diff --git a/api/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/RewriteFiles.java b/api/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/RewriteFiles.java
index c392c7118d8a..46545b8c027e 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/RewriteFiles.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/RewriteFiles.java
@@ -32,15 +32,93 @@
  * will be resolved by applying the changes to the new latest snapshot and reattempting the commit.
  * If any of the deleted files are no longer in the latest snapshot when reattempting, the commit
  * will throw a {@link ValidationException}.
+ *
+ * <p>Note that the new state of the table after each rewrite must be logically equivalent to the
+ * original table state.
  */
 public interface RewriteFiles extends SnapshotUpdate<RewriteFiles> {
+  /**
+   * Remove a data file from the current table state.
+   *
+   * <p>This rewrite operation may change the size or layout of the data files. When applicable, it
+   * is also recommended to discard already deleted records while rewriting data files. However, the
+   * set of live data records must never change.
+   *
+   * @param dataFile a rewritten data file
+   * @return this for method chaining
+   */
+  default RewriteFiles deleteFile(DataFile dataFile) {
+    throw new UnsupportedOperationException(
+        this.getClass().getName() + " does not implement deleteFile");
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Remove a delete file from the table state.
+   *
+   * <p>This rewrite operation may change the size or layout of the delete files. When applicable,
+   * it is also recommended to discard delete records for files that are no longer part of the table
+   * state. However, the set of applicable delete records must never change.
+   *
+   * @param deleteFile a rewritten delete file
+   * @return this for method chaining
+   */
+  default RewriteFiles deleteFile(DeleteFile deleteFile) {
+    throw new UnsupportedOperationException(
+        this.getClass().getName() + " does not implement deleteFile");
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Add a new data file.
+   *
+   * <p>This rewrite operation may change the size or layout of the data files. When applicable, it
+   * is also recommended to discard already deleted records while rewriting data files. However, the
+   * set of live data records must never change.
+   *
+   * @param dataFile a new data file
+   * @return this for method chaining
+   */
+  default RewriteFiles addFile(DataFile dataFile) {
+    throw new UnsupportedOperationException(
+        this.getClass().getName() + " does not implement addFile");
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Add a new delete file.
+   *
+   * <p>This rewrite operation may change the size or layout of the delete files. When applicable,
+   * it is also recommended to discard delete records for files that are no longer part of the table
+   * state. However, the set of applicable delete records must never change.
+   *
+   * @param deleteFile a new delete file
+   * @return this for method chaining
+   */
+  default RewriteFiles addFile(DeleteFile deleteFile) {
+    throw new UnsupportedOperationException(
+        this.getClass().getName() + " does not implement addFile");
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Configure the data sequence number for this rewrite operation. This data sequence number will
+   * be used for all new data files that are added in this rewrite. This method is helpful to avoid
+   * commit conflicts between data compaction and adding equality deletes.
+   *
+   * @param sequenceNumber a data sequence number
+   * @return this for method chaining
+   */
+  default RewriteFiles dataSequenceNumber(long sequenceNumber) {
+    throw new UnsupportedOperationException(
+        this.getClass().getName() + " does not implement dataSequenceNumber");
+  }
+
   /**
    * Add a rewrite that replaces one set of data files with another set that contains the same data.
    *
    * @param filesToDelete files that will be replaced (deleted), cannot be null or empty.
    * @param filesToAdd files that will be added, cannot be null or empty.
    * @return this for method chaining
+   * @deprecated since 1.3.0, will be removed in 2.0.0
    */
+  @Deprecated
   default RewriteFiles rewriteFiles(Set<DataFile> filesToDelete, Set<DataFile> filesToAdd) {
     return rewriteFiles(filesToDelete, ImmutableSet.of(), filesToAdd, ImmutableSet.of());
   }
@@ -53,7 +131,9 @@ default RewriteFiles rewriteFiles(Set<DataFile> filesToDelete, Set<DataFile> fil
    * @param filesToAdd files that will be added, cannot be null or empty.
    * @param sequenceNumber sequence number to use for all data files added
    * @return this for method chaining
+   * @deprecated since 1.3.0, will be removed in 2.0.0
    */
+  @Deprecated
   RewriteFiles rewriteFiles(
       Set<DataFile> filesToDelete, Set<DataFile> filesToAdd, long sequenceNumber);
 
