diff --git a/src/dwarfs/segmenter.cpp b/src/dwarfs/segmenter.cpp
index 0a7a9dc4..0065f284 100644
--- a/src/dwarfs/segmenter.cpp
+++ b/src/dwarfs/segmenter.cpp
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@
 
 namespace dwarfs {
 
+namespace {
+
 /**
  * Segmenter Strategy
  *
@@ -221,15 +223,44 @@ class alignas(64) bloom_filter {
   size_t const size_;
 };
 
-class active_block {
+template <size_t N>
+class ConstantGranularityPolicy {
+ public:
+  template <typename T>
+  void add_new_block(T& blocks, size_t num, size_t size, size_t window_size,
+                     size_t window_step, size_t bloom_filter_size) {
+    blocks.emplace_back(num, size, window_size, window_step, bloom_filter_size);
+  }
+};
+
+class VariableGranularityPolicy {
+ public:
+  VariableGranularityPolicy(uint32_t granularity)
+      : granularity_{granularity} {}
+
+  template <typename T>
+  void add_new_block(T& blocks, size_t num, size_t size, size_t window_size,
+                     size_t window_step, size_t bloom_filter_size) {
+    blocks.emplace_back(num, size, window_size, window_step, bloom_filter_size,
+                        granularity_);
+  }
+
+ private:
+  uint_fast32_t granularity_;
+};
+
+template <typename GranularityPolicy>
+class active_block : private GranularityPolicy {
  private:
   using offset_t = uint32_t;
   using hash_t = uint32_t;
 
  public:
+  template <typename... PolicyArgs>
   active_block(size_t num, size_t size, size_t window_size, size_t window_step,
-               size_t bloom_filter_size)
-      : num_(num)
+               size_t bloom_filter_size, PolicyArgs&&... args)
+      : GranularityPolicy(std::forward<PolicyArgs>(args)...)
+      , num_(num)
       , capacity_(size)
       , window_size_(window_size)
       , window_step_mask_(window_step - 1)
@@ -278,24 +309,25 @@ class active_block {
  private:
   static constexpr size_t num_inline_offsets = 4;
 
-  size_t num_, capacity_, window_size_, window_step_mask_;
+  size_t const num_, capacity_, window_size_, window_step_mask_;
   rsync_hash hasher_;
   bloom_filter filter_;
   fast_multimap<hash_t, offset_t, num_inline_offsets> offsets_;
   std::shared_ptr<block_data> data_;
 };
 
-template <typename LoggerPolicy>
-class segmenter_ final : public segmenter::impl {
+template <typename LoggerPolicy, typename GranularityPolicy>
+class segmenter_ final : public segmenter::impl, private GranularityPolicy {
  public:
+  template <typename... PolicyArgs>
   segmenter_(logger& lgr, progress& prog, std::shared_ptr<block_manager> blkmgr,
-             segmenter::config const& cfg, compression_constraints const& cc,
-             segmenter::block_ready_cb block_ready)
-      : LOG_PROXY_INIT(lgr)
+             segmenter::config const& cfg,
+             segmenter::block_ready_cb block_ready, PolicyArgs&&... args)
+      : GranularityPolicy(std::forward<PolicyArgs>(args)...)
+      , LOG_PROXY_INIT(lgr)
       , prog_{prog}
       , blkmgr_{std::move(blkmgr)}
       , cfg_{cfg}
-      , granularity_{cc.granularity ? cc.granularity.value() : 1}
       , block_ready_{std::move(block_ready)}
       , window_size_{window_size(cfg)}
       , window_step_{window_step(cfg)}
@@ -351,7 +383,6 @@ class segmenter_ final : public segmenter::impl {
   progress& prog_;
   std::shared_ptr<block_manager> blkmgr_;
   segmenter::config const cfg_;
-  uint_fast32_t const granularity_;
   segmenter::block_ready_cb block_ready_;
 
   size_t const window_size_;
@@ -364,16 +395,21 @@ class segmenter_ final : public segmenter::impl {
 
   segmenter_stats stats_;
 
+  using active_block_type = active_block<GranularityPolicy>;
+
   // Active blocks are blocks that can still be referenced from new chunks.
   // Up to N blocks (configurable) can be active and are kept in this queue.
   // All active blocks except for the last one are immutable and potentially
   // already being compressed.
-  std::deque<active_block> blocks_;
+  std::deque<active_block_type> blocks_;
 };
 
+template <typename GranularityPolicy>
 class segment_match {
  public:
-  segment_match(active_block const* blk, uint32_t off) noexcept
+  using active_block_type = active_block<GranularityPolicy>;
+
+  segment_match(active_block_type const* blk, uint32_t off) noexcept
       : block_{blk}
       , offset_{off} {}
 
