diff --git a/distributed/shuffle/_pickle.py b/distributed/shuffle/_pickle.py
index 4db706565be..c22da2170be 100644
--- a/distributed/shuffle/_pickle.py
+++ b/distributed/shuffle/_pickle.py
@@ -1,11 +1,16 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import pickle
-from collections.abc import Iterator
-from typing import Any
+from collections.abc import Iterable, Iterator
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any
+
+from toolz import first
 
 from distributed.protocol.utils import pack_frames_prelude, unpack_frames
 
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    import pandas as pd
+
 
 def pickle_bytelist(obj: object, prelude: bool = True) -> list[pickle.PickleBuffer]:
     """Variant of :func:`serialize_bytelist`, that doesn't support compression, locally
@@ -39,3 +44,72 @@ def unpickle_bytestream(b: bytes | bytearray | memoryview) -> Iterator[Any]:
         if remainder.nbytes == 0:
             break
         b = remainder
+
+
+def pickle_dataframe_shard(
+    input_part_id: int,
+    shard: pd.DataFrame,
+) -> list[pickle.PickleBuffer]:
+    """Optimized pickler for pandas Dataframes. DIscard all unnecessary metadata
+    (like the columns header).
+
+    Parameters:
+        obj: pandas
+    """
+    return pickle_bytelist(
+        (input_part_id, shard.index, *shard._mgr.blocks), prelude=False
+    )
+
+
+def unpickle_and_concat_dataframe_shards(
+    parts: Iterable[Any], meta: pd.DataFrame
+) -> pd.DataFrame:
+    """Optimized unpickler for pandas Dataframes.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    parts:
+        output of ``unpickle_bytestream(b)``, where b is the memory-mapped blob of
+        pickled data which is the concatenation of the outputs of
+        :func:`pickle_dataframe_shard` in arbitrary order
+    meta:
+        DataFrame header
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    Reconstructed output shard, sorted by input partition ID
+
+    **Roundtrip example**
+
+    .. code-block:: python
+
+        import random
+        import pandas as pd
+
+        df = pd.DataFrame(...)  # Input partition
+        meta = df.iloc[:0]
+        shards = df.iloc[0:10], df.iloc[10:20], ...
+        frames = [pickle_dataframe_shard(i, shard) for i, shard in enumerate(shards)]
+        random.shuffle(frames)  # Simulate the frames arriving in arbitrary order
+        frames = [f for fs in frames for f in fs]  # Flatten
+        blob = bytearray(b"".join(frames))  # Simulate disk roundtrip
+        parts = unpickle_bytestream(blob)
+        df2 = unpickle_and_concat_dataframe_shards(parts, meta)
+
+    """
+    import pandas as pd
+    from pandas.core.internals import BlockManager
+
+    # [(input_part_id, index, *blocks), ...]
+    parts = sorted(parts, key=first)
+    shards = []
+    for _, idx, *blocks in parts:
+        axes = [meta.columns, idx]
+        df = pd.DataFrame._from_mgr(  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
+            BlockManager(blocks, axes, verify_integrity=False), axes
+        )
+        shards.append(df)
+
+    # Actually load memory-mapped buffers into memory and close the file
+    # descriptors
+    return pd.concat(shards, copy=True)
diff --git a/distributed/shuffle/_shuffle.py b/distributed/shuffle/_shuffle.py
index 8f2fd02fbd4..c9820046d95 100644
--- a/distributed/shuffle/_shuffle.py
+++ b/distributed/shuffle/_shuffle.py
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@
 from pickle import PickleBuffer
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any
 
-from toolz import first
 from tornado.ioloop import IOLoop
 
 import dask
@@ -42,7 +41,10 @@
 )
 from distributed.shuffle._exceptions import DataUnavailable
 from distributed.shuffle._limiter import ResourceLimiter
-from distributed.shuffle._pickle import pickle_bytelist
+from distributed.shuffle._pickle import (
+    pickle_dataframe_shard,
+    unpickle_and_concat_dataframe_shards,
+)
 from distributed.shuffle._worker_plugin import ShuffleWorkerPlugin
 from distributed.utils import nbytes
 
@@ -335,9 +337,7 @@ def split_by_worker(
         assert isinstance(output_part_id, int)
         if drop_column:
             del part[column]
-        frames = pickle_bytelist(
-            (input_part_id, part.index, *part._mgr.blocks), prelude=False
-        )
+        frames = pickle_dataframe_shard(input_part_id, part)
         out[worker_for[output_part_id]].append((output_part_id, frames))
 
     return {k: (input_part_id, v) for k, v in out.items()}
@@ -516,9 +516,6 @@ def _get_output_partition(
         key: Key,
         **kwargs: Any,
     ) -> pd.DataFrame:
-        import pandas as pd
-        from pandas.core.internals import BlockManager
-
         meta = self.meta.copy()
         if self.drop_column:
             meta = self.meta.drop(columns=self.column)
@@ -528,19 +525,7 @@ def _get_output_partition(
         except DataUnavailable:
             return meta
 
-        # [(input_part_id, index, *blocks), ...]
-        parts = sorted(parts, key=first)
-        shards = []
-        for _, idx, *blocks in parts:
-            axes = [meta.columns, idx]
-            df = pd.DataFrame._from_mgr(  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
-                BlockManager(blocks, axes, verify_integrity=False), axes
-            )
-            shards.append(df)
-
-        # Actually load memory-mapped buffers into memory and close the file
-        # descriptors
-        return pd.concat(shards, copy=True)
+        return unpickle_and_concat_dataframe_shards(parts, meta)
 
     def _get_assigned_worker(self, id: int) -> str:
         return self.worker_for[id]