diff --git a/go/nbs/compacting_chunk_source.go b/go/nbs/compacting_chunk_source.go
index b5db1ef01c..abf7acc0b7 100644
--- a/go/nbs/compacting_chunk_source.go
+++ b/go/nbs/compacting_chunk_source.go
@@ -81,10 +81,10 @@ func (ccs *compactingChunkSource) count() uint32 {
 	return ccs.cs.count()
 }
 
-func (ccs *compactingChunkSource) byteLen() uint64 {
+func (ccs *compactingChunkSource) lens() []uint32 {
 	ccs.wg.Wait()
 	d.Chk.True(ccs.cs != nil)
-	return ccs.cs.byteLen()
+	return ccs.cs.lens()
 }
 
 func (ccs *compactingChunkSource) hash() addr {
@@ -131,8 +131,8 @@ func (ecs emptyChunkSource) count() uint32 {
 	return 0
 }
 
-func (ecs emptyChunkSource) byteLen() uint64 {
-	return 0
+func (ecs emptyChunkSource) lens() []uint32 {
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (ecs emptyChunkSource) hash() addr {
diff --git a/go/nbs/file_table_persister.go b/go/nbs/file_table_persister.go
index b5c14e5af8..b3bf298161 100644
--- a/go/nbs/file_table_persister.go
+++ b/go/nbs/file_table_persister.go
@@ -20,17 +20,7 @@ type fsTablePersister struct {
 }
 
 func (ftp fsTablePersister) Compact(mt *memTable, haver chunkReader) chunkSource {
-	name, data, count, errata := mt.write(haver)
-	// TODO: remove when BUG 3156 is fixed
-	for h, eData := range errata {
-		func() {
-			temp, err := ioutil.TempFile(ftp.dir, "errata-"+h.String())
-			d.PanicIfError(err)
-			defer checkClose(temp)
-			io.Copy(temp, bytes.NewReader(eData))
-		}()
-	}
-	return ftp.persistTable(name, data, count)
+	return ftp.persistTable(mt.write(haver))
 }
 
 func (ftp fsTablePersister) persistTable(name addr, data []byte, chunkCount uint32) chunkSource {
diff --git a/go/nbs/mem_table.go b/go/nbs/mem_table.go
index b6e3f4028e..68f4de0e5d 100644
--- a/go/nbs/mem_table.go
+++ b/go/nbs/mem_table.go
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@
 package nbs
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
-	"os"
 	"sort"
 	"sync"
 
@@ -52,8 +50,12 @@ func (mt *memTable) count() uint32 {
 	return uint32(len(mt.order))
 }
 
-func (mt *memTable) byteLen() uint64 {
-	return mt.totalData
+func (mt *memTable) lens() []uint32 {
+	lengths := make([]uint32, 0, len(mt.chunks))
+	for _, data := range mt.chunks {
+		lengths = append(lengths, uint32(len(data)))
+	}
+	return lengths
 }
 
 func (mt *memTable) has(h addr) (has bool) {
@@ -106,8 +108,8 @@ func (mt *memTable) extract(order EnumerationOrder, chunks chan<- extractRecord)
 	}
 }
 
-func (mt *memTable) write(haver chunkReader) (name addr, data []byte, count uint32, errata map[addr][]byte) {
-	maxSize := maxTableSize(uint64(len(mt.order)), mt.totalData)
+func (mt *memTable) write(haver chunkReader) (name addr, data []byte, count uint32) {
+	maxSize := maxTableSize(mt.lens())
 	buff := make([]byte, maxSize)
 	tw := newTableWriter(buff, mt.snapper)
 
@@ -126,13 +128,5 @@ func (mt *memTable) write(haver chunkReader) (name addr, data []byte, count uint
 	}
 	tableSize, name := tw.finish()
 
