diff --git a/pageserver/src/layered_repository.rs b/pageserver/src/layered_repository.rs
index 392aa52844..cc8f8d6b68 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/layered_repository.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/layered_repository.rs
@@ -1640,7 +1640,7 @@ impl LayeredTimeline {
         Ok(layer)
     }
 
-    fn put_value(&self, key: Key, lsn: Lsn, val: Value) -> Result<()> {
+    fn put_value(&self, key: Key, lsn: Lsn, val: &Value) -> Result<()> {
         //info!("PUT: key {} at {}", key, lsn);
         let layer = self.get_layer_for_write(lsn)?;
         layer.put_value(key, lsn, val)?;
@@ -2555,7 +2555,7 @@ impl Deref for LayeredTimelineWriter<'_> {
 }
 
 impl<'a> TimelineWriter<'_> for LayeredTimelineWriter<'a> {
-    fn put(&self, key: Key, lsn: Lsn, value: Value) -> Result<()> {
+    fn put(&self, key: Key, lsn: Lsn, value: &Value) -> Result<()> {
         self.tl.put_value(key, lsn, value)
     }
 
@@ -2697,7 +2697,7 @@ pub mod tests {
         let TEST_KEY: Key = Key::from_hex("112222222233333333444444445500000001").unwrap();
 
         let writer = tline.writer();
-        writer.put(TEST_KEY, Lsn(0x10), Value::Image(TEST_IMG("foo at 0x10")))?;
+        writer.put(TEST_KEY, Lsn(0x10), &Value::Image(TEST_IMG("foo at 0x10")))?;
         writer.finish_write(Lsn(0x10));
         drop(writer);
 
@@ -2705,7 +2705,7 @@ pub mod tests {
         tline.compact()?;
 
         let writer = tline.writer();
-        writer.put(TEST_KEY, Lsn(0x20), Value::Image(TEST_IMG("foo at 0x20")))?;
+        writer.put(TEST_KEY, Lsn(0x20), &Value::Image(TEST_IMG("foo at 0x20")))?;
         writer.finish_write(Lsn(0x20));
         drop(writer);
 
@@ -2713,7 +2713,7 @@ pub mod tests {
         tline.compact()?;
 
         let writer = tline.writer();
-        writer.put(TEST_KEY, Lsn(0x30), Value::Image(TEST_IMG("foo at 0x30")))?;
+        writer.put(TEST_KEY, Lsn(0x30), &Value::Image(TEST_IMG("foo at 0x30")))?;
         writer.finish_write(Lsn(0x30));
         drop(writer);
 
@@ -2721,7 +2721,7 @@ pub mod tests {
         tline.compact()?;
 
         let writer = tline.writer();
-        writer.put(TEST_KEY, Lsn(0x40), Value::Image(TEST_IMG("foo at 0x40")))?;
+        writer.put(TEST_KEY, Lsn(0x40), &Value::Image(TEST_IMG("foo at 0x40")))?;
         writer.finish_write(Lsn(0x40));
         drop(writer);
 
