diff --git a/java/compaction/compaction-core/src/main/java/sleeper/compaction/core/job/creation/AssignJobIdToFiles.java b/java/compaction/compaction-core/src/main/java/sleeper/compaction/core/job/creation/AssignJobIdToFiles.java
index 366988bdd1..044d9d1f11 100644
--- a/java/compaction/compaction-core/src/main/java/sleeper/compaction/core/job/creation/AssignJobIdToFiles.java
+++ b/java/compaction/compaction-core/src/main/java/sleeper/compaction/core/job/creation/AssignJobIdToFiles.java
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ public interface AssignJobIdToFiles {
 
     static AssignJobIdToFiles synchronous(StateStore stateStore) {
         return (assignJobIdRequests, tableStatus) -> {
-            stateStore.assignJobIds(assignJobIdRequests);
+            new AssignJobIdsTransaction(assignJobIdRequests).synchronousCommit(stateStore);
         };
     }
 
diff --git a/java/core/src/main/java/sleeper/core/statestore/DelegatingStateStore.java b/java/core/src/main/java/sleeper/core/statestore/DelegatingStateStore.java
index 48c56ec0ca..ebbe3131c2 100644
--- a/java/core/src/main/java/sleeper/core/statestore/DelegatingStateStore.java
+++ b/java/core/src/main/java/sleeper/core/statestore/DelegatingStateStore.java
@@ -73,15 +73,6 @@ public void atomicallyReplaceFileReferencesWithNewOnes(List<ReplaceFileReference
         fileReferenceStore.atomicallyReplaceFileReferencesWithNewOnes(requests);
     }
 
-    @Override
-    public void assignJobIds(List<AssignJobIdRequest> requests) throws StateStoreException {
-        if (requests.isEmpty()) {
-            LOGGER.info("Ignoring assignJobIds call with no requests");
-            return;
-        }
-        fileReferenceStore.assignJobIds(requests);
-    }
-
     @Override
     public void deleteGarbageCollectedFileReferenceCounts(List<String> filenames) throws StateStoreException {
         if (filenames.isEmpty()) {
diff --git a/java/core/src/main/java/sleeper/core/statestore/FileReferenceStoreUpdates.java b/java/core/src/main/java/sleeper/core/statestore/FileReferenceStoreUpdates.java
index 7429523df1..7d90fad852 100644
--- a/java/core/src/main/java/sleeper/core/statestore/FileReferenceStoreUpdates.java
+++ b/java/core/src/main/java/sleeper/core/statestore/FileReferenceStoreUpdates.java
@@ -18,8 +18,6 @@
 import sleeper.core.statestore.exception.FileAlreadyExistsException;
 import sleeper.core.statestore.exception.FileHasReferencesException;
 import sleeper.core.statestore.exception.FileNotFoundException;
-import sleeper.core.statestore.exception.FileReferenceAssignedToJobException;
-import sleeper.core.statestore.exception.FileReferenceNotFoundException;
 import sleeper.core.statestore.exception.ReplaceRequestsFailedException;
 import sleeper.core.statestore.exception.SplitRequestsFailedException;
 
@@ -103,18 +101,6 @@ default void addFiles(List<FileReference> fileReferences) throws StateStoreExcep
      */
     void atomicallyReplaceFileReferencesWithNewOnes(List<ReplaceFileReferencesRequest> requests) throws ReplaceRequestsFailedException;
 
-    /**
-     * Atomically updates the job field of file references, as long as the job field is currently unset. This will be
-     * used for compaction job input files.
-     *
-     * @param  requests                            A list of {@link AssignJobIdRequest}s which should each be applied
-     *                                             atomically
-     * @throws FileReferenceNotFoundException      if a reference does not exist
-     * @throws FileReferenceAssignedToJobException if a reference is already assigned to a job
-     * @throws StateStoreException                 if the update fails for another reason
-     */
-    void assignJobIds(List<AssignJobIdRequest> requests) throws StateStoreException;
-
     /**
      * Records that files were garbage collected and have been deleted. The reference counts for those files should be
      * deleted.
diff --git a/java/core/src/main/java/sleeper/core/statestore/transactionlog/transaction/impl/AssignJobIdsTransaction.java b/java/core/src/main/java/sleeper/core/statestore/transactionlog/transaction/impl/AssignJobIdsTransaction.java
index 1f74f41318..f4df850836 100644
--- a/java/core/src/main/java/sleeper/core/statestore/transactionlog/transaction/impl/AssignJobIdsTransaction.java
+++ b/java/core/src/main/java/sleeper/core/statestore/transactionlog/transaction/impl/AssignJobIdsTransaction.java
@@ -20,9 +20,11 @@
 
 import sleeper.core.statestore.AssignJobIdRequest;
 import sleeper.core.statestore.FileReference;
+import sleeper.core.statestore.StateStore;
 import sleeper.core.statestore.StateStoreException;
 import sleeper.core.statestore.exception.FileReferenceAssignedToJobException;
 import sleeper.core.statestore.exception.FileReferenceNotFoundException;
+import sleeper.core.statestore.transactionlog.AddTransactionRequest;
 import sleeper.core.statestore.transactionlog.state.StateStoreFile;
 import sleeper.core.statestore.transactionlog.state.StateStoreFiles;
 import sleeper.core.statestore.transactionlog.transaction.FileReferenceTransaction;
@@ -72,6 +74,16 @@ public void apply(StateStoreFiles stateStoreFiles, Instant updateTime) {
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Commit this transaction directly to the state store without going to the commit queue. This will throw any
+     * validation exceptions immediately, even if they wouldn't be as part of an asynchronous commit.
+     *
+     * @param stateStore the state store
+     */
+    public void synchronousCommit(StateStore stateStore) {
+        stateStore.addFilesTransaction(AddTransactionRequest.withTransaction(this).build());
+    }
+
     @Override
     public boolean isEmpty() {
         return requests.isEmpty();
diff --git a/java/core/src/test/java/sleeper/core/statestore/testutils/StateStoreUpdatesWrapper.java b/java/core/src/test/java/sleeper/core/statestore/testutils/StateStoreUpdatesWrapper.java
index cf1b6f0287..4b150bd80a 100644
--- a/java/core/src/test/java/sleeper/core/statestore/testutils/StateStoreUpdatesWrapper.java
+++ b/java/core/src/test/java/sleeper/core/statestore/testutils/StateStoreUpdatesWrapper.java
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ public void splitFileReferences(List<SplitFileReferenceRequest> splitRequests) t
      * @throws StateStoreException                 if the update fails for another reason
      */
     public void assignJobIds(List<AssignJobIdRequest> requests) throws StateStoreException {
-        addTransaction(new AssignJobIdsTransaction(requests));
+        new AssignJobIdsTransaction(requests).synchronousCommit(stateStore);
     }
 
     /**