diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index b0de01d14d..4eea4dd4e8 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -5129,9 +5129,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "smallvec"
-version = "1.11.0"
+version = "1.13.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "62bb4feee49fdd9f707ef802e22365a35de4b7b299de4763d44bfea899442ff9"
+checksum = "e6ecd384b10a64542d77071bd64bd7b231f4ed5940fba55e98c3de13824cf3d7"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "smol_str"
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 8afab02b15..56d7e98cbc 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ serde_with = "2.0"
 serde_assert = "0.5.0"
 sha2 = "0.10.2"
 signal-hook = "0.3"
-smallvec = "1.11"
+smallvec = { version = "1.13.1", features = [ "const_generics" ] }
 smol_str = { version = "0.2.0", features = ["serde"] }
 socket2 = "0.5"
 strum = "0.24"
diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant/blob_io.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant/blob_io.rs
index 39f2c292c7..1344d1b29a 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant/blob_io.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant/blob_io.rs
@@ -18,6 +18,40 @@ use crate::virtual_file::VirtualFile;
 use std::cmp::min;
 use std::io::{Error, ErrorKind};
 
+pub trait VecIsh {
+    fn clear(&mut self);
+    fn reserve(&mut self, len: usize);
+    fn extend_from_slice(&mut self, o: &[u8]);
+}
+
+impl VecIsh for Vec<u8> {
+    fn clear(&mut self) {
+        Vec::clear(self)
+    }
+
+    fn reserve(&mut self, len: usize) {
+        Vec::reserve(self, len)
+    }
+
+    fn extend_from_slice(&mut self, o: &[u8]) {
+        Vec::extend_from_slice(self, o)
+    }
+}
+
+impl<const N: usize> VecIsh for smallvec::SmallVec<[u8; N]> {
+    fn clear(&mut self) {
+        smallvec::SmallVec::clear(self)
+    }
+
+    fn reserve(&mut self, len: usize) {
+        smallvec::SmallVec::reserve(self, len)
+    }
+
+    fn extend_from_slice(&mut self, o: &[u8]) {
+        smallvec::SmallVec::extend_from_slice(self, o)
+    }
+}
+
 impl<'a> BlockCursor<'a> {
     /// Read a blob into a new buffer.
     pub async fn read_blob(
@@ -32,10 +66,10 @@ impl<'a> BlockCursor<'a> {
     }
     /// Read blob into the given buffer. Any previous contents in the buffer
     /// are overwritten.
-    pub async fn read_blob_into_buf(
+    pub async fn read_blob_into_buf<B: VecIsh>(
         &self,
         offset: u64,
-        dstbuf: &mut Vec<u8>,
+        dstbuf: &mut B,
         ctx: &RequestContext,
     ) -> Result<(), std::io::Error> {
         let mut blknum = (offset / PAGE_SZ as u64) as u32;
diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer.rs
index fb5fc1a0f5..a8ec241988 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer.rs
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ pub use layer_desc::{PersistentLayerDesc, PersistentLayerKey};
 
 pub(crate) use layer::{EvictionError, Layer, ResidentLayer};
 
+use super::disk_btree::PAGE_SZ;
+
 pub fn range_overlaps<T>(a: &Range<T>, b: &Range<T>) -> bool
 where
     T: PartialOrd<T>,
@@ -63,9 +65,9 @@ where
 ///
 #[derive(Debug)]
 pub struct ValueReconstructState {
-    pub records: Vec<(Lsn, NeonWalRecord)>,
+    pub records: smallvec::SmallVec<[(Lsn, NeonWalRecord); 300]>,
     pub img: Option<(Lsn, Bytes)>,
-    pub(crate) scratch: Vec<u8>,
+    pub(crate) scratch: smallvec::SmallVec<[u8; 2 * PAGE_SZ]>,
 }
 
 impl ValueReconstructState {
diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/delta_layer.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/delta_layer.rs
index 78f38d9694..13cc2af632 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/delta_layer.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/delta_layer.rs
@@ -747,7 +747,7 @@ impl DeltaLayerInner {
         );
         let search_key = DeltaKey::from_key_lsn(&key, Lsn(lsn_range.end.0 - 1));
 
