diff --git a/tree/ntuple/v7/src/RNTupleDescriptorFmt.cxx b/tree/ntuple/v7/src/RNTupleDescriptorFmt.cxx
index 3c69793e7fef2..81c002726fccd 100644
--- a/tree/ntuple/v7/src/RNTupleDescriptorFmt.cxx
+++ b/tree/ntuple/v7/src/RNTupleDescriptorFmt.cxx
@@ -123,8 +123,8 @@ void ROOT::Experimental::RNTupleDescriptor::PrintInfo(std::ostream &output) cons
             continue;
 
          info.fNElements += columnRange.fNElements;
-         if (compression == -1) {
-            compression = columnRange.fCompressionSettings.value();
+         if (compression == -1 && columnRange.fCompressionSettings) {
+            compression = *columnRange.fCompressionSettings;
          }
          const auto &pageRange = cluster.second.GetPageRange(column.second.GetPhysicalId());
          auto idx = cluster2Idx[cluster.first];
diff --git a/tree/ntuple/v7/src/RNTupleMerger.cxx b/tree/ntuple/v7/src/RNTupleMerger.cxx
index 8e6a76a246c37..70cad4ffb5b67 100644
--- a/tree/ntuple/v7/src/RNTupleMerger.cxx
+++ b/tree/ntuple/v7/src/RNTupleMerger.cxx
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ struct RChangeCompressionFunc {
       sealConf.fElement = &fDstColElement;
       sealConf.fPage = &page;
       sealConf.fBuffer = fBuffer;
-      sealConf.fCompressionSetting = fMergeOptions.fCompressionSettings.value();
+      sealConf.fCompressionSetting = *fMergeOptions.fCompressionSettings;
       sealConf.fWriteChecksum = fSealedPage.GetHasChecksum();
       auto refSealedPage = RPageSink::SealPage(sealConf);
       fSealedPage = refSealedPage;