-	// TODO: remove when BUG 3156 is fixed
-	if len(tw.errata) > 0 {
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "BUG 3156: table %s; %d chunks, %d total data; max table size %d\n", name.String(), len(mt.order), mt.totalData, maxSize)
-		for h, data := range tw.errata {
-			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "  Failed to write %s of uncompressed length %d\n", h.String(), len(data))
-		}
-	}
-
-	return name, buff[:tableSize], count, tw.errata
+	return name, buff[:tableSize], count
 }
diff --git a/go/nbs/mem_table_test.go b/go/nbs/mem_table_test.go
index 5d3781fa78..8b58e8857b 100644
--- a/go/nbs/mem_table_test.go
+++ b/go/nbs/mem_table_test.go
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ func TestMemTableWrite(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.True(tr1.has(computeAddr(chunks[1])))
 	assert.True(tr2.has(computeAddr(chunks[2])))
 
-	_, data, count, _ := mt.write(chunkReaderGroup{tr1, tr2})
+	_, data, count := mt.write(chunkReaderGroup{tr1, tr2})
 	assert.Equal(uint32(1), count)
 
 	outReader := newTableReader(parseTableIndex(data), bytes.NewReader(data), fileBlockSize)
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ func TestMemTableWrite(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.False(outReader.has(computeAddr(chunks[2])))
 }
 
-func TestMemTableWriteErrata(t *testing.T) {
+func TestMemTableSnappyWriteOutOfLine(t *testing.T) {
 	assert := assert.New(t)
 	mt := newMemTable(1024)
 
@@ -111,19 +111,9 @@ func TestMemTableWriteErrata(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, c := range chunks {
 		assert.True(mt.addChunk(computeAddr(c), c))
 	}
-	mt.snapper = &outOfLineSnappy{[]bool{false, true, false}} // chunks[1] should wind up in errata
+	mt.snapper = &outOfLineSnappy{[]bool{false, true, false}} // chunks[1] should wind up getting written "out of line"
 
-	_, data, count, errata := mt.write(nil)
-	assert.EqualValues(3, count)
-
-	outReader := newTableReader(parseTableIndex(data), bytes.NewReader(data), fileBlockSize)
-	assertChunksInReader(chunks, outReader, assert)
-
-	if assert.Len(errata, 1) {
-		data, present := errata[computeAddr(chunks[1])]
-		assert.True(present)
-		assert.EqualValues(chunks[1], data)
-	}
+	assert.Panics(func() { mt.write(nil) })
 }
 
 type outOfLineSnappy struct {
@@ -187,9 +177,9 @@ func (crg chunkReaderGroup) count() (count uint32) {
 	return
 }
 
-func (crg chunkReaderGroup) byteLen() (data uint64) {
+func (crg chunkReaderGroup) lens() (lengths []uint32) {
 	for _, haver := range crg {
-		data += haver.byteLen()
+		lengths = append(lengths, haver.lens()...)
 	}
 	return
 }
diff --git a/go/nbs/root_tracker_test.go b/go/nbs/root_tracker_test.go
index 46465795e9..e8e7fbea02 100644
--- a/go/nbs/root_tracker_test.go
+++ b/go/nbs/root_tracker_test.go
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ type fakeTablePersister struct {
 
 func (ftp fakeTablePersister) Compact(mt *memTable, haver chunkReader) chunkSource {
 	if mt.count() > 0 {
-		name, data, chunkCount, _ := mt.write(haver)
+		name, data, chunkCount := mt.write(haver)
 		if chunkCount > 0 {
 			ftp.sources[name] = newTableReader(parseTableIndex(data), bytes.NewReader(data), fileBlockSize)
 			return chunkSourceAdapter{ftp.sources[name], name}
diff --git a/go/nbs/s3_table_persister.go b/go/nbs/s3_table_persister.go
index 8489644af5..038804d2a4 100644
--- a/go/nbs/s3_table_persister.go
+++ b/go/nbs/s3_table_persister.go
@@ -36,12 +36,7 @@ type s3UploadedPart struct {
 }
 
