diff --git a/parquet/src/arrow/record_reader/definition_levels.rs b/parquet/src/arrow/record_reader/definition_levels.rs
index ddf69232b84..dc89a9c3c7a 100644
--- a/parquet/src/arrow/record_reader/definition_levels.rs
+++ b/parquet/src/arrow/record_reader/definition_levels.rs
@@ -152,6 +152,7 @@ enum MaybePacked {
 }
 
 impl MaybePacked {
+    #[inline]
     fn packed(&mut self) -> &mut PackedDecoder {
         match self {
             Self::Packed(d) => d,
@@ -159,6 +160,7 @@ impl MaybePacked {
         }
     }
 
+    #[inline]
     fn fallback(&mut self) -> &mut ColumnLevelDecoderImpl {
         match self {
             Self::Fallback(d) => d,
@@ -252,7 +254,7 @@ impl DefinitionLevelDecoder for DefinitionLevelBufferDecoder {
 /// [RLE]: https://github.com/apache/parquet-format/blob/master/Encodings.md#run-length-encoding--bit-packing-hybrid-rle--3
 /// [BIT_PACKED]: https://github.com/apache/parquet-format/blob/master/Encodings.md#bit-packed-deprecated-bit_packed--4
 struct PackedDecoder {
-    data: Option<ByteBufferPtr>,
+    data: ByteBufferPtr,
     data_offset: usize,
     rle_left: usize,
     rle_value: bool,
@@ -261,11 +263,6 @@ struct PackedDecoder {
 }
 
 impl PackedDecoder {
-    #[inline]
-    fn data(&self) -> &[u8] {
-        self.data.as_ref().unwrap().data()
-    }
-
     fn next_rle_block(&mut self) -> Result<()> {
         let indicator_value = self.decode_header()?;
         if indicator_value & 1 == 1 {
@@ -274,7 +271,7 @@ impl PackedDecoder {
             self.packed_offset = 0;
         } else {
             self.rle_left = (indicator_value >> 1) as usize;
-            let byte = *self.data().get(self.data_offset).ok_or_else(|| {
+            let byte = *self.data.as_ref().get(self.data_offset).ok_or_else(|| {
                 ParquetError::EOF(
                     "unexpected end of file whilst decoding definition levels rle value"
                         .into(),
@@ -291,14 +288,17 @@ impl PackedDecoder {
     fn decode_header(&mut self) -> Result<i64> {
         let mut offset = 0;
         let mut v: i64 = 0;
-        let data = self.data();
         while offset < 10 {
-            let byte = *data.get(self.data_offset + offset).ok_or_else(|| {
-                ParquetError::EOF(
-                    "unexpected end of file whilst decoding definition levels rle header"
-                        .into(),
-                )
-            })?;
+            let byte = *self
+                .data
+                .as_ref()
+                .get(self.data_offset + offset)
+                .ok_or_else(|| {
+                    ParquetError::EOF(
+                        "unexpected end of file whilst decoding definition levels rle header"
+                            .into(),
+                    )
+                })?;
 
             v |= ((byte & 0x7F) as i64) << (offset * 7);
             offset += 1;
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ impl PackedDecoder {
 impl PackedDecoder {
     fn new() -> Self {
         Self {
-            data: None,
+            data: ByteBufferPtr::new(vec![]),
             data_offset: 0,
             rle_left: 0,
             rle_value: false,
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ impl PackedDecoder {
             Encoding::BIT_PACKED => data.len() * 8,
             _ => unreachable!("invalid level encoding: {}", encoding),
         };
-        self.data = Some(data);
+        self.data = data;
         self.data_offset = 0;
     }
 
@@ -347,14 +347,14 @@ impl PackedDecoder {
             } else if self.packed_count != self.packed_offset {
                 let to_read = (self.packed_count - self.packed_offset).min(len - read);
                 let offset = self.data_offset * 8 + self.packed_offset;
-                buffer.append_packed_range(offset..offset + to_read, self.data());
+                buffer.append_packed_range(offset..offset + to_read, self.data.as_ref());
                 self.packed_offset += to_read;
                 read += to_read;
 
                 if self.packed_offset == self.packed_count {
                     self.data_offset += self.packed_count / 8;
                 }
-            } else if self.data_offset == self.data().len() {
+            } else if self.data_offset == self.data.len() {
                 break;
             } else {
                 self.next_rle_block()?