diff --git a/src/daft-plan/src/planner.rs b/src/daft-plan/src/planner.rs
index 0b47c71a03..c28df0c262 100644
--- a/src/daft-plan/src/planner.rs
+++ b/src/daft-plan/src/planner.rs
@@ -79,8 +79,11 @@ pub fn plan(logical_plan: &LogicalPlan) -> DaftResult<PhysicalPlan> {
                 let scan_tasks = scan_op.0.to_scan_tasks(pushdowns.clone())?;
 
                 // Apply transformations on the ScanTasks to optimize
-                let scan_tasks =
-                    daft_scan::scan_task_iters::merge_by_sizes(scan_tasks, 128 * 1024 * 1024);
+                let scan_tasks = daft_scan::scan_task_iters::merge_by_sizes(
+                    scan_tasks,
+                    64 * 1024 * 1024,
+                    512 * 1024 * 1024,
+                );
 
                 let scan_tasks = scan_tasks.collect::<DaftResult<Vec<_>>>()?;
                 let partition_spec = Arc::new(PartitionSpec::new_internal(
diff --git a/src/daft-scan/src/scan_task_iters.rs b/src/daft-scan/src/scan_task_iters.rs
index 8209a35169..1ea965e3a8 100644
--- a/src/daft-scan/src/scan_task_iters.rs
+++ b/src/daft-scan/src/scan_task_iters.rs
@@ -7,17 +7,23 @@ use crate::{ScanTask, ScanTaskRef};
 type BoxScanTaskIter = Box<dyn Iterator<Item = DaftResult<ScanTaskRef>>>;
 
 /// Coalesces ScanTasks by their filesizes
-pub fn merge_by_sizes(scan_tasks: BoxScanTaskIter, target_filesize: usize) -> BoxScanTaskIter {
+pub fn merge_by_sizes(
+    scan_tasks: BoxScanTaskIter,
+    min_filesize: usize,
+    max_filesize: usize,
+) -> BoxScanTaskIter {
     Box::new(MergeByFileSize {
         iter: scan_tasks,
-        target_filesize,
+        min_filesize,
+        max_filesize,
         accumulator: None,
     })
 }
 
 struct MergeByFileSize {
     iter: BoxScanTaskIter,
-    target_filesize: usize,
+    min_filesize: usize,
+    max_filesize: usize,
 
     // Current element being accumulated on
     accumulator: Option<ScanTaskRef>,
@@ -31,34 +37,52 @@ impl Iterator for MergeByFileSize {
         let accumulator = self.accumulator.take();
 
         match (self.iter.next(), accumulator) {
-            // On first iteration, place ScanTask into the accumulator
+            // When no accumulator exists, trivially place the ScanTask into the accumulator
             (Some(Ok(child_item)), None) => {
                 self.accumulator = Some(child_item);
                 self.next()
             }
-            // On subsequent iterations, check if ScanTask can be merged with accumulator
+            // When an accumulator exists, attempt a merge and yield the result
             (Some(Ok(child_item)), Some(accumulator)) => {
-                let child_matches_accumulator = child_item.partition_spec()
-                    == accumulator.partition_spec()
-                    && child_item.file_format_config == accumulator.file_format_config
-                    && child_item.schema == accumulator.schema
-                    && child_item.storage_config == accumulator.storage_config
-                    && child_item.pushdowns == accumulator.pushdowns;
-                let can_merge_filesize = matches!(
+                // Whether or not the accumulator and the current item should be merged
+                let should_merge = {
+                    let child_matches_accumulator = child_item.partition_spec()
+                        == accumulator.partition_spec()
+                        && child_item.file_format_config == accumulator.file_format_config
+                        && child_item.schema == accumulator.schema
+                        && child_item.storage_config == accumulator.storage_config
+                        && child_item.pushdowns == accumulator.pushdowns;
+                    let smaller_than_max_filesize = matches!(
+                        (child_item.size_bytes(), accumulator.size_bytes()),
+                        (Some(child_item_size), Some(buffered_item_size)) if child_item_size + buffered_item_size <= self.max_filesize
+                    );
+                    child_matches_accumulator && smaller_than_max_filesize
+                };
+                // Whether or not we should immediately yield the merged result, or keep accumulating
+                let should_yield_merged_result = matches!(
                     (child_item.size_bytes(), accumulator.size_bytes()),
-                    (Some(child_item_size), Some(buffered_item_size)) if child_item_size + buffered_item_size <= self.target_filesize
+                    (Some(child_item_size), Some(buffered_item_size)) if child_item_size + buffered_item_size >= self.min_filesize
                 );
-                // Merge the accumulator and continue iteration
-                if child_matches_accumulator && can_merge_filesize {
-                    self.accumulator = Some(Arc::new(
+
+                match (should_merge, should_yield_merged_result) {
+                    // Merge and yield the merged result immediately
+                    (true, true) => Some(Ok(Arc::new(
                         ScanTask::merge(child_item.as_ref(), accumulator.as_ref())
                             .expect("ScanTasks should be mergeable in MergeByFileSize"),
-                    ));
-                    self.next()
-                // Replace the accumulator with the new ScanTask and then yield the old accumulator
-                } else {
-                    self.accumulator = Some(child_item);
-                    Some(Ok(accumulator))
+                    ))),
+                    // Merge and continue iterating and accumulating without yielding a result right now
+                    (true, false) => {
+                        self.accumulator = Some(Arc::new(
+                            ScanTask::merge(child_item.as_ref(), accumulator.as_ref())
+                                .expect("ScanTasks should be mergeable in MergeByFileSize"),
+                        ));
+                        self.next()
+                    }
+                    // Cannot merge: replace the accumulator and then yield the old accumulator
+                    (false, _) => {
+                        self.accumulator = Some(child_item);
+                        Some(Ok(accumulator))
+                    }
                 }
             }
             // Bubble up errors from child iterator, making sure to replace the accumulator which we moved