 func (s3p s3TablePersister) Compact(mt *memTable, haver chunkReader) chunkSource {
-	name, data, count, errata := mt.write(haver)
-	// TODO: remove when BUG 3156 is fixed
-	for h, eData := range errata {
-		s3p.multipartUpload(eData, "errata-"+h.String())
-	}
-	return s3p.persistTable(name, data, count)
+	return s3p.persistTable(mt.write(haver))
 }
 
 func (s3p s3TablePersister) persistTable(name addr, data []byte, chunkCount uint32) chunkSource {
diff --git a/go/nbs/s3_table_persister_test.go b/go/nbs/s3_table_persister_test.go
index fa605c84f6..2f46416d4b 100644
--- a/go/nbs/s3_table_persister_test.go
+++ b/go/nbs/s3_table_persister_test.go
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ func TestS3TablePersisterCompact(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func calcPartSize(rdr chunkReader, maxPartNum int) int {
-	return int(maxTableSize(uint64(rdr.count()), rdr.byteLen())) / maxPartNum
+	return int(maxTableSize(rdr.lens())) / maxPartNum
 }
 
 func TestS3TablePersisterCompactSinglePart(t *testing.T) {
@@ -135,11 +135,11 @@ func TestS3TablePersisterCompactAll(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func bytesToChunkSource(bs ...[]byte) chunkSource {
-	sum := 0
+	lengths := []uint32{}
 	for _, b := range bs {
-		sum += len(b)
+		lengths = append(lengths, uint32(len(b)))
 	}
-	maxSize := maxTableSize(uint64(len(bs)), uint64(sum))
+	maxSize := maxTableSize(lengths)
 	buff := make([]byte, maxSize)
 	tw := newTableWriter(buff, nil)
 	for _, b := range bs {
diff --git a/go/nbs/table.go b/go/nbs/table.go
index 330bc468a0..1d9f425d00 100644
--- a/go/nbs/table.go
+++ b/go/nbs/table.go
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ type chunkReader interface {
 	get(h addr) []byte
 	getMany(reqs []getRecord, foundChunks chan *chunks.Chunk, wg *sync.WaitGroup) bool
 	count() uint32
-	byteLen() uint64
+	lens() []uint32
 	extract(order EnumerationOrder, chunks chan<- extractRecord)
 }
 
diff --git a/go/nbs/table_persister.go b/go/nbs/table_persister.go
index 5a8bee3874..c51359aea7 100644
--- a/go/nbs/table_persister.go
+++ b/go/nbs/table_persister.go
@@ -57,16 +57,16 @@ func (csbc chunkSourcesByDescendingCount) Swap(i, j int) { csbc[i], csbc[j] = cs
 
 func compactSourcesToBuffer(sources chunkSources, rl chan struct{}) (name addr, data []byte, chunkCount uint32) {
 	d.Chk.True(rl != nil)
-	totalData := uint64(0)
+
+	lengths := []uint32{}
 	for _, src := range sources {
-		chunkCount += src.count()
-		totalData += src.byteLen()
+		lengths = append(lengths, src.lens()...)
 	}
-	if chunkCount == 0 {
+	if len(lengths) == 0 {
 		return
 	}
 
-	maxSize := maxTableSize(uint64(chunkCount), totalData)
+	maxSize := maxTableSize(lengths)
 	buff := make([]byte, maxSize) // This can blow up RAM (BUG 3130)
 	tw := newTableWriter(buff, nil)
 
diff --git a/go/nbs/table_reader.go b/go/nbs/table_reader.go
index 56a4203142..dcf944e868 100644
--- a/go/nbs/table_reader.go
+++ b/go/nbs/table_reader.go
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ import (
 
 type tableIndex struct {
 	chunkCount        uint32
-	totalPhysicalData uint64
 	prefixes, offsets []uint64
 	lengths, ordinals []uint32
 	suffixes          []byte
@@ -40,9 +39,8 @@ func parseTableIndex(buff []byte) tableIndex {
 	pos -= magicNumberSize
 	d.Chk.True(string(buff[pos:]) == magicNumber)
 
