diff --git a/community/kernel/src/main/java/org/neo4j/kernel/impl/index/schema/MergingBlockEntryReader.java b/community/kernel/src/main/java/org/neo4j/kernel/impl/index/schema/MergingBlockEntryReader.java
index 92bc032811754..0d03e6781330e 100644
--- a/community/kernel/src/main/java/org/neo4j/kernel/impl/index/schema/MergingBlockEntryReader.java
+++ b/community/kernel/src/main/java/org/neo4j/kernel/impl/index/schema/MergingBlockEntryReader.java
@@ -19,74 +19,129 @@
  */
 package org.neo4j.kernel.impl.index.schema;
 
+import java.io.Closeable;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
-import java.util.PriorityQueue;
 
 import org.neo4j.index.internal.gbptree.Layout;
-import org.neo4j.io.IOUtils;
+
+import static org.neo4j.io.IOUtils.closeAll;
 
 /**
  * Take multiple {@link BlockEntryCursor} that each by themselves provide block entries in sorted order and lazily merge join, providing a view over all
  * entries from given cursors in sorted order.
- * Merging is done by keeping the cursors in a priority queue with a comparator that compare {@link BlockEntryCursor#key()} (current key on cursor).
+ * Merging is done by keeping the cursors in an array amd pick the next lowest among them until all are exhausted, comparing
+ * {@link BlockEntryCursor#key()} (current key on each cursor).
  * Instances handed out from {@link #key()} and {@link #value()} are reused, consumer is responsible for creating copy if there is a need to cache results.
  */
 public class MergingBlockEntryReader<KEY,VALUE> implements BlockEntryCursor<KEY,VALUE>
 {
-    private final PriorityQueue<BlockEntryCursor<KEY,VALUE>> sortedReaders;
-    private final List<BlockEntryCursor<KEY,VALUE>> readersToClose = new ArrayList<>();
-    private BlockEntryCursor<KEY,VALUE> lastReturned;
+    // Means that a cursor needs to be advanced, i.e. its current head has already been used, or that it has no head yet
+    private static final byte STATE_NEED_ADVANCE = 0;
+    // Means that a cursor has been advanced and its current key() contains its current head
+    private static final byte STATE_HAS = 1;
+    // Means that a cursor has been exhausted and has no more entries in it
+    private static final byte STATE_EXHAUSTED = 2;
+
+    private final Layout<KEY,VALUE> layout;
+    private List<Source> sources = new ArrayList<>();
+    private Source lastReturned;
 
     MergingBlockEntryReader( Layout<KEY,VALUE> layout )
     {
-        this.sortedReaders = new PriorityQueue<>( ( o1, o2 ) -> layout.compare( o1.key(), o2.key() ) );
+        this.layout = layout;
     }
 
-    void addSource( BlockEntryCursor<KEY,VALUE> source ) throws IOException
+    void addSource( BlockEntryCursor<KEY,VALUE> source )
     {
-        readersToClose.add( source );
-        if ( source.next() )
-        {
-            sortedReaders.add( source );
-        }
+        sources.add( new Source( source ) );
     }
 
     @Override
     public boolean next() throws IOException
     {
-        if ( lastReturned != null )
+        // Figure out lowest among cursor heads
+        KEY lowest = null;
+        Source lowestSource = null;
+        for ( Source source : sources )
         {
-            if ( lastReturned.next() )
+            KEY candidate = source.tryNext();
+            if ( candidate != null && (lowest == null || layout.compare( candidate, lowest ) < 0) )
             {
-                sortedReaders.add( lastReturned );
+                lowest = candidate;
+                lowestSource = source;
             }
         }
 
-        if ( sortedReaders.isEmpty() )
+        // Make state transitions so that this entry is now considered used
+        if ( lowest != null )
         {
-            return false;
+            lastReturned = lowestSource.takeHead();
+            return true;
         }
-        lastReturned = sortedReaders.poll();
-        return true;
+        return false;
     }
 
     @Override
     public KEY key()
     {
-        return lastReturned.key();
+        return lastReturned.cursor.key();
     }
 
     @Override
     public VALUE value()
     {
-        return lastReturned.value();
+        return lastReturned.cursor.value();
     }
 
     @Override
     public void close() throws IOException
     {
-        IOUtils.closeAll( readersToClose );
+        closeAll( sources );
+    }
+
+    private class Source implements Closeable
+    {
+        private final BlockEntryCursor<KEY,VALUE> cursor;
+        private byte state;
+
+        Source( BlockEntryCursor<KEY,VALUE> cursor )
+        {
+            this.cursor = cursor;
+        }
+
+        KEY tryNext() throws IOException
+        {
+            if ( state == STATE_NEED_ADVANCE )
+            {
+                if ( cursor.next() )
+                {
+                    state = STATE_HAS;
+                    return cursor.key();
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    state = STATE_EXHAUSTED;
+                }
+            }
+            else if ( state == STATE_HAS )
+            {
+                return cursor.key();
+            }
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        Source takeHead()
+        {
+            state = STATE_NEED_ADVANCE;
+            return this;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void close() throws IOException
+        {
+            cursor.close();
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/community/kernel/src/test/java/org/neo4j/kernel/impl/index/schema/MergingBlockEntryReaderTest.java b/community/kernel/src/test/java/org/neo4j/kernel/impl/index/schema/MergingBlockEntryReaderTest.java
index 8ac5788e45286..f977891ce9525 100644
--- a/community/kernel/src/test/java/org/neo4j/kernel/impl/index/schema/MergingBlockEntryReaderTest.java
+++ b/community/kernel/src/test/java/org/neo4j/kernel/impl/index/schema/MergingBlockEntryReaderTest.java
@@ -170,7 +170,8 @@ private static CloseTrackingBlockEntryCursor newReader( List<BlockEntry<MutableL
     private List<BlockEntry<MutableLong,MutableLong>> someBlockEntries( Set<MutableLong> uniqueKeys )
     {
         List<BlockEntry<MutableLong,MutableLong>> entries = new ArrayList<>();
-        for ( int i = 0; i < rnd.nextInt( 10 ); i++ )
+        int size = rnd.nextInt( 10 );
+        for ( int i = 0; i < size; i++ )
         {
             MutableLong key;
             do