@@ -393,13 +429,15 @@ class segment_match {
   size_t block_num() const { return block_->num(); }
 
  private:
-  active_block const* block_;
+  active_block_type const* block_;
   uint32_t offset_;
   uint32_t size_{0};
   uint8_t const* data_{nullptr};
 };
 
-void active_block::append(std::span<uint8_t const> data, bloom_filter* filter) {
+template <typename GranularityPolicy>
+void active_block<GranularityPolicy>::append(std::span<uint8_t const> data,
+                                             bloom_filter* filter) {
   auto& v = data_->vec();
   auto offset = v.size();
   DWARFS_CHECK(offset + data.size() <= capacity_,
@@ -427,9 +465,11 @@ void active_block::append(std::span<uint8_t const> data, bloom_filter* filter) {
   }
 }
 
-void segment_match::verify_and_extend(uint8_t const* pos, size_t len,
-                                      uint8_t const* begin,
-                                      uint8_t const* end) {
+template <typename GranularityPolicy>
+void segment_match<GranularityPolicy>::verify_and_extend(uint8_t const* pos,
+                                                         size_t len,
+                                                         uint8_t const* begin,
+                                                         uint8_t const* end) {
   auto const& v = block_->data()->vec();
 
   if (::memcmp(v.data() + offset_, pos, len) == 0) {
@@ -454,11 +494,20 @@ void segment_match::verify_and_extend(uint8_t const* pos, size_t len,
   }
 }
 
-template <typename LoggerPolicy>
-void segmenter_<LoggerPolicy>::add_chunkable(chunkable& chkable) {
+template <typename LoggerPolicy, typename GranularityPolicy>
+void segmenter_<LoggerPolicy, GranularityPolicy>::add_chunkable(
+    chunkable& chkable) {
   if (auto size = chkable.size(); size > 0) {
     LOG_TRACE << "adding " << chkable.description();
 
+    // if (granularity_ > 1) {
+    //   DWARFS_CHECK(
+    //       size % granularity_ == 0,
+    //       fmt::format(
+    //           "unexpected size {} for given granularity {} (modulus: {})",
+    //           size, granularity_, size % granularity_));
+    // }
+
     if (!segmentation_enabled() or size < window_size_) {
       // no point dealing with hashing, just write it out
       add_data(chkable, 0, size);
@@ -469,8 +518,8 @@ void segmenter_<LoggerPolicy>::add_chunkable(chunkable& chkable) {
   }
 }
 
-template <typename LoggerPolicy>
-void segmenter_<LoggerPolicy>::finish() {
+template <typename LoggerPolicy, typename GranularityPolicy>
+void segmenter_<LoggerPolicy, GranularityPolicy>::finish() {
   if (!blocks_.empty() && !blocks_.back().full()) {
     block_ready();
   }
@@ -512,8 +561,8 @@ void segmenter_<LoggerPolicy>::finish() {
   }
 }
 
-template <typename LoggerPolicy>
-void segmenter_<LoggerPolicy>::block_ready() {
+template <typename LoggerPolicy, typename GranularityPolicy>
+void segmenter_<LoggerPolicy, GranularityPolicy>::block_ready() {
   auto& block = blocks_.back();
   block.finalize(stats_);
   auto written_block_num = block_ready_(block.data());
@@ -521,9 +570,9 @@ void segmenter_<LoggerPolicy>::block_ready() {
   ++prog_.block_count;
 }
 
-template <typename LoggerPolicy>
-void segmenter_<LoggerPolicy>::append_to_block(chunkable& chkable,
-                                               size_t offset, size_t size) {
+template <typename LoggerPolicy, typename GranularityPolicy>
+void segmenter_<LoggerPolicy, GranularityPolicy>::append_to_block(
+    chunkable& chkable, size_t offset, size_t size) {
   if (blocks_.empty() or blocks_.back().full()) [[unlikely]] {
     if (blocks_.size() >= std::max<size_t>(1, cfg_.max_active_blocks)) {
       blocks_.pop_front();
@@ -534,9 +583,9 @@ void segmenter_<LoggerPolicy>::append_to_block(chunkable& chkable,
       filter_.merge(b.filter());
     }
 
-    blocks_.emplace_back(blkmgr_->get_logical_block(), block_size_,
-                         cfg_.max_active_blocks > 0 ? window_size_ : 0,
-                         window_step_, filter_.size());
+    this->add_new_block(blocks_, blkmgr_->get_logical_block(), block_size_,
+                        cfg_.max_active_blocks > 0 ? window_size_ : 0,
+                        window_step_, filter_.size());
   }
 
   auto& block = blocks_.back();
@@ -553,9 +602,10 @@ void segmenter_<LoggerPolicy>::append_to_block(chunkable& chkable,
   }
 }
 
