diff --git a/storage/disk/disk.go b/storage/disk/disk.go
index 93242e6459..2558b56718 100644
--- a/storage/disk/disk.go
+++ b/storage/disk/disk.go
@@ -508,6 +508,9 @@ func (db *Store) validatePartitions(ctx context.Context, txn *badger.Txn, existi
 	}
 
 	for _, path := range addedPartitions.Diff(replacements) {
+		if prefix, wildcard := hasWildcard(path); wildcard {
+			path = prefix
+		}
 		for i := len(path); i > 0; i-- {
 			key, err := db.pm.DataPath2Key(path[:i])
 			if err != nil {
diff --git a/storage/disk/disk_test.go b/storage/disk/disk_test.go
index cf14381d30..29ce0df7ff 100644
--- a/storage/disk/disk_test.go
+++ b/storage/disk/disk_test.go
@@ -324,6 +324,31 @@ func TestDataPartitioningValidation(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 		closeFn(ctx, s)
 
+		// adding a wildcard partition requires no content on the non-wildcard prefix
+		// we open the db with previously used partitions, write another key, and
+		// re-open with an extra wildcard partition
+		// switching to a partition with multiple wildcards
+		s, err = New(ctx, logging.NewNoOpLogger(), nil, Options{Dir: dir, Partitions: []storage.Path{
+			storage.MustParsePath("/fox/in/*/*/*"),
+			storage.MustParsePath("/foo/*"),
+		}})
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		err = storage.WriteOne(ctx, s, storage.AddOp, storage.MustParsePath("/peanutbutter/jelly"), true)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		closeFn(ctx, s)
+		s, err = New(ctx, logging.NewNoOpLogger(), nil, Options{Dir: dir, Partitions: []storage.Path{
+			storage.MustParsePath("/fox/in/*/*/*"),
+			storage.MustParsePath("/peanutbutter/*"),
+			storage.MustParsePath("/foo/*"),
+		}})
+		if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "partitions are backwards incompatible (existing data: /peanutbutter)") {
+			t.Fatal("expected to find existing key but got:", err)
+		}
+		closeFn(ctx, s)
 	})
 }