@@ -2759,7 +2759,7 @@ pub mod tests {
                 writer.put(
                     test_key,
                     lsn,
-                    Value::Image(TEST_IMG(&format!("{} at {}", blknum, lsn))),
+                    &Value::Image(TEST_IMG(&format!("{} at {}", blknum, lsn))),
                 )?;
                 writer.finish_write(lsn);
                 drop(writer);
@@ -2805,7 +2805,7 @@ pub mod tests {
             writer.put(
                 test_key,
                 lsn,
-                Value::Image(TEST_IMG(&format!("{} at {}", blknum, lsn))),
+                &Value::Image(TEST_IMG(&format!("{} at {}", blknum, lsn))),
             )?;
             writer.finish_write(lsn);
             updated[blknum] = lsn;
@@ -2823,7 +2823,7 @@ pub mod tests {
                 writer.put(
                     test_key,
                     lsn,
-                    Value::Image(TEST_IMG(&format!("{} at {}", blknum, lsn))),
+                    &Value::Image(TEST_IMG(&format!("{} at {}", blknum, lsn))),
                 )?;
                 writer.finish_write(lsn);
                 drop(writer);
@@ -2875,7 +2875,7 @@ pub mod tests {
             writer.put(
                 test_key,
                 lsn,
-                Value::Image(TEST_IMG(&format!("{} at {}", blknum, lsn))),
+                &Value::Image(TEST_IMG(&format!("{} at {}", blknum, lsn))),
             )?;
             writer.finish_write(lsn);
             updated[blknum] = lsn;
@@ -2899,7 +2899,7 @@ pub mod tests {
                 writer.put(
                     test_key,
                     lsn,
-                    Value::Image(TEST_IMG(&format!("{} at {}", blknum, lsn))),
+                    &Value::Image(TEST_IMG(&format!("{} at {}", blknum, lsn))),
                 )?;
                 println!("updating {} at {}", blknum, lsn);
                 writer.finish_write(lsn);
@@ -2958,7 +2958,7 @@ pub mod tests {
                 writer.put(
                     test_key,
                     lsn,
-                    Value::Image(TEST_IMG(&format!("{} {} at {}", idx, blknum, lsn))),
+                    &Value::Image(TEST_IMG(&format!("{} {} at {}", idx, blknum, lsn))),
                 )?;
                 println!("updating [{}][{}] at {}", idx, blknum, lsn);
                 writer.finish_write(lsn);
diff --git a/pageserver/src/layered_repository/inmemory_layer.rs b/pageserver/src/layered_repository/inmemory_layer.rs
index bffb946f7e..87e6877520 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/layered_repository/inmemory_layer.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/layered_repository/inmemory_layer.rs
@@ -267,13 +267,13 @@ impl InMemoryLayer {
 
     /// Common subroutine of the public put_wal_record() and put_page_image() functions.
     /// Adds the page version to the in-memory tree
-    pub fn put_value(&self, key: Key, lsn: Lsn, val: Value) -> Result<()> {
+    pub fn put_value(&self, key: Key, lsn: Lsn, val: &Value) -> Result<()> {
         trace!("put_value key {} at {}/{}", key, self.timelineid, lsn);
         let mut inner = self.inner.write().unwrap();
 
         inner.assert_writeable();
 
-        let off = inner.file.write_blob(&Value::ser(&val)?)?;
+        let off = inner.file.write_blob(&Value::ser(val)?)?;
 
         let vec_map = inner.index.entry(key).or_default();
         let old = vec_map.append_or_update_last(lsn, off).unwrap().0;
diff --git a/pageserver/src/pgdatadir_mapping.rs b/pageserver/src/pgdatadir_mapping.rs
index 9dbae74074..23850169d8 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/pgdatadir_mapping.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/pgdatadir_mapping.rs
@@ -912,7 +912,7 @@ impl<'a, R: Repository> DatadirModification<'a, R> {
         let pending_nblocks = self.pending_nblocks;
 
         for (key, value) in self.pending_updates {
-            writer.put(key, self.lsn, value)?;
+            writer.put(key, self.lsn, &value)?;
         }
         for key_range in self.pending_deletions {
             writer.delete(key_range.clone(), self.lsn)?;
diff --git a/pageserver/src/repository.rs b/pageserver/src/repository.rs
index 17e8806899..359c704e81 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/repository.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/repository.rs
@@ -393,7 +393,7 @@ pub trait TimelineWriter<'a> {
     ///
     /// This will implicitly extend the relation, if the page is beyond the
     /// current end-of-file.
-    fn put(&self, key: Key, lsn: Lsn, value: Value) -> Result<()>;
+    fn put(&self, key: Key, lsn: Lsn, value: &Value) -> Result<()>;
 
     fn delete(&self, key_range: Range<Key>, lsn: Lsn) -> Result<()>;
 