-template <typename LoggerPolicy>
-void segmenter_<LoggerPolicy>::add_data(chunkable& chkable, size_t offset,
-                                        size_t size) {
+template <typename LoggerPolicy, typename GranularityPolicy>
+void segmenter_<LoggerPolicy, GranularityPolicy>::add_data(chunkable& chkable,
+                                                           size_t offset,
+                                                           size_t size) {
   while (size > 0) {
     size_t block_offset = 0;
 
@@ -572,8 +622,9 @@ void segmenter_<LoggerPolicy>::add_data(chunkable& chkable, size_t offset,
   }
 }
 
-template <typename LoggerPolicy>
-void segmenter_<LoggerPolicy>::finish_chunk(chunkable& chkable) {
+template <typename LoggerPolicy, typename GranularityPolicy>
+void segmenter_<LoggerPolicy, GranularityPolicy>::finish_chunk(
+    chunkable& chkable) {
   if (chunk_.size > 0) {
     auto& block = blocks_.back();
     chkable.add_chunk(block.num(), chunk_.offset, chunk_.size);
@@ -583,9 +634,9 @@ void segmenter_<LoggerPolicy>::finish_chunk(chunkable& chkable) {
   }
 }
 
-template <typename LoggerPolicy>
-void segmenter_<LoggerPolicy>::segment_and_add_data(chunkable& chkable,
-                                                    size_t size) {
+template <typename LoggerPolicy, typename GranularityPolicy>
+void segmenter_<LoggerPolicy, GranularityPolicy>::segment_and_add_data(
+    chunkable& chkable, size_t size) {
   rsync_hash hasher;
   size_t offset = 0;
   size_t written = 0;
@@ -602,7 +653,8 @@ void segmenter_<LoggerPolicy>::segment_and_add_data(chunkable& chkable,
     hasher.update(p[offset]);
   }
 
-  std::vector<segment_match> matches;
+  // TODO: try folly::small_vector?
+  std::vector<segment_match<GranularityPolicy>> matches;
   const bool single_block_mode = cfg_.max_active_blocks == 1;
 
   auto total_bytes_read_before = prog_.total_bytes_read.load();
@@ -615,14 +667,12 @@ void segmenter_<LoggerPolicy>::segment_and_add_data(chunkable& chkable,
       ++stats_.bloom_hits;
       if (single_block_mode) {
         auto& block = blocks_.front();
-        block.for_each_offset(hasher(), [&](uint32_t offset) {
-          matches.emplace_back(&block, offset);
-        });
+        block.for_each_offset(
+            hasher(), [&](auto off) { matches.emplace_back(&block, off); });
       } else {
         for (auto const& block : blocks_) {
-          block.for_each_offset_filter(hasher(), [&](uint32_t offset) {
-            matches.emplace_back(&block, offset);
-          });
+          block.for_each_offset_filter(
+              hasher(), [&](auto off) { matches.emplace_back(&block, off); });
         }
       }
 
@@ -716,11 +766,43 @@ void segmenter_<LoggerPolicy>::segment_and_add_data(chunkable& chkable,
   finish_chunk(chkable);
 }
 
+template <size_t N>
+struct constant_granularity_segmenter_ {
+  template <typename LoggerPolicy>
+  using type = segmenter_<LoggerPolicy, ConstantGranularityPolicy<N>>;
+};
+
+struct variable_granularity_segmenter_ {
+  template <typename LoggerPolicy>
+  using type = segmenter_<LoggerPolicy, VariableGranularityPolicy>;
+};
+
+std::unique_ptr<segmenter::impl>
+create_segmenter(logger& lgr, progress& prog,
+                 std::shared_ptr<block_manager> blkmgr,
+                 segmenter::config const& cfg,
+                 compression_constraints const& cc,
+                 segmenter::block_ready_cb block_ready) {
+  if (!cc.granularity || cc.granularity.value() == 1) {
+    return make_unique_logging_object<segmenter::impl,
+                                      constant_granularity_segmenter_<1>::type,
+                                      logger_policies>(
+        lgr, prog, std::move(blkmgr), cfg, std::move(block_ready));
+  }
+
+  return make_unique_logging_object<
+      segmenter::impl, variable_granularity_segmenter_::type, logger_policies>(
+      lgr, prog, std::move(blkmgr), cfg, std::move(block_ready),
+      cc.granularity.value());
+}
+
+} // namespace
+
 segmenter::segmenter(logger& lgr, progress& prog,
                      std::shared_ptr<block_manager> blkmgr, config const& cfg,
                      compression_constraints const& cc,
                      block_ready_cb block_ready)
-    : impl_(make_unique_logging_object<impl, segmenter_, logger_policies>(
-          lgr, prog, std::move(blkmgr), cfg, cc, std::move(block_ready))) {}
+    : impl_(create_segmenter(lgr, prog, std::move(blkmgr), cfg, cc,
+                             std::move(block_ready))) {}
 
 } // namespace dwarfs