diff --git a/src/blockchain_db/lmdb/db_lmdb.cpp b/src/blockchain_db/lmdb/db_lmdb.cpp
index c454c0e394c..c9c30e21d88 100644
--- a/src/blockchain_db/lmdb/db_lmdb.cpp
+++ b/src/blockchain_db/lmdb/db_lmdb.cpp
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 
 #include <boost/format.hpp>
 #include <boost/circular_buffer.hpp>
+#include <boost/filesystem.hpp>
 #include <memory>  // std::unique_ptr
 #include <cstring>  // memcpy
 
@@ -1324,6 +1325,54 @@ BlockchainLMDB::BlockchainLMDB(bool batch_transactions): BlockchainDB()
   m_hardfork = nullptr;
 }
 
+#ifdef WIN32
+static bool disable_ntfs_compression(const boost::filesystem::path& filepath)
+{
+  DWORD file_attributes = ::GetFileAttributesW(filepath.c_str());
+  if (file_attributes == INVALID_FILE_ATTRIBUTES) 
+  {
+    MERROR("Failed to get " << filepath.string() << " file attributes. Error: " << ::GetLastError());
+    return false;
+  }
+  
+  if (!(file_attributes & FILE_ATTRIBUTE_COMPRESSED))
+    return true; // not compressed
+
+  LOG_PRINT_L1("Disabling NTFS compression for " << filepath.string());
+  HANDLE file_handle = ::CreateFileW(
+    filepath.c_str(),
+    GENERIC_READ | GENERIC_WRITE,                
+    FILE_SHARE_READ | FILE_SHARE_WRITE | FILE_SHARE_DELETE,
+    nullptr,
+    OPEN_EXISTING,
+    boost::filesystem::is_directory(filepath) ? FILE_FLAG_BACKUP_SEMANTICS : 0, // Needed to open handles to directories
+    nullptr
+  );
+
+  if (file_handle == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE) 
+  {
+    MERROR("Failed to open handle: " << filepath.string() << ". Error: " << ::GetLastError());
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  USHORT compression_state = COMPRESSION_FORMAT_NONE;
+  DWORD bytes_returned;
+  BOOL ok = DeviceIoControl(
+    file_handle,
+    FSCTL_SET_COMPRESSION,
+    &compression_state,            
+    sizeof(compression_state),       
+    nullptr,                        
+    0,                              
+    &bytes_returned,                 
+    nullptr                         
+  );
+
+  CloseHandle(file_handle);
+  return ok;
+}
+#endif
+
 void BlockchainLMDB::open(const std::string& filename, const int db_flags)
 {
   int result;
@@ -1352,12 +1401,13 @@ void BlockchainLMDB::open(const std::string& filename, const int db_flags)
 
 #ifdef WIN32
   // ensure NTFS compression is disabled on the directory and database file to avoid corruption of the blockchain 
-  if (boost::filesystem::exists(filename) && !disable_ntfs_compression(filename)) 
+  if (!disable_ntfs_compression(filename)) 
     LOG_PRINT_L0("Failed to disable NTFS compression on folder: " << filename << ". Error: " << ::GetLastError());
   boost::filesystem::path datafile(filename);
   datafile /= CRYPTONOTE_BLOCKCHAINDATA_FILENAME;
-  if (boost::filesystem::exists(datafile) && !disable_ntfs_compression(datafile)) 
-    LOG_PRINT_L0("Failed to disable NTFS compression on database file: " << datafile << ". Error: " << ::GetLastError());
+  boost::filesystem::ofstream(datafile.string()).close(); // touch the file to ensure it exists
+  if (!disable_ntfs_compression(datafile)) 
+    throw DB_ERROR("Database file is NTFS compressend and compression could not be disabled");
 #endif
 
   boost::optional<bool> is_hdd_result = tools::is_hdd(filename.c_str());
@@ -1701,54 +1751,6 @@ std::string BlockchainLMDB::get_db_name() const
   return std::string("lmdb");
 }
 
-#ifdef WIN32
-bool BlockchainLMDB::disable_ntfs_compression(const boost::filesystem::path& filepath) const
-{
-  DWORD file_attributes = ::GetFileAttributesW(filepath.c_str());
-  if (file_attributes == INVALID_FILE_ATTRIBUTES) 
-  {
-    MERROR("Failed to get '" << filepath << "' file attributes. Error code: " << ::GetLastError());
-    return false;
-  }
-  
-  if (!(file_attributes & FILE_ATTRIBUTE_COMPRESSED))
-    return true; // not compressed
-
-  LOG_PRINT_L1("Disabling NTFS compression for " << filepath);
-  HANDLE file_handle = ::CreateFileW(
-    filepath.c_str(),
-    GENERIC_ALL,                
-    FILE_SHARE_READ | FILE_SHARE_WRITE | FILE_SHARE_DELETE,
-    nullptr,
-    OPEN_EXISTING,
-    boost::filesystem::is_directory(filepath) ? FILE_FLAG_BACKUP_SEMANTICS : 0, // Needed to open handles to directories
-    nullptr
-  );
-
-  if (file_handle == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE) 
-  {
-    MERROR("Failed to open handle: " << filepath << ". Error: " << ::GetLastError());
-    return false;
-  }
-
-  USHORT compression_state = COMPRESSION_FORMAT_NONE;
-  DWORD bytes_returned;
-  BOOL ok = DeviceIoControl(
-    file_handle,
-    FSCTL_SET_COMPRESSION,
-    &compression_state,            
-    sizeof(compression_state),       
-    nullptr,                        
-    0,                              
-    &bytes_returned,                 
-    nullptr                         
-  );
-
-  CloseHandle(file_handle);
-  return ok;
-}
-#endif
-
 // The below two macros are for DB access within block add/remove, whether
 // regular batch txn is in use or not. m_write_txn is used as a batch txn, even
 // if it's only within block add/remove.
diff --git a/src/blockchain_db/lmdb/db_lmdb.h b/src/blockchain_db/lmdb/db_lmdb.h
index d5eb0aab420..6eeb942dc25 100644
--- a/src/blockchain_db/lmdb/db_lmdb.h
+++ b/src/blockchain_db/lmdb/db_lmdb.h
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@
 #include "cryptonote_basic/blobdatatype.h" // for type blobdata
 #include "ringct/rctTypes.h"
 #include <boost/thread/tss.hpp>
-#include <boost/filesystem.hpp>
 
 #include <lmdb.h>
 
@@ -203,10 +202,6 @@ class BlockchainLMDB : public BlockchainDB
 
   virtual std::string get_db_name() const;
 
-#ifdef WIN32
-  virtual bool disable_ntfs_compression(const boost::filesystem::path& filepath) const;
-#endif
-
   virtual bool block_exists(const crypto::hash& h, uint64_t *height = NULL) const;
 
   virtual uint64_t get_block_height(const crypto::hash& h) const;