diff --git a/server/filestore.go b/server/filestore.go
index 78a2c9345a5..1a9e42465ae 100644
--- a/server/filestore.go
+++ b/server/filestore.go
@@ -4602,9 +4602,9 @@ func (fs *fileStore) EraseMsg(seq uint64) (bool, error) {
 
 // Convenience function to remove per subject tracking at the filestore level.
 // Lock should be held.
-func (fs *fileStore) removePerSubject(subj string) {
+func (fs *fileStore) removePerSubject(subj string) uint64 {
 	if len(subj) == 0 || fs.psim == nil {
-		return
+		return 0
 	}
 	// We do not update sense of fblk here but will do so when we resolve during lookup.
 	bsubj := stringToBytes(subj)
@@ -4615,10 +4615,12 @@ func (fs *fileStore) removePerSubject(subj string) {
 		} else if info.total == 0 {
 			if _, ok = fs.psim.Delete(bsubj); ok {
 				fs.tsl -= len(subj)
-				return
+				return 0
 			}
 		}
+		return info.total
 	}
+	return 0
 }
 
 // Remove a message, optionally rewriting the mb file.
@@ -5836,6 +5838,14 @@ func (mb *msgBlock) writeTombstone(seq uint64, ts int64) error {
 	return mb.writeMsgRecord(emptyRecordLen, seq|tbit, _EMPTY_, nil, nil, ts, true)
 }
 
+// Helper function to place a delete tombstone without flush.
+// Lock should not be held.
+func (mb *msgBlock) writeTombstoneNoFlush(seq uint64, ts int64) error {
+	mb.mu.Lock()
+	defer mb.mu.Unlock()
+	return mb.writeMsgRecordLocked(emptyRecordLen, seq|tbit, _EMPTY_, nil, nil, ts, false, false)
+}
+
 // Will write the message record to the underlying message block.
 // filestore lock will be held.
 func (mb *msgBlock) writeMsgRecord(rl, seq uint64, subj string, mhdr, msg []byte, ts int64, flush bool) error {
@@ -6075,10 +6085,13 @@ func (fs *fileStore) checkLastBlock(rl uint64) (lmb *msgBlock, err error) {
 	lmb = fs.lmb
 	rbytes := lmb.blkSize()
 	if lmb == nil || (rbytes > 0 && rbytes+rl > fs.fcfg.BlockSize) {
-		if lmb != nil && fs.fcfg.Compression != NoCompression {
-			// We've now reached the end of this message block, if we want
-			// to compress blocks then now's the time to do it.
-			go lmb.recompressOnDiskIfNeeded()
+		if lmb != nil {
+			lmb.flushPendingMsgs()
+			if fs.fcfg.Compression != NoCompression {
+				// We've now reached the end of this message block, if we want
+				// to compress blocks then now's the time to do it.
+				go lmb.recompressOnDiskIfNeeded()
+			}
 		}
 		if lmb, err = fs.newMsgBlockForWrite(); err != nil {
 			return nil, err
@@ -6124,18 +6137,12 @@ func (fs *fileStore) writeTombstone(seq uint64, ts int64) error {
 // This version does not flush contents.
 // Lock should be held.
 func (fs *fileStore) writeTombstoneNoFlush(seq uint64, ts int64) error {
-	// Grab our current last message block.
-	olmb := fs.lmb
 	lmb, err := fs.checkLastBlock(emptyRecordLen)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	// If we swapped out our lmb, flush any pending.
-	if olmb != lmb {
-		olmb.flushPendingMsgs()
-	}
 	// Write tombstone without flush or kick.
-	return lmb.writeTombstone(seq, ts)
+	return lmb.writeTombstoneNoFlush(seq, ts)
 }
 
 func (mb *msgBlock) recompressOnDiskIfNeeded() error {
@@ -7942,6 +7949,11 @@ func (fs *fileStore) PurgeEx(subject string, sequence, keep uint64) (purged uint
 		}
 	}
 