@@ -65,7 +145,9 @@ RewriteFiles rewriteFiles(
    * @param dataFilesToAdd data files that will be added.
    * @param deleteFilesToAdd delete files that will be added.
    * @return this for method chaining.
+   * @deprecated since 1.3.0, will be removed in 2.0.0
    */
+  @Deprecated
   RewriteFiles rewriteFiles(
       Set<DataFile> dataFilesToReplace,
       Set<DeleteFile> deleteFilesToReplace,
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/BaseRewriteFiles.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/BaseRewriteFiles.java
index 54996e831117..177e9d0b3fdf 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/BaseRewriteFiles.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/BaseRewriteFiles.java
@@ -44,33 +44,41 @@ protected String operation() {
     return DataOperations.REPLACE;
   }
 
-  private void verifyInputAndOutputFiles(
-      Set<DataFile> dataFilesToDelete,
-      Set<DeleteFile> deleteFilesToDelete,
-      Set<DataFile> dataFilesToAdd,
-      Set<DeleteFile> deleteFilesToAdd) {
-    Preconditions.checkNotNull(dataFilesToDelete, "Data files to delete can not be null");
-    Preconditions.checkNotNull(deleteFilesToDelete, "Delete files to delete can not be null");
-    Preconditions.checkNotNull(dataFilesToAdd, "Data files to add can not be null");
-    Preconditions.checkNotNull(deleteFilesToAdd, "Delete files to add can not be null");
+  @Override
+  public RewriteFiles deleteFile(DataFile dataFile) {
+    replacedDataFiles.add(dataFile);
+    delete(dataFile);
+    return self();
+  }
 
-    int filesToDelete = 0;
-    filesToDelete += dataFilesToDelete.size();
-    filesToDelete += deleteFilesToDelete.size();
+  @Override
+  public RewriteFiles deleteFile(DeleteFile deleteFile) {
+    delete(deleteFile);
+    return self();
+  }
 
-    Preconditions.checkArgument(filesToDelete > 0, "Files to delete cannot be null or empty");
+  @Override
+  public RewriteFiles addFile(DataFile dataFile) {
+    add(dataFile);
+    return self();
+  }
 
-    if (deleteFilesToDelete.isEmpty()) {
-      Preconditions.checkArgument(
-          deleteFilesToAdd.isEmpty(),
-          "Delete files to add must be empty because there's no delete file to be rewritten");
-    }
+  @Override
+  public RewriteFiles addFile(DeleteFile deleteFile) {
+    add(deleteFile);
+    return self();
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public RewriteFiles dataSequenceNumber(long sequenceNumber) {
+    setNewDataFilesDataSequenceNumber(sequenceNumber);
+    return self();
   }
 
   @Override
   public RewriteFiles rewriteFiles(
       Set<DataFile> filesToDelete, Set<DataFile> filesToAdd, long sequenceNumber) {
-    setNewFilesSequenceNumber(sequenceNumber);
+    setNewDataFilesDataSequenceNumber(sequenceNumber);
     return rewriteFiles(filesToDelete, ImmutableSet.of(), filesToAdd, ImmutableSet.of());
   }
 
