diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant/ephemeral_file.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant/ephemeral_file.rs
index 51841b8715a0..e9cf03d52aba 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant/ephemeral_file.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant/ephemeral_file.rs
@@ -198,50 +198,54 @@ impl FileExt for EphemeralFile {
 
 impl BlobWriter for EphemeralFile {
     fn write_blob(&mut self, srcbuf: &[u8]) -> Result<u64, io::Error> {
-        let pos = self.size;
-
-        let mut blknum = (self.size / PAGE_SZ as u64) as u32;
-        let mut off = (pos % PAGE_SZ as u64) as usize;
+        struct Writer<'a> {
+            ephemeral_file: &'a mut EphemeralFile,
+            blknum: u32,
+            off: usize,
+        }
+        impl<'a> Writer<'a> {
+            fn new(ephemeral_file: &'a mut EphemeralFile) -> Writer<'a> {
+                Writer {
+                    blknum: (ephemeral_file.size / PAGE_SZ as u64) as u32,
+                    off: (ephemeral_file.size % PAGE_SZ as u64) as usize,
+                    ephemeral_file,
+                }
+            }
+            fn push_bytes(&mut self, src: &[u8]) -> Result<(), io::Error> {
+                let mut src_remaining = src;
+                while !src_remaining.is_empty() {
+                    {
+                        let mut head_page = self.ephemeral_file.get_buf_for_write(self.blknum)?;
+                        let dst_remaining = &mut head_page[self.off..];
+                        let n = min(dst_remaining.len(), src_remaining.len());
+                        dst_remaining[..n].copy_from_slice(&src_remaining[..n]);
+                        self.off += n;
+                        src_remaining = &src_remaining[n..];
+                    }
+                    if self.off == PAGE_SZ {
+                        // This block is done, move to next one.
+                        self.blknum += 1;
+                        self.off = 0;
+                    }
+                }
+                Ok(())
+            }
+        }
 
-        let mut buf = self.get_buf_for_write(blknum)?;
+        let pos = self.size;
+        let mut writer = Writer::new(self);
 
         // Write the length field
         if srcbuf.len() < 0x80 {
-            buf[off] = srcbuf.len() as u8;
-            off += 1;
+            writer.push_bytes(&[srcbuf.len() as u8])?;
         } else {
             let mut len_buf = u32::to_be_bytes(srcbuf.len() as u32);
             len_buf[0] |= 0x80;
-            let thislen = PAGE_SZ - off;
-            if thislen < 4 {
-                // it needs to be split across pages
-                buf[off..(off + thislen)].copy_from_slice(&len_buf[..thislen]);
-                blknum += 1;
-                buf = self.get_buf_for_write(blknum)?;
-                buf[0..4 - thislen].copy_from_slice(&len_buf[thislen..]);
-                off = 4 - thislen;
-            } else {
-                buf[off..off + 4].copy_from_slice(&len_buf);
-                off += 4;
-            }
+            writer.push_bytes(&len_buf)?;
         }
 
         // Write the payload
-        let mut buf_remain = srcbuf;
-        while !buf_remain.is_empty() {
-            let mut page_remain = PAGE_SZ - off;
-            if page_remain == 0 {
-                blknum += 1;
-                buf = self.get_buf_for_write(blknum)?;
-                off = 0;
-                page_remain = PAGE_SZ;
-            }
-            let this_blk_len = min(page_remain, buf_remain.len());
-            buf[off..(off + this_blk_len)].copy_from_slice(&buf_remain[..this_blk_len]);
-            off += this_blk_len;
-            buf_remain = &buf_remain[this_blk_len..];
-        }
-        drop(buf);
+        writer.push_bytes(srcbuf)?;
 
         if srcbuf.len() < 0x80 {
             self.size += 1;