+	// Make sure to not leave subject if empty and we reach this spot.
+	if subject == _EMPTY_ {
+		subject = fwcs
+	}
+
 	eq, wc := compareFn(subject), subjectHasWildcard(subject)
 	var firstSeqNeedsUpdate bool
 	var bytes uint64
@@ -7990,6 +8002,8 @@ func (fs *fileStore) PurgeEx(subject string, sequence, keep uint64) (purged uint
 			shouldExpire = true
 		}
 
+		var nrg uint64 // Number of remaining messages globally after removal from psim.
+
 		for seq, te := f, len(tombs); seq <= l; seq++ {
 			if sm, _ := mb.cacheLookupNoCopy(seq, &smv); sm != nil && eq(sm.subj, subject) {
 				rl := fileStoreMsgSize(sm.subj, sm.hdr, sm.msg)
@@ -8013,8 +8027,8 @@ func (fs *fileStore) PurgeEx(subject string, sequence, keep uint64) (purged uint
 					bytes += rl
 				}
 				// PSIM and FSS updates.
-				mb.removeSeqPerSubject(sm.subj, seq)
-				fs.removePerSubject(sm.subj)
+				nr := mb.removeSeqPerSubject(sm.subj, seq)
+				nrg = fs.removePerSubject(sm.subj)
 
 				// Track tombstones we need to write.
 				tombs = append(tombs, msgId{sm.seq, sm.ts})
@@ -8044,6 +8058,11 @@ func (fs *fileStore) PurgeEx(subject string, sequence, keep uint64) (purged uint
 				if mb.isEmpty() || (maxp > 0 && purged >= maxp) {
 					break
 				}
+				// Also break if we know we have no more messages matching here.
+				// This is only applicable for non-wildcarded filters.
+				if !wc && nr == 0 {
+					break
+				}
 			}
 		}
 		// Expire if we were responsible for loading and we do not seem to be doing successive purgeEx calls.
@@ -8058,6 +8077,10 @@ func (fs *fileStore) PurgeEx(subject string, sequence, keep uint64) (purged uint
 		if maxp > 0 && purged >= maxp {
 			break
 		}
+		// Also check if not wildcarded and we have no remaining matches.
+		if !wc && nrg == 0 {
+			break
+		}
 	}
 	if firstSeqNeedsUpdate {
 		fs.selectNextFirst()
@@ -8074,6 +8097,7 @@ func (fs *fileStore) PurgeEx(subject string, sequence, keep uint64) (purged uint
 				return purged, err
 			}
 		}
+		// Flush any pending. If we change blocks the checkLastBlock() will flush any pending for us.
 		if lmb := fs.lmb; lmb != nil {
 			lmb.flushPendingMsgs()
 		}
@@ -8727,21 +8751,21 @@ func (mb *msgBlock) dirtyCloseWithRemove(remove bool) error {
 
 // Remove a seq from the fss and select new first.
 // Lock should be held.
-func (mb *msgBlock) removeSeqPerSubject(subj string, seq uint64) {
+func (mb *msgBlock) removeSeqPerSubject(subj string, seq uint64) uint64 {
 	mb.ensurePerSubjectInfoLoaded()
 	if mb.fss == nil {
-		return
+		return 0
 	}
 	bsubj := stringToBytes(subj)
 	ss, ok := mb.fss.Find(bsubj)
 	if !ok || ss == nil {
-		return
+		return 0
 	}
 
 	mb.fs.sdm.removeSeqAndSubject(seq, subj)
 	if ss.Msgs == 1 {
 		mb.fss.Delete(bsubj)
-		return
+		return 0
 	}
 
 	ss.Msgs--
@@ -8751,18 +8775,20 @@ func (mb *msgBlock) removeSeqPerSubject(subj string, seq uint64) {
 		if !ss.lastNeedsUpdate && seq != ss.Last {
 			ss.First = ss.Last
 			ss.firstNeedsUpdate = false
-			return
+			return 1
 		}
 		if !ss.firstNeedsUpdate && seq != ss.First {
 			ss.Last = ss.First
 			ss.lastNeedsUpdate = false
-			return
+			return 1
 		}
 	}
 
