diff --git a/lib/logstorage/block_data.go b/lib/logstorage/block_data.go
index 9f009c098..0ad517c02 100644
--- a/lib/logstorage/block_data.go
+++ b/lib/logstorage/block_data.go
@@ -158,12 +158,10 @@ func (bd *blockData) mustReadFrom(a *arena, bh *blockHeader, sr *streamReaders)
 	bb.B = bytesutil.ResizeNoCopyMayOverallocate(bb.B, int(columnsHeaderSize))
 	sr.columnsHeaderReader.MustReadFull(bb.B)
 
-	cshA := getArena()
 	csh := getColumnsHeader()
-	if err := csh.unmarshal(cshA, bb.B); err != nil {
+	if err := csh.unmarshalNoArena(bb.B); err != nil {
 		logger.Panicf("FATAL: %s: cannot unmarshal columnsHeader: %s", sr.columnsHeaderReader.Path(), err)
 	}
-	longTermBufPool.Put(bb)
 	chs := csh.columnHeaders
 	cds := bd.resizeColumnsData(len(chs))
 	for i := range chs {
@@ -171,7 +169,7 @@ func (bd *blockData) mustReadFrom(a *arena, bh *blockHeader, sr *streamReaders)
 	}
 	bd.constColumns = appendFields(a, bd.constColumns[:0], csh.constColumns)
 	putColumnsHeader(csh)
-	putArena(cshA)
+	longTermBufPool.Put(bb)
 }
 
 // timestampsData contains the encoded timestamps data.
diff --git a/lib/logstorage/block_header.go b/lib/logstorage/block_header.go
index 578cae535..a2c771e56 100644
--- a/lib/logstorage/block_header.go
+++ b/lib/logstorage/block_header.go
@@ -289,10 +289,10 @@ func (csh *columnsHeader) marshal(dst []byte) []byte {
 	return dst
 }
 
-// unmarshal unmarshals csh from src.
+// unmarshalNoArena unmarshals csh from src.
 //
-// csh is valid until a.reset() is called.
-func (csh *columnsHeader) unmarshal(a *arena, src []byte) error {
+// csh is valid until src is changed.
+func (csh *columnsHeader) unmarshalNoArena(src []byte) error {
 	csh.reset()
 
 	// unmarshal columnHeaders
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ func (csh *columnsHeader) unmarshal(a *arena, src []byte) error {
 
 	chs := csh.resizeColumnHeaders(int(n))
 	for i := range chs {
-		tail, err := chs[i].unmarshal(a, src)
+		tail, err := chs[i].unmarshalNoArena(src)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("cannot unmarshal columnHeader %d out of %d columnHeaders: %w", i, len(chs), err)
 		}
@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@ func (csh *columnsHeader) unmarshal(a *arena, src []byte) error {
 
 	ccs := csh.resizeConstColumns(int(n))
 	for i := range ccs {
-		tail, err := ccs[i].unmarshal(a, src)
+		tail, err := ccs[i].unmarshalNoArena(src)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("cannot unmarshal constColumn %d out of %d columns: %w", i, len(ccs), err)
 		}
@@ -497,10 +497,10 @@ func (ch *columnHeader) marshalBloomFilters(dst []byte) []byte {
 	return dst
 }
 
-// unmarshal unmarshals ch from src and returns the tail left after unmarshaling.
+// unmarshalNoArena unmarshals ch from src and returns the tail left after unmarshaling.
 //
-// ch is valid until a.reset() is called.
-func (ch *columnHeader) unmarshal(a *arena, src []byte) ([]byte, error) {
+// ch is valid until src is changed.
+func (ch *columnHeader) unmarshalNoArena(src []byte) ([]byte, error) {
 	ch.reset()
 
 	srcOrig := src
@@ -511,7 +511,7 @@ func (ch *columnHeader) unmarshal(a *arena, src []byte) ([]byte, error) {
 		return srcOrig, fmt.Errorf("cannot unmarshal column name")
 	}
 	src = src[nSize:]
-	ch.name = a.copyBytesToString(data)
+	ch.name = bytesutil.ToUnsafeString(data)
 
 	// Unmarshal value type
 	if len(src) < 1 {
@@ -529,7 +529,7 @@ func (ch *columnHeader) unmarshal(a *arena, src []byte) ([]byte, error) {
 		}
 		src = tail
 	case valueTypeDict:
-		tail, err := ch.valuesDict.unmarshal(a, src)
+		tail, err := ch.valuesDict.unmarshalNoArena(src)
 		if err != nil {
 			return srcOrig, fmt.Errorf("cannot unmarshal dict at valueTypeDict for column %q: %w", ch.name, err)
 		}
diff --git a/lib/logstorage/block_header_test.go b/lib/logstorage/block_header_test.go
index bec76b3de..a358f25cc 100644
--- a/lib/logstorage/block_header_test.go
+++ b/lib/logstorage/block_header_test.go
@@ -56,15 +56,12 @@ func TestColumnsHeaderMarshalUnmarshal(t *testing.T) {
 	f := func(csh *columnsHeader, marshaledLen int) {
 		t.Helper()
 
