diff --git a/src/box/xlog.c b/src/box/xlog.c
index bab4bd4bb1..b1bde679aa 100644
--- a/src/box/xlog.c
+++ b/src/box/xlog.c
@@ -2245,7 +2245,6 @@ xlog_batch_destroy(struct xlog_batch *batch)
 		xlog_batch_get(batch, i, &entry);
 		if (entry->error != NULL)
 			error_unref(entry->error);
-		mempool_free(&batch->cursor->entry_pool, entry);
 	}
 	ibuf_destroy(&batch->data);
 	ibuf_destroy(&batch->entries);
@@ -2260,8 +2259,6 @@ xlog_entry_cursor_create(struct xlog_entry_cursor *cursor,
 	cursor->search_magic = false;
 	cursor->eof = false;
 	cursor->error = NULL;
-	mempool_create(&cursor->entry_pool, cord_slab_cache(),
-		       sizeof(struct xlog_entry));
 }
 
 void
@@ -2271,7 +2268,6 @@ xlog_entry_cursor_destroy(struct xlog_entry_cursor *cursor)
 		xlog_cursor_close(cursor->raw_cursor, false);
 	if (cursor->error != NULL)
 		error_unref(cursor->error);
-	mempool_destroy(&cursor->entry_pool);
 	TRASH(cursor);
 }
 
@@ -2330,19 +2326,18 @@ xlog_entry_cursor_next_batch(struct xlog_entry_cursor *cursor,
 		}
 		return 1;
 	}
-	batch->cursor = cursor;
 	batch->entry_count = 0;
 	ibuf_create(&batch->entries, &cord()->slabc,
 		    /*start_capacity=*/16 * 1024);
 	while (ibuf_used(&batch->data) != 0) {
 		/* Sic: alignment should be correct here. */
-		struct xlog_entry *entry = xmempool_alloc(&cursor->entry_pool);
+		struct xlog_entry *entry =
+			ibuf_alloc(&batch->entries, sizeof(*entry));
 		rc = xrow_decode(&entry->header,
 				 (const char **)&batch->data.rpos,
 				 (const char *)batch->data.wpos,
 				 /*end_is_exact=*/false);
 		if (rc != 0) {
-			mempool_free(&cursor->entry_pool, entry);
 			diag_log();
 			diag_set(XlogError, "can't parse row");
 			if (batch->entry_count == 0) {
@@ -2356,9 +2351,6 @@ xlog_entry_cursor_next_batch(struct xlog_entry_cursor *cursor,
 		}
 		batch->entry_count++;
 		entry->error = NULL;
-		struct xlog_entry **entry_ptr =
-			xibuf_alloc(&batch->entries, sizeof(*entry_ptr));
-		*entry_ptr = entry;
 		if (xlog_entry_decode(entry) != 0) {
 			entry->error = diag_last_error(diag_get());
 			error_ref(entry->error);
diff --git a/src/box/xlog.h b/src/box/xlog.h
index b3ead949e2..ff743cf344 100644
--- a/src/box/xlog.h
+++ b/src/box/xlog.h
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@
 
 #include "small/ibuf.h"
 #include "small/obuf.h"
-#include "small/mempool.h"
 
 struct iovec;
 struct xrow_header;
@@ -925,13 +924,21 @@ struct xlog_entry {
 	struct error *error;
 };
 
+/** Batch of `struct xlog_entry`. */
+struct xlog_batch {
+	/** Raw batch data. */
+	struct ibuf data;
+	/** Buffer holding array of `struct xlog_entry`. */
+	struct ibuf entries;
+	/** Number of entries. */
+	size_t entry_count;
+};
+
 /** Cursor to read `struct xlog_entry`. */
 struct
 xlog_entry_cursor {
 	/** Cursor used to get raw batch data. */
 	struct xlog_cursor *raw_cursor;
-	/** Pool for `struct xlog_entry *` objects. */
-	struct mempool entry_pool;
 	/** Set if last batch reading failed. */
 	bool search_magic;
 	/** Set if EOF is reached. */
@@ -940,18 +947,6 @@ xlog_entry_cursor {
 	struct error *error;
 };
 
-/** Batch of `struct xlog_entry`. */
-struct xlog_batch {
-	/** The cursor this batch is read from. */
-	struct xlog_entry_cursor *cursor;
-	/** Raw batch data. */
-	struct ibuf data;
-	/** Buffer holding array of `struct xlog_entry *`. */
-	struct ibuf entries;
-	/** Number of entries. */
-	size_t entry_count;
-};
-
 /**
  * Get xlog entry at `index` from the `batch`.
  *
@@ -965,8 +960,14 @@ xlog_batch_get(struct xlog_batch *batch, size_t index,
 	       struct xlog_entry **entry)
 {
 	assert(index < batch->entry_count);
-	struct xlog_entry **entries = (struct xlog_entry **)batch->entries.rpos;
-	*entry = entries[index];
+	struct xlog_entry *entries = (struct xlog_entry *)batch->entries.rpos;
+	*entry = &entries[index];
+	/*
+	 * DML has header reference that may become invalid due to
+	 * reallocations during parsing the batch. Fix header reference.
+	 */
+	if (iproto_type_is_dml((*entry)->header.type))
+		(*entry)->dml.header = &(*entry)->header;
 	if ((*entry)->error != NULL) {
 		diag_set_error(diag_get(), (*entry)->error);
 		return -1;
@@ -974,12 +975,7 @@ xlog_batch_get(struct xlog_batch *batch, size_t index,
 	return 0;
 }
 
-/**
- * Destroys the batch.
- *
- * The batch should be destroyed before the cursor from which it is read from
- * is destroyed.
- */
+/** Destroys the batch. */
 void
 xlog_batch_destroy(struct xlog_batch *batch);
 
diff --git a/src/box/xlog_reader.c b/src/box/xlog_reader.c
index daf9b18403..7718b6e64e 100644
--- a/src/box/xlog_reader.c
+++ b/src/box/xlog_reader.c
@@ -303,12 +303,17 @@ xlog_reader_f(va_list ap)
 		rc = 0;
 	}
 
-	while (reader->spare_msg == NULL)
-		fiber_yield();
-
 	if (opened)
 		xlog_entry_cursor_destroy(&cursor);
 
+	/*
+	 * cbus_endpoint_destroy() below is not enough. This loop is required
+	 * to avoid race on creation. The thread may exit before even TX
+	 * is connected to its endpoint.
+	 */
+	while (reader->spare_msg == NULL)
+		fiber_yield();
+
 	cbus_endpoint_destroy(&endpoint, NULL);
 	cpipe_destroy(&reader->tx_pipe);