // TODO: this buffer could be kept and reused across pages
+      auto unzipBuf = MakeUninitArray<unsigned char>(bytesPacked);
+      ROOT::Internal::RNTupleDecompressor::Unzip(fSealedPage.GetBuffer(), fSealedPage.GetDataSize(), bytesPacked,
+                                                 unzipBuf.get());
+
+      // TODO: maybe we should check writeOpts.fWriteChecksum rather than fSealedPage.GetHasChecksum()...
+      const auto checksumSize = fSealedPage.GetHasChecksum() * sizeof(std::uint64_t);
+      assert(fBufSize >= bytesPacked + checksumSize);
+      auto nBytesZipped = ROOT::Internal::RNTupleCompressor::Zip(unzipBuf.get(), bytesPacked,
+                                                                 fMergeOptions.fCompressionSettings.value(), fBuffer);
+
+      fSealedPage = {fBuffer, nBytesZipped + checksumSize, fSealedPage.GetNElements(), fSealedPage.GetHasChecksum()};
+      fSealedPage.ChecksumIfEnabled();
+   }
+};
+
+struct RResealFunc {
+   const RColumnElementBase &fSrcColElement;
+   const RColumnElementBase &fDstColElement;
+   const RNTupleMergeOptions &fMergeOptions;
+
+   RPageStorage::RSealedPage &fSealedPage;
+   ROOT::Internal::RPageAllocator &fPageAlloc;
+   std::uint8_t *fBuffer;
+   std::size_t fBufSize;
 
    void operator()() const
    {
@@ -277,11 +309,25 @@ struct RChangeCompressionFunc {
       sealConf.fBuffer = fBuffer;
       sealConf.fCompressionSettings = *fMergeOptions.fCompressionSettings;
       sealConf.fWriteChecksum = fSealedPage.GetHasChecksum();
+      assert(fBufSize >= fSealedPage.GetDataSize() + fSealedPage.GetHasChecksum() * sizeof(std::uint64_t));
       auto refSealedPage = RPageSink::SealPage(sealConf);
       fSealedPage = refSealedPage;
    }
 };
 
+struct RTaskVisitor {
+   std::optional<ROOT::Experimental::TTaskGroup> &fGroup;
+
+   template <typename T>
+   void operator()(T &f)
+   {
+      if (fGroup)
+         fGroup->Run(f);
+      else
+         f();
+   }
+};
+
 struct RCommonField {
    const ROOT::RFieldDescriptor *fSrc;
    const ROOT::RFieldDescriptor *fDst;
@@ -778,15 +824,23 @@ RNTupleMerger::MergeCommonColumns(ROOT::Internal::RClusterPool &clusterPool,
 
       // Each column range potentially has a distinct compression settings
       const auto colRangeCompressionSettings = clusterDesc.GetColumnRange(columnId).GetCompressionSettings().value();
-      // If either the compression or the encoding of the source doesn't match that of the destination, we need
-      // to reseal the page. Otherwise, if both match, we can fast merge.
+
+      // Select "merging level". There are 3 levels, from fastest to slowest, depending on the case:
+      // L1: compression and encoding of src and dest both match: we can simply copy the page
+      // L2: compression of dest doesn't match the src but encoding does: we must recompress the page but can avoid
+      //     resealing it.
+      // L3: on-disk encoding doesn't match: we need to reseal the page, which implies decompressing and recompressing
+      //     it.
+      const bool compressionIsDifferent =
+         colRangeCompressionSettings != mergeData.fMergeOpts.fCompressionSettings.value();
       const bool needsResealing =
-         colRangeCompressionSettings != mergeData.fMergeOpts.fCompressionSettings.value() ||
          srcColElement->GetIdentifier().fOnDiskType != dstColElement->GetIdentifier().fOnDiskType;
+      const bool needsRecompressing = compressionIsDifferent || needsResealing;
 
-      if (needsResealing && mergeData.fMergeOpts.fExtraVerbose) {
+      if (needsRecompressing && mergeData.fMergeOpts.fExtraVerbose) {
          R__LOG_INFO(NTupleMergeLog())
-            << "Resealing column " << column.fColumnName << ": { compression: " << colRangeCompressionSettings << " => "
+            << (needsResealing ? "Resealing" : "Recompressing") << " column " << column.fColumnName
+            << ": { compression: " << colRangeCompressionSettings << " => "
             << mergeData.fMergeOpts.fCompressionSettings.value()
             << ", onDiskType: " << RColumnElementBase::GetColumnTypeName(srcColElement->GetIdentifier().fOnDiskType)
             << " => " << RColumnElementBase::GetColumnTypeName(dstColElement->GetIdentifier().fOnDiskType);
@@ -795,7 +849,7 @@ RNTupleMerger::MergeCommonColumns(ROOT::Internal::RClusterPool &clusterPool,
       size_t pageBufferBaseIdx = sealedPageData.fBuffers.size();
       // If the column range already has the right compression we don't need to allocate any new buffer, so we don't
       // bother reserving memory for them.
-      if (needsResealing)
+      if (needsRecompressing)
          sealedPageData.fBuffers.resize(sealedPageData.fBuffers.size() + pages.GetPageInfos().size());
 
       // If this column is deferred, we may need to fill "holes" until its real start. We fill any missing entry
@@ -831,18 +885,40 @@ RNTupleMerger::MergeCommonColumns(ROOT::Internal::RClusterPool &clusterPool,
          sealedPage.VerifyChecksumIfEnabled().ThrowOnError();
          R__ASSERT(onDiskPage && (onDiskPage->GetSize() == sealedPage.GetBufferSize()));
 
-         if (needsResealing) {
+         if (needsRecompressing) {
+            std::optional<std::variant<RChangeCompressionFunc, RResealFunc>> task;
             const auto uncompressedSize = srcColElement->GetSize() * sealedPage.GetNElements();
             auto &buffer = sealedPageData.fBuffers[pageBufferBaseIdx + pageIdx];
-            buffer = MakeUninitArray<std::uint8_t>(uncompressedSize + checksumSize);
-            RChangeCompressionFunc compressTask{
-               *srcColElement, *dstColElement, mergeData.fMergeOpts, sealedPage, *fPageAlloc, buffer.get(),
-            };
-
-            if (fTaskGroup)
-               fTaskGroup->Run(compressTask);
-            else
-               compressTask();
+            const auto bufSize = uncompressedSize + checksumSize;
+            // NOTE: we currently allocate the max possible size for this buffer and don't shrink it afterward.
+            // We might want to introduce an option that trades speed for memory usage and shrink the buffer to fit
+            // the actual data size after recompressing.
+            buffer = MakeUninitArray<std::uint8_t>(bufSize);
+
+            if (needsResealing) {
+               task.emplace(RResealFunc{
+                  *srcColElement,
+                  *dstColElement,
+                  mergeData.fMergeOpts,
+                  sealedPage,
+                  *fPageAlloc,
+                  buffer.get(),
+                  bufSize,
+               });
+            } else {
+               task.emplace(RChangeCompressionFunc{
+                  *srcColElement,
+                  *dstColElement,
+                  mergeData.fMergeOpts,
+                  sealedPage,
+                  *fPageAlloc,
+                  buffer.get(),
+                  bufSize,
+               });
+            }
+
+            assert(task.has_value());
+            std::visit(RTaskVisitor{fTaskGroup}, *task);
          }
 
          ++pageIdx;