diff --git a/blockstore/badger/blockstore.go b/blockstore/badger/blockstore.go
index 2c00f424077..ff3781ca4d1 100644
--- a/blockstore/badger/blockstore.go
+++ b/blockstore/badger/blockstore.go
@@ -288,9 +288,6 @@ func (b *Blockstore) PutMany(blocks []blocks.Block) error {
 		return ErrBlockstoreClosed
 	}
 
-	batch := b.DB.NewWriteBatch()
-	defer batch.Cancel()
-
 	// toReturn tracks the byte slices to return to the pool, if we're using key
 	// prefixing. we can't return each slice to the pool after each Set, because
 	// badger holds on to the slice.
@@ -304,6 +301,9 @@ func (b *Blockstore) PutMany(blocks []blocks.Block) error {
 		}()
 	}
 
+	batch := b.DB.NewWriteBatch()
+	defer batch.Cancel()
+
 	for _, block := range blocks {
 		k, pooled := b.PooledStorageKey(block.Cid())
 		if pooled {
@@ -342,9 +342,6 @@ func (b *Blockstore) DeleteMany(cids []cid.Cid) error {
 		return ErrBlockstoreClosed
 	}
 
-	batch := b.DB.NewWriteBatch()
-	defer batch.Cancel()
-
 	// toReturn tracks the byte slices to return to the pool, if we're using key
 	// prefixing. we can't return each slice to the pool after each Set, because
 	// badger holds on to the slice.
@@ -358,6 +355,9 @@ func (b *Blockstore) DeleteMany(cids []cid.Cid) error {
 		}()
 	}
 
+	batch := b.DB.NewWriteBatch()
+	defer batch.Cancel()
+
 	for _, cid := range cids {
 		k, pooled := b.PooledStorageKey(cid)
 		if pooled {