@@ -80,24 +88,26 @@ public RewriteFiles rewriteFiles(
       Set<DeleteFile> deleteFilesToReplace,
       Set<DataFile> dataFilesToAdd,
       Set<DeleteFile> deleteFilesToAdd) {
-    verifyInputAndOutputFiles(
-        dataFilesToReplace, deleteFilesToReplace, dataFilesToAdd, deleteFilesToAdd);
-    replacedDataFiles.addAll(dataFilesToReplace);
+
+    Preconditions.checkNotNull(dataFilesToReplace, "Replaced data files can't be null");
+    Preconditions.checkNotNull(deleteFilesToReplace, "Replaced delete files can't be null");
+    Preconditions.checkNotNull(dataFilesToAdd, "Added data files can't be null");
+    Preconditions.checkNotNull(deleteFilesToAdd, "Added delete files can't be null");
 
     for (DataFile dataFile : dataFilesToReplace) {
-      delete(dataFile);
+      deleteFile(dataFile);
     }
 
     for (DeleteFile deleteFile : deleteFilesToReplace) {
-      delete(deleteFile);
+      deleteFile(deleteFile);
     }
 
     for (DataFile dataFile : dataFilesToAdd) {
-      add(dataFile);
+      addFile(dataFile);
     }
 
     for (DeleteFile deleteFile : deleteFilesToAdd) {
-      add(deleteFile);
+      addFile(deleteFile);
     }
 
     return this;
@@ -117,10 +127,24 @@ public BaseRewriteFiles toBranch(String branch) {
 
   @Override
   protected void validate(TableMetadata base, Snapshot parent) {
+    validateReplacedAndAddedFiles();
     if (replacedDataFiles.size() > 0) {
       // if there are replaced data files, there cannot be any new row-level deletes for those data
       // files
       validateNoNewDeletesForDataFiles(base, startingSnapshotId, replacedDataFiles, parent);
     }
   }
+
+  private void validateReplacedAndAddedFiles() {
+    Preconditions.checkArgument(
+        deletesDataFiles() || deletesDeleteFiles(), "Files to delete cannot be empty");
+
+    Preconditions.checkArgument(
+        deletesDataFiles() || !addsDataFiles(),
+        "Data files to add must be empty because there's no data file to be rewritten");
+
+    Preconditions.checkArgument(
+        deletesDeleteFiles() || !addsDeleteFiles(),
+        "Delete files to add must be empty because there's no delete file to be rewritten");
+  }
 }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/ManifestFilterManager.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/ManifestFilterManager.java
index 36fa222ae034..9a50c0cecb13 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/ManifestFilterManager.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/ManifestFilterManager.java
@@ -165,6 +165,12 @@ void delete(CharSequence path) {
     deletePaths.add(path);
   }
 
+  boolean containsDeletes() {
+    return deletePaths.size() > 0
+        || deleteExpression != Expressions.alwaysFalse()
+        || dropPartitions.size() > 0;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Filter deleted files out of a list of manifests.
    *
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/MergingSnapshotProducer.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/MergingSnapshotProducer.java
index 490ec2dedc59..00e182781887 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/MergingSnapshotProducer.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/MergingSnapshotProducer.java
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ abstract class MergingSnapshotProducer<ThisT> extends SnapshotProducer<ThisT> {
 
   // update data
   private final List<DataFile> newFiles = Lists.newArrayList();
-  private Long newFilesSequenceNumber;
+  private Long newDataFilesDataSequenceNumber;
   private final Map<Integer, List<DeleteFile>> newDeleteFilesBySpec = Maps.newHashMap();
   private final List<ManifestFile> appendManifests = Lists.newArrayList();
   private final List<ManifestFile> rewrittenAppendManifests = Lists.newArrayList();
@@ -209,6 +209,22 @@ protected void delete(CharSequence path) {
     filterManager.delete(path);
   }
 
