diff --git a/bucket_map/src/bucket.rs b/bucket_map/src/bucket.rs
index a60de11a56..95520a162e 100644
--- a/bucket_map/src/bucket.rs
+++ b/bucket_map/src/bucket.rs
@@ -402,8 +402,10 @@ impl<'b, T: Clone + Copy + 'static> Bucket<T> {
         data_len: usize,
         ref_count: RefCount,
     ) -> Result<(), BucketMapError> {
+        let num_slots = data_len as u64;
         let best_fit_bucket = MultipleSlots::data_bucket_from_num_slots(data_len as u64);
-        if self.data.get(best_fit_bucket as usize).is_none() {
+        let requires_data_bucket = num_slots > 1 || ref_count != 1;
+        if requires_data_bucket && self.data.get(best_fit_bucket as usize).is_none() {
             // fail early if the data bucket we need doesn't exist - we don't want the index entry partially allocated
             return Err(BucketMapError::DataNoSpace((best_fit_bucket, 0)));
         }
@@ -420,8 +422,7 @@ impl<'b, T: Clone + Copy + 'static> Bucket<T> {
             elem_allocate.init(&mut self.index, key);
             elem_allocate
         };
-        let num_slots = data_len as u64;
-        if num_slots <= 1 && ref_count == 1 {
+        if !requires_data_bucket {
             // new data stored should be stored in IndexEntry and NOT in data file
             // new data len is 0 or 1
             if let OccupiedEnum::MultipleSlots(multiple_slots) =