 	// We can lazily calculate the first/last sequence when needed.
 	ss.firstNeedsUpdate = seq == ss.First || ss.firstNeedsUpdate
 	ss.lastNeedsUpdate = seq == ss.Last || ss.lastNeedsUpdate
+
+	return ss.Msgs
 }
 
 // Will recalculate the first and/or last sequence for this subject in this block.
diff --git a/server/filestore_test.go b/server/filestore_test.go
index a08654c305c..74665610afd 100644
--- a/server/filestore_test.go
+++ b/server/filestore_test.go
@@ -9529,7 +9529,7 @@ func TestFileStoreRemoveMsgBlockLast(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestFileStoreAllLastSeqs(t *testing.T) {
 	fs, err := newFileStore(
-		FileStoreConfig{StoreDir: t.TempDir()}, // Make block size small to test multiblock selections with maxSeq
+		FileStoreConfig{StoreDir: t.TempDir()},
 		StreamConfig{Name: "zzz", Subjects: []string{"*.*"}, MaxMsgsPer: 50, Storage: FileStorage})
 	require_NoError(t, err)
 	defer fs.Stop()
diff --git a/server/norace_2_test.go b/server/norace_2_test.go
index 12b0c3baf07..ccafb450a3c 100644
--- a/server/norace_2_test.go
+++ b/server/norace_2_test.go
@@ -3352,3 +3352,46 @@ func TestNoRaceJetStreamClusterConsumerDeleteInterestPolicyUniqueFiltersPerf(t *
 	}
 	expectedStreamMsgs(0)
 }
+
+func TestNoRaceFileStorePurgeExAsyncTombstones(t *testing.T) {
+	fs, err := newFileStore(
+		FileStoreConfig{StoreDir: t.TempDir()},
+		StreamConfig{Name: "zzz", Subjects: []string{"*.*"}, Storage: FileStorage})
+	require_NoError(t, err)
+	defer fs.Stop()
+
+	msg := []byte("zzz")
+
+	fs.StoreMsg("foo.A", nil, msg, 0)
+	fs.StoreMsg("foo.B", nil, msg, 0)
+	for i := 0; i < 500; i++ {
+		fs.StoreMsg("foo.C", nil, msg, 0)
+	}
+	fs.StoreMsg("foo.D", nil, msg, 0)
+
+	// Load all blocks to avoid that being a factor in timing.
+	fs.mu.RLock()
+	for _, mb := range fs.blks {
+		mb.loadMsgs()
+	}
+	fs.mu.RUnlock()
+
+	// Now purge 1 that is not the first message and take note of time.
+	// Since we are loaded this should mostly be the time to write / flush tombstones.
+	start := time.Now()
+	n, err := fs.PurgeEx("foo.B", 0, 0)
+	elapsed := time.Since(start)
+	require_NoError(t, err)
+	require_Equal(t, n, 1)
+
+	start = time.Now()
+	n, err = fs.PurgeEx("foo.C", 0, 0)
+	elapsed2 := time.Since(start)
+	require_NoError(t, err)
+	require_Equal(t, n, 500)
+
+	// If we are flushing for each tombstone the second elapsed time will be a larger multiple of the single message purge.
+	// In testing this is like >200x
+	// With async and flush for all tombstones will be ~30x
+	require_True(t, elapsed*50 > elapsed2)
+}
diff --git a/server/sdm.go b/server/sdm.go
index 4de53582cae..7431479580b 100644
--- a/server/sdm.go
+++ b/server/sdm.go
@@ -1,3 +1,16 @@
+// Copyright 2025 The NATS Authors
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+// http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
 package server
 
 import "time"