-        let mut offsets: Vec<(Lsn, u64)> = Vec::new();
+        let mut offsets = smallvec::SmallVec::<[(Lsn, u64); 4]>::new();
 
         tree_reader
             .visit(
@@ -805,7 +805,7 @@ impl DeltaLayerInner {
                     reconstruct_state.records.push((entry_lsn, rec));
                     if will_init {
                         // This WAL record initializes the page, so no need to go further back
-                        need_image = false;
+                        need_image = false; // we bail out of this function anyway, might as well move ownership of the img
                         break;
                     }
                 }
diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline.rs
index 1f392b3ee6..ce71bc6b2e 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline.rs
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ mod eviction_task;
 mod init;
 pub mod layer_manager;
 pub(crate) mod logical_size;
+mod reconstruct_state_pool;
 pub mod span;
 pub mod uninit;
 mod walreceiver;
@@ -598,11 +599,7 @@ impl Timeline {
             ctx.task_kind()
         );
 
-        let mut reconstruct_state = ValueReconstructState {
-            records: Vec::new(),
-            img: None,
-            scratch: Vec::with_capacity(2 * 8192), // for good measure
-        };
+        let mut reconstruct_state = reconstruct_state_pool::get();
 
         let timer = crate::metrics::GET_RECONSTRUCT_DATA_TIME.start_timer();
         let path = self
@@ -4329,10 +4326,10 @@ impl Timeline {
         &self,
         key: Key,
         request_lsn: Lsn,
-        mut data: ValueReconstructState,
+        mut data: reconstruct_state_pool::Pooled,
     ) -> Result<Bytes, PageReconstructError> {
         // Perform WAL redo if needed
-        data.records.reverse();
+        data.records.reverse(); // TODO: avoid this, walredo code should simply walk backwards
 
         // If we have a page image, and no WAL, we're all set
         if data.records.is_empty() {
diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline/reconstruct_state_pool.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline/reconstruct_state_pool.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..38893e78ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline/reconstruct_state_pool.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+use std::cell::RefCell;
+
+use crate::tenant::storage_layer::ValueReconstructState;
+
+struct Content(ValueReconstructState);
+
+impl Content {
+    fn empty() -> Self {
+        Content(ValueReconstructState {
+            records: smallvec::SmallVec::new(),
+            img: None,
+            scratch: smallvec::SmallVec::new(),
+        })
+    }
+    fn reset(&mut self) {
+        let inner = &mut self.0;
+        inner.records.clear();
+        inner.img = None;
+        inner.scratch.clear();
+    }
+}
+
+pub struct Pooled(Option<Box<Content>>);
+
+// Thread-local list of re-usable buffers.
+thread_local! {
+    static POOL: RefCell<Vec<Box<Content>>> = RefCell::new(Vec::new());
+}
+
+pub(crate) fn get() -> Pooled {
+    let maybe = POOL.with(|rc| rc.borrow_mut().pop());
+    match maybe {
+        Some(buf) => Pooled(Some(buf)),
+        None => Pooled(Some(Box::new(Content::empty()))),
+    }
+}
+
+impl Drop for Pooled {
+    fn drop(&mut self) {
+        let mut content = self.0.take().unwrap();
+        content.reset();
+        POOL.with(|rc| rc.borrow_mut().push(content))
+    }
+}
+
+impl std::ops::Deref for Pooled {
+    type Target = super::ValueReconstructState;
+
+    fn deref(&self) -> &Self::Target {
+        &self.0.as_ref().unwrap().as_ref().0
+    }
+}
+
+impl std::ops::DerefMut for Pooled {
+    fn deref_mut(&mut self) -> &mut Self::Target {
+        &mut self.0.as_mut().unwrap().as_mut().0
+    }
+}