-	// total chunk data
+	// Ignore total chunk data
 	pos -= uint64Size
-	totalPhysicalData := binary.BigEndian.Uint64(buff[pos:])
 
 	pos -= uint32Size
 	chunkCount := binary.BigEndian.Uint32(buff[pos:])
@@ -62,7 +60,7 @@ func parseTableIndex(buff []byte) tableIndex {
 	prefixes, ordinals := computePrefixes(chunkCount, buff[pos:pos+tuplesSize])
 
 	return tableIndex{
-		chunkCount, totalPhysicalData,
+		chunkCount,
 		prefixes, offsets,
 		lengths, ordinals,
 		suffixes,
@@ -188,8 +186,8 @@ func (tr tableReader) count() uint32 {
 	return tr.chunkCount
 }
 
-func (tr tableReader) byteLen() uint64 {
-	return tr.totalPhysicalData
+func (tr tableReader) lens() []uint32 {
+	return tr.lengths
 }
 
 // returns true iff |h| can be found in this table.
diff --git a/go/nbs/table_set.go b/go/nbs/table_set.go
index 5399494433..e86a7a7eff 100644
--- a/go/nbs/table_set.go
+++ b/go/nbs/table_set.go
@@ -117,14 +117,16 @@ func (ts tableSet) count() uint32 {
 	return f(ts.novel) + f(ts.upstream)
 }
 
-func (ts tableSet) byteLen() uint64 {
-	f := func(css chunkSources) (data uint64) {
+func (ts tableSet) lens() (lengths []uint32) {
+	f := func(css chunkSources) {
 		for _, haver := range css {
-			data += haver.byteLen()
+			lengths = append(lengths, haver.lens()...)
 		}
 		return
 	}
-	return f(ts.novel) + f(ts.upstream)
+	f(ts.novel)
+	f(ts.upstream)
+	return
 }
 
 // Size returns the number of tables in this tableSet.
diff --git a/go/nbs/table_test.go b/go/nbs/table_test.go
index 6b9773266a..245dac84ba 100644
--- a/go/nbs/table_test.go
+++ b/go/nbs/table_test.go
@@ -21,11 +21,11 @@ import (
 )
 
 func buildTable(chunks [][]byte) ([]byte, addr) {
-	totalData := uint64(0)
+	lengths := []uint32{}
 	for _, chunk := range chunks {
-		totalData += uint64(len(chunk))
+		lengths = append(lengths, uint32(len(chunk)))
 	}
-	capacity := maxTableSize(uint64(len(chunks)), totalData)
+	capacity := maxTableSize(lengths)
 
 	buff := make([]byte, capacity)
 
@@ -125,9 +125,12 @@ func TestHasManySequentialPrefix(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	bogusData := []byte("bogus") // doesn't matter what this is. hasMany() won't check chunkRecords
-	totalData := uint64(len(bogusData) * len(addrs))
+	lengths := []uint32{}
+	for range addrs {
+		lengths = append(lengths, uint32(len(bogusData)))
+	}
 
-	capacity := maxTableSize(uint64(len(addrs)), totalData)
+	capacity := maxTableSize(lengths)
 	buff := make([]byte, capacity)
 	tw := newTableWriter(buff, nil)
 
diff --git a/go/nbs/table_writer.go b/go/nbs/table_writer.go
index 41fd958193..471e3388f5 100644
--- a/go/nbs/table_writer.go
+++ b/go/nbs/table_writer.go
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ import (
 	"encoding/binary"
 	"fmt"
 	"hash"
-	"os"
 	"sort"
 