+  protected boolean deletesDataFiles() {
+    return filterManager.containsDeletes();
+  }
+
+  protected boolean deletesDeleteFiles() {
+    return deleteFilterManager.containsDeletes();
+  }
+
+  protected boolean addsDataFiles() {
+    return newFiles.size() > 0;
+  }
+
+  protected boolean addsDeleteFiles() {
+    return newDeleteFilesBySpec.size() > 0;
+  }
+
   /** Add a data file to the new snapshot. */
   protected void add(DataFile file) {
     Preconditions.checkNotNull(file, "Invalid data file: null");
@@ -392,7 +408,7 @@ private CloseableIterable<ManifestEntry<DataFile>> addedDataFiles(
   protected void validateNoNewDeletesForDataFiles(
       TableMetadata base, Long startingSnapshotId, Iterable<DataFile> dataFiles, Snapshot parent) {
     validateNoNewDeletesForDataFiles(
-        base, startingSnapshotId, null, dataFiles, newFilesSequenceNumber != null, parent);
+        base, startingSnapshotId, null, dataFiles, newDataFilesDataSequenceNumber != null, parent);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -651,8 +667,20 @@ private CloseableIterable<ManifestEntry<DataFile>> deletedDataFiles(
     return manifestGroup.entries();
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Sets a data sequence number for new data files.
+   *
+   * @param sequenceNumber a data sequence number
+   * @deprecated since 1.3.0, will be removed in 1.4.0; use {@link
+   *     #setNewDataFilesDataSequenceNumber(long)};
+   */
+  @Deprecated
   protected void setNewFilesSequenceNumber(long sequenceNumber) {
-    this.newFilesSequenceNumber = sequenceNumber;
+    setNewDataFilesDataSequenceNumber(sequenceNumber);
+  }
+
+  protected void setNewDataFilesDataSequenceNumber(long sequenceNumber) {
+    this.newDataFilesDataSequenceNumber = sequenceNumber;
   }
 
   private long startingSequenceNumber(TableMetadata metadata, Long staringSnapshotId) {
@@ -926,10 +954,10 @@ private ManifestFile newFilesAsManifest() {
       try {
         ManifestWriter<DataFile> writer = newManifestWriter(dataSpec());
         try {
-          if (newFilesSequenceNumber == null) {
+          if (newDataFilesDataSequenceNumber == null) {
             writer.addAll(newFiles);
           } else {
-            newFiles.forEach(f -> writer.add(f, newFilesSequenceNumber));
+            newFiles.forEach(f -> writer.add(f, newDataFilesDataSequenceNumber));
           }
         } finally {
           writer.close();
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/actions/BaseRewriteDataFilesAction.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/actions/BaseRewriteDataFilesAction.java
index dae057d36b46..5f229be579b7 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/actions/BaseRewriteDataFilesAction.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/actions/BaseRewriteDataFilesAction.java
@@ -44,7 +44,6 @@
 import org.apache.iceberg.relocated.com.google.common.collect.Lists;
 import org.apache.iceberg.relocated.com.google.common.collect.Maps;
 import org.apache.iceberg.relocated.com.google.common.collect.Multimaps;
-import org.apache.iceberg.relocated.com.google.common.collect.Sets;
 import org.apache.iceberg.relocated.com.google.common.collect.Streams;
 import org.apache.iceberg.util.PropertyUtil;
 import org.apache.iceberg.util.StructLikeWrapper;
@@ -325,12 +324,18 @@ void doReplace(
       Iterable<DataFile> addedDataFiles,
       long startingSnapshotId) {
     RewriteFiles rewriteFiles = table.newRewrite().validateFromSnapshot(startingSnapshotId);
+
+    for (DataFile dataFile : deletedDataFiles) {
+      rewriteFiles.deleteFile(dataFile);
+    }
+
+    for (DataFile dataFile : addedDataFiles) {
+      rewriteFiles.addFile(dataFile);
+    }
+
     if (useStartingSequenceNumber) {
       long sequenceNumber = table.snapshot(startingSnapshotId).sequenceNumber();
-      rewriteFiles.rewriteFiles(
-          Sets.newHashSet(deletedDataFiles), Sets.newHashSet(addedDataFiles), sequenceNumber);
-    } else {
-      rewriteFiles.rewriteFiles(Sets.newHashSet(deletedDataFiles), Sets.newHashSet(addedDataFiles));
+      rewriteFiles.dataSequenceNumber(sequenceNumber);
     }
 