@@ -603,12 +603,12 @@ mod tests {
         let tline = repo.create_empty_timeline(TIMELINE_ID, Lsn(0))?;
 
         let writer = tline.writer();
-        writer.put(*TEST_KEY, Lsn(0x10), Value::Image(TEST_IMG("foo at 0x10")))?;
+        writer.put(*TEST_KEY, Lsn(0x10), &Value::Image(TEST_IMG("foo at 0x10")))?;
         writer.finish_write(Lsn(0x10));
         drop(writer);
 
         let writer = tline.writer();
-        writer.put(*TEST_KEY, Lsn(0x20), Value::Image(TEST_IMG("foo at 0x20")))?;
+        writer.put(*TEST_KEY, Lsn(0x20), &Value::Image(TEST_IMG("foo at 0x20")))?;
         writer.finish_write(Lsn(0x20));
         drop(writer);
 
@@ -655,13 +655,13 @@ mod tests {
         let TEST_KEY_B: Key = Key::from_hex("112222222233333333444444445500000002").unwrap();
 
         // Insert a value on the timeline
-        writer.put(TEST_KEY_A, Lsn(0x20), test_value("foo at 0x20"))?;
-        writer.put(TEST_KEY_B, Lsn(0x20), test_value("foobar at 0x20"))?;
+        writer.put(TEST_KEY_A, Lsn(0x20), &test_value("foo at 0x20"))?;
+        writer.put(TEST_KEY_B, Lsn(0x20), &test_value("foobar at 0x20"))?;
         writer.finish_write(Lsn(0x20));
 
-        writer.put(TEST_KEY_A, Lsn(0x30), test_value("foo at 0x30"))?;
+        writer.put(TEST_KEY_A, Lsn(0x30), &test_value("foo at 0x30"))?;
         writer.finish_write(Lsn(0x30));
-        writer.put(TEST_KEY_A, Lsn(0x40), test_value("foo at 0x40"))?;
+        writer.put(TEST_KEY_A, Lsn(0x40), &test_value("foo at 0x40"))?;
         writer.finish_write(Lsn(0x40));
 
         //assert_current_logical_size(&tline, Lsn(0x40));
@@ -672,7 +672,7 @@ mod tests {
             .get_timeline_load(NEW_TIMELINE_ID)
             .expect("Should have a local timeline");
         let new_writer = newtline.writer();
-        new_writer.put(TEST_KEY_A, Lsn(0x40), test_value("bar at 0x40"))?;
+        new_writer.put(TEST_KEY_A, Lsn(0x40), &test_value("bar at 0x40"))?;
         new_writer.finish_write(Lsn(0x40));
 
         // Check page contents on both branches
@@ -703,14 +703,14 @@ mod tests {
             writer.put(
                 *TEST_KEY,
                 lsn,
-                Value::Image(TEST_IMG(&format!("foo at {}", lsn))),
+                &Value::Image(TEST_IMG(&format!("foo at {}", lsn))),
             )?;
             writer.finish_write(lsn);
             lsn += 0x10;
             writer.put(
                 *TEST_KEY,
                 lsn,
-                Value::Image(TEST_IMG(&format!("foo at {}", lsn))),
+                &Value::Image(TEST_IMG(&format!("foo at {}", lsn))),
             )?;
             writer.finish_write(lsn);
             lsn += 0x10;
@@ -721,14 +721,14 @@ mod tests {
             writer.put(
                 *TEST_KEY,
                 lsn,
-                Value::Image(TEST_IMG(&format!("foo at {}", lsn))),
+                &Value::Image(TEST_IMG(&format!("foo at {}", lsn))),
             )?;
             writer.finish_write(lsn);
             lsn += 0x10;
             writer.put(
                 *TEST_KEY,
                 lsn,
-                Value::Image(TEST_IMG(&format!("foo at {}", lsn))),
+                &Value::Image(TEST_IMG(&format!("foo at {}", lsn))),
             )?;
             writer.finish_write(lsn);
         }