diff --git a/pkg/pgmodel/ingestor/metric_batcher.go b/pkg/pgmodel/ingestor/metric_batcher.go
index f6b3280b8f..2f16fa11f9 100644
--- a/pkg/pgmodel/ingestor/metric_batcher.go
+++ b/pkg/pgmodel/ingestor/metric_batcher.go
@@ -257,7 +257,21 @@ func sendBatches(firstReq *insertDataRequest, input chan *insertDataRequest, con
 		numSamples, numExemplars := pending.batch.Count()
 
 		select {
-		//try to send first, if not then keep batching
+		//try to batch as much as possible before sending
+		case req, ok := <-recvCh:
+			if !ok {
+				if !pending.IsEmpty() {
+					span.AddEvent("Sending last non-empty batch")
+					copySender <- copyRequest{pending, info}
+					metrics.IngestorFlushSeries.With(prometheus.Labels{"type": "metric", "subsystem": "metric_batcher"}).Observe(float64(numSeries))
+					metrics.IngestorBatchDuration.With(prometheus.Labels{"type": "metric", "subsystem": "metric_batcher"}).Observe(time.Since(pending.Start).Seconds())
+				}
+				span.AddEvent("Exiting metric batcher batch loop")
+				span.SetAttributes(attribute.Int("num_series", numSeries))
+				span.End()
+				return
+			}
+			addReq(req, pending)
 		case copySender <- copyRequest{pending, info}:
 			metrics.IngestorFlushSeries.With(prometheus.Labels{"type": "metric", "subsystem": "metric_batcher"}).Observe(float64(numSeries))
 			metrics.IngestorFlushInsertables.With(prometheus.Labels{"type": "metric", "subsystem": "metric_batcher"}).Observe(float64(numSamples + numExemplars))
@@ -274,20 +288,7 @@ func sendBatches(firstReq *insertDataRequest, input chan *insertDataRequest, con
 			pending = NewPendingBuffer()
 			pending.spanCtx, span = tracer.Default().Start(context.Background(), "send-batches")
 			span.SetAttributes(attribute.String("metric", info.TableName))
-		case req, ok := <-recvCh:
-			if !ok {
-				if !pending.IsEmpty() {
-					span.AddEvent("Sending last non-empty batch")
-					copySender <- copyRequest{pending, info}
-					metrics.IngestorFlushSeries.With(prometheus.Labels{"type": "metric", "subsystem": "metric_batcher"}).Observe(float64(numSeries))
-					metrics.IngestorBatchDuration.With(prometheus.Labels{"type": "metric", "subsystem": "metric_batcher"}).Observe(time.Since(pending.Start).Seconds())
-				}
-				span.AddEvent("Exiting metric batcher batch loop")
-				span.SetAttributes(attribute.Int("num_series", numSeries))
-				span.End()
-				return
-			}
-			addReq(req, pending)
+
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/pgmodel/ingestor/reservation.go b/pkg/pgmodel/ingestor/reservation.go
index c75024403e..ffee442c65 100644
--- a/pkg/pgmodel/ingestor/reservation.go
+++ b/pkg/pgmodel/ingestor/reservation.go
@@ -59,6 +59,14 @@ func newReservationQueueInternal() *reservationQueueInternal {
 func (res reservationQueueInternal) Len() int { return len(res) }
 
 func (res reservationQueueInternal) Less(i, j int) bool {
+	startTimeI := res[i].GetStartTime()
+	startTimeJ := res[j].GetStartTime()
+	if startTimeI.Equal(startTimeJ) {
+		itemsI := atomic.LoadInt64(&res[i].items)
+		itemsJ := atomic.LoadInt64(&res[j].items)
+		//prerer metrics with more items because they probably hold up more stuff
+		return itemsI > itemsJ
+	}
 	return res[i].GetStartTime().Before(res[j].GetStartTime())
 }