diff --git a/db/c.cc b/db/c.cc
index 45e8aefe5d..3a7ffd82bb 100644
--- a/db/c.cc
+++ b/db/c.cc
@@ -1740,6 +1740,11 @@ void rocksdb_options_set_max_background_compactions(rocksdb_options_t* opt, int
   opt->rep.max_background_compactions = n;
 }
 
+void rocksdb_options_set_base_background_compactions(rocksdb_options_t* opt,
+                                                     int n) {
+  opt->rep.base_background_compactions = n;
+}
+
 void rocksdb_options_set_max_background_flushes(rocksdb_options_t* opt, int n) {
   opt->rep.max_background_flushes = n;
 }
diff --git a/db/c_test.c b/db/c_test.c
index 6b52f0aee2..0260ec3fa5 100644
--- a/db/c_test.c
+++ b/db/c_test.c
@@ -323,6 +323,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
   rocksdb_options_set_write_buffer_size(options, 100000);
   rocksdb_options_set_paranoid_checks(options, 1);
   rocksdb_options_set_max_open_files(options, 10);
+  rocksdb_options_set_base_background_compactions(options, 1);
   table_options = rocksdb_block_based_options_create();
   rocksdb_block_based_options_set_block_cache(table_options, cache);
   rocksdb_options_set_block_based_table_factory(options, table_options);
diff --git a/include/rocksdb/c.h b/include/rocksdb/c.h
index 3f0aca7983..375b91e59b 100644
--- a/include/rocksdb/c.h
+++ b/include/rocksdb/c.h
@@ -585,6 +585,8 @@ rocksdb_options_set_max_write_buffer_number_to_maintain(rocksdb_options_t*,
                                                         int);
 extern ROCKSDB_LIBRARY_API void rocksdb_options_set_max_background_compactions(
     rocksdb_options_t*, int);
+extern ROCKSDB_LIBRARY_API void rocksdb_options_set_base_background_compactions(
+    rocksdb_options_t*, int);
 extern ROCKSDB_LIBRARY_API void rocksdb_options_set_max_background_flushes(
     rocksdb_options_t*, int);
 extern ROCKSDB_LIBRARY_API void rocksdb_options_set_max_log_file_size(