     commit(rewriteFiles);
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/actions/RewritePositionDeletesCommitManager.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/actions/RewritePositionDeletesCommitManager.java
index c60764430ba7..32b6e0101ad5 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/actions/RewritePositionDeletesCommitManager.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/actions/RewritePositionDeletesCommitManager.java
@@ -21,12 +21,11 @@
 import java.util.Set;
 import org.apache.iceberg.CatalogUtil;
 import org.apache.iceberg.DeleteFile;
+import org.apache.iceberg.RewriteFiles;
 import org.apache.iceberg.Table;
 import org.apache.iceberg.exceptions.CommitStateUnknownException;
 import org.apache.iceberg.relocated.com.google.common.base.Preconditions;
-import org.apache.iceberg.relocated.com.google.common.collect.ImmutableSet;
 import org.apache.iceberg.relocated.com.google.common.collect.Iterables;
-import org.apache.iceberg.relocated.com.google.common.collect.Sets;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
@@ -53,18 +52,19 @@ public RewritePositionDeletesCommitManager(Table table) {
    * @param fileGroups file groups to commit
    */
   public void commit(Set<RewritePositionDeletesGroup> fileGroups) {
-    Set<DeleteFile> rewrittenDeleteFiles = Sets.newHashSet();
-    Set<DeleteFile> addedDeleteFiles = Sets.newHashSet();
+    RewriteFiles rewriteFiles = table.newRewrite().validateFromSnapshot(startingSnapshotId);
+
     for (RewritePositionDeletesGroup group : fileGroups) {
-      rewrittenDeleteFiles.addAll(group.rewrittenDeleteFiles());
-      addedDeleteFiles.addAll(group.addedDeleteFiles());
+      for (DeleteFile file : group.rewrittenDeleteFiles()) {
+        rewriteFiles.deleteFile(file);
+      }
+
+      for (DeleteFile file : group.addedDeleteFiles()) {
+        rewriteFiles.addFile(file);
+      }
     }
 
-    table
-        .newRewrite()
-        .validateFromSnapshot(startingSnapshotId)
-        .rewriteFiles(ImmutableSet.of(), rewrittenDeleteFiles, ImmutableSet.of(), addedDeleteFiles)
-        .commit();
+    rewriteFiles.commit();
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/TestRewriteFiles.java b/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/TestRewriteFiles.java
index d1259eda2f05..256c0c94cced 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/TestRewriteFiles.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/TestRewriteFiles.java
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ public void testEmptyTable() {
                     .rewriteFiles(
                         ImmutableSet.of(),
                         ImmutableSet.of(FILE_A_DELETES),
-                        ImmutableSet.of(FILE_A),
+                        ImmutableSet.of(),
                         ImmutableSet.of(FILE_B_DELETES)),
                 branch));
   }
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ public void testDeleteOnly() {
     AssertHelpers.assertThrows(
         "Expected an exception",
         IllegalArgumentException.class,
-        "Files to delete cannot be null or empty",
+        "Files to delete cannot be empty",
         () ->
             apply(
                 table.newRewrite().rewriteFiles(Collections.emptySet(), Sets.newSet(FILE_A)),
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ public void testDeleteOnly() {
     AssertHelpers.assertThrows(
         "Expected an exception",
         IllegalArgumentException.class,
-        "Files to delete cannot be null or empty",
+        "Files to delete cannot be empty",
         () ->
             apply(
                 table
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ public void testDeleteOnly() {
     AssertHelpers.assertThrows(
         "Expected an exception",
         IllegalArgumentException.class,
-        "Files to delete cannot be null or empty",
+        "Files to delete cannot be empty",
         () ->
             apply(
                 table