 	"github.com/attic-labs/noms/go/d"
@@ -24,7 +23,6 @@ type tableWriter struct {
 	prefixes          prefixIndexSlice // TODO: This is in danger of exploding memory
 	blockHash         hash.Hash
 
-	errata  map[addr][]byte // TODO: Get rid of this once we've diagnosed and fixed BUG 3156
 	snapper snappyEncoder
 }
 
@@ -38,12 +36,14 @@ func (r realSnappyEncoder) Encode(dst, src []byte) []byte {
 	return snappy.Encode(dst, src)
 }
 
-func maxTableSize(numChunks, totalData uint64) uint64 {
-	avgChunkSize := totalData / numChunks
-	d.Chk.True(avgChunkSize < maxChunkSize)
-	maxSnappySize := snappy.MaxEncodedLen(int(avgChunkSize))
-	d.Chk.True(maxSnappySize > 0)
-	return numChunks*(prefixTupleSize+lengthSize+addrSuffixSize+checksumSize+uint64(maxSnappySize)) + footerSize
+func maxTableSize(lengths []uint32) (max uint64) {
+	max = footerSize
+	for _, length := range lengths {
+		max += prefixTupleSize + lengthSize + addrSuffixSize + checksumSize // Metadata
+		d.Chk.True(int64(length) < maxInt)
+		max += uint64(snappy.MaxEncodedLen(int(length)))
+	}
+	return
 }
 
 func indexSize(numChunks uint32) uint64 {
@@ -58,7 +58,6 @@ func newTableWriter(buff []byte, snapper snappyEncoder) *tableWriter {
 	return &tableWriter{
 		buff:      buff,
 		blockHash: sha512.New(),
-		errata:    map[addr][]byte{},
 		snapper:   snapper,
 	}
 }
@@ -72,19 +71,12 @@ func (tw *tableWriter) addChunk(h addr, data []byte) bool {
 	compressed := tw.snapper.Encode(tw.buff[tw.pos:], data)
 	dataLength := uint64(len(compressed))
 
-	// BUG 3156 indicates that, sometimes, snappy decides that there's not enough space in tw.buff[tw.pos:] to encode into.
-	// This _should not be_, because we believe that we allocate enough space in |tw.buff| to cover snappy's worst-case but...we've seen some instances.
+	// BUG 3156 indicated that, sometimes, snappy decided that there's not enough space in tw.buff[tw.pos:] to encode into.
+	// This _should never happen anymore be_, because we iterate over all chunks to be added and sum the max amount of space that snappy says it might need.
 	// Since we know that |data| can't be 0-length, we also know that the compressed version of |data| has length greater than zero. The first element in a snappy-encoded blob is a Uvarint indicating how much data is present. Therefore, if there's a Uvarint-encoded 0 at tw.buff[tw.pos:], we know that snappy did not write anything there and we have a problem.
 	if v, n := binary.Uvarint(tw.buff[tw.pos:]); v == 0 {
 		d.Chk.True(n != 0)
-		d.Chk.True(uint64(len(tw.buff[tw.pos:])) >= dataLength)
-
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "BUG 3156: unbuffered chunk %s: uncompressed %d, compressed %d, snappy max %d, tw.buff %d\n", h.String(), len(data), dataLength, snappy.MaxEncodedLen(len(data)), len(tw.buff[tw.pos:]))
-
-		// Copy the compressed data over to tw.buff.
-		copy(tw.buff[tw.pos:], compressed)
-		// Store the uncompressed data, so code with access to durable storage can save it off for analysis.
-		tw.errata[h] = data
+		panic(fmt.Errorf("BUG 3156: unbuffered chunk %s: uncompressed %d, compressed %d, snappy max %d, tw.buff %d\n", h.String(), len(data), dataLength, snappy.MaxEncodedLen(len(data)), len(tw.buff[tw.pos:])))
 	}
 
 	tw.pos += dataLength