diff --git a/PWGDQ/Tasks/dqEfficiency_withAssoc.cxx b/PWGDQ/Tasks/dqEfficiency_withAssoc.cxx
index 176d7ce64b2..089292b608e 100644
--- a/PWGDQ/Tasks/dqEfficiency_withAssoc.cxx
+++ b/PWGDQ/Tasks/dqEfficiency_withAssoc.cxx
@@ -3818,8 +3818,28 @@ struct AnalysisAsymmetricPairing {
     int sign1 = 0;
     int sign2 = 0;
     uint32_t mcDecision = 0;
-    ditrackList.reserve(1);
-    ditrackExtraList.reserve(1);
+
+    // estimate reserved size
+    int64_t reserveSize = 0;
+    for (auto const& event : events) {
+      auto groupedLegAAssocs = legACandidateAssocs.sliceBy(preslice, event.globalIndex());
+      auto groupedLegBAssocs = legBCandidateAssocs.sliceBy(preslice, event.globalIndex());
+      size_t nGoodA = 0;
+      size_t nGoodB = 0;
+      for (auto const& t : groupedLegAAssocs) {
+        if (t.isBarrelSelected_raw()) {
+          nGoodA++;
+        }
+      }
+      for (auto const& t : groupedLegBAssocs) {
+        if (t.isBarrelSelected_raw()) {
+          nGoodB++;
+        }
+      }
+      reserveSize += nGoodA * nGoodB;
+    }
+    ditrackList.reserve(reserveSize);
+    ditrackExtraList.reserve(reserveSize);
 
     constexpr bool trackHasCov = ((TTrackFillMap & VarManager::ObjTypes::TrackCov) > 0 || (TTrackFillMap & VarManager::ObjTypes::ReducedTrackBarrelCov) > 0);
 
diff --git a/PWGDQ/Tasks/tableReader_withAssoc.h b/PWGDQ/Tasks/tableReader_withAssoc.h
index 88bdbc0fd67..105a6527aba 100644
--- a/PWGDQ/Tasks/tableReader_withAssoc.h
+++ b/PWGDQ/Tasks/tableReader_withAssoc.h
@@ -3574,16 +3574,21 @@ struct AnalysisAsymmetricPairing {
     // Reserve capacity for the output tables
     int64_t reserveSize = 0;
     for (auto const& event : events) {
-      if (!event.isEventSelected_bit(0)) {
-        continue;
-      }
-      if (fConfigRemoveCollSplittingCandidates.value && event.isEventSelected_bit(2)) {
-        continue;
-      }
       auto groupedLegAAssocs = legACandidateAssocs.sliceBy(preslice, event.globalIndex());
       auto groupedLegBAssocs = legBCandidateAssocs.sliceBy(preslice, event.globalIndex());
-      reserveSize += static_cast<int64_t>(groupedLegAAssocs.size()) *
-                     static_cast<int64_t>(groupedLegBAssocs.size());
+      size_t nGoodA = 0;
+      size_t nGoodB = 0;
+      for (auto const& t : groupedLegAAssocs) {
+        if (t.isBarrelSelected_raw()) {
+          nGoodA++;
+        }
+      }
+      for (auto const& t : groupedLegBAssocs) {
+        if (t.isBarrelSelected_raw()) {
+          nGoodB++;
+        }
+      }
+      reserveSize += nGoodA * nGoodB;
     }
     ditrackList.reserve(reserveSize);
     ditrackExtraList.reserve(reserveSize);