-		a := getArena()
-		defer putArena(a)
-
 		data := csh.marshal(nil)
 		if len(data) != marshaledLen {
 			t.Fatalf("unexpected lengths of the marshaled columnsHeader; got %d; want %d", len(data), marshaledLen)
 		}
 		csh2 := &columnsHeader{}
-		err := csh2.unmarshal(a, data)
+		err := csh2.unmarshalNoArena(data)
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("unexpected error in unmarshal: %s", err)
 		}
@@ -155,12 +152,9 @@ func TestColumnsHeaderUnmarshalFailure(t *testing.T) {
 	f := func(data []byte) {
 		t.Helper()
 
-		a := getArena()
-		defer putArena(a)
-
 		csh := getColumnsHeader()
 		defer putColumnsHeader(csh)
-		err := csh.unmarshal(a, data)
+		err := csh.unmarshalNoArena(data)
 		if err == nil {
 			t.Fatalf("expecting non-nil error")
 		}
@@ -326,15 +320,12 @@ func TestColumnHeaderMarshalUnmarshal(t *testing.T) {
 	f := func(ch *columnHeader, marshaledLen int) {
 		t.Helper()
 
-		a := getArena()
-		defer putArena(a)
-
 		data := ch.marshal(nil)
 		if len(data) != marshaledLen {
 			t.Fatalf("unexpected marshaled length of columnHeader; got %d; want %d", len(data), marshaledLen)
 		}
 		var ch2 columnHeader
-		tail, err := ch2.unmarshal(a, data)
+		tail, err := ch2.unmarshalNoArena(data)
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("unexpected error in umarshal(%v): %s", ch, err)
 		}
@@ -365,12 +356,9 @@ func TestColumnHeaderUnmarshalFailure(t *testing.T) {
 	f := func(data []byte) {
 		t.Helper()
 
-		a := getArena()
-		defer putArena(a)
-
 		dataOrig := append([]byte{}, data...)
 		var ch columnHeader
-		tail, err := ch.unmarshal(a, data)
+		tail, err := ch.unmarshalNoArena(data)
 		if err == nil {
 			t.Fatalf("expecting non-nil error")
 		}
diff --git a/lib/logstorage/block_search.go b/lib/logstorage/block_search.go
index 48029155b..3b4ed9ed3 100644
--- a/lib/logstorage/block_search.go
+++ b/lib/logstorage/block_search.go
@@ -113,14 +113,16 @@ type blockSearch struct {
 	// sbu is used for unmarshaling local columns
 	sbu stringsBlockUnmarshaler
 
+	// cshBlockCache holds columnsHeader data for the given block.
+	//
+	// it is initialized lazily by calling getColumnsHeader().
+	cshBlockCache []byte
+
 	// cshCache is the columnsHeader associated with the given block
 	//
 	// it is initialized lazily by calling getColumnsHeader().
 	cshCache *columnsHeader
 
-	// a is used for storing unmarshaled data in cshCached
-	a arena
-
 	// seenStreams contains seen streamIDs for the recent searches.
 	// It is used for speeding up fetching _stream column.
 	seenStreams map[u128]string
@@ -149,13 +151,13 @@ func (bs *blockSearch) reset() {
 
 	bs.sbu.reset()
 
+	bs.cshBlockCache = bs.cshBlockCache[:0]
+
 	if bs.cshCache != nil {
 		putColumnsHeader(bs.cshCache)
 		bs.cshCache = nil
 	}
 
-	bs.a.reset()
-
 	// Do not reset seenStreams, since its' lifetime is managed by blockResult.addStreamColumn() code.
 }
 
@@ -190,25 +192,25 @@ func (bs *blockSearch) search(bsw *blockSearchWork, bm *bitmap) {
 
 func (bs *blockSearch) getColumnsHeader() *columnsHeader {
 	if bs.cshCache == nil {
+		bs.cshBlockCache = readColumnsHeaderBlock(bs.cshBlockCache[:0], bs.bsw.p, &bs.bsw.bh)
+
 		bs.cshCache = getColumnsHeader()
-		bs.cshCache.initFromBlockHeader(&bs.a, bs.bsw.p, &bs.bsw.bh)
+		if err := bs.cshCache.unmarshalNoArena(bs.cshBlockCache); err != nil {
+			logger.Panicf("FATAL: %s: cannot unmarshal columns header: %s", bs.bsw.p.path, err)
+		}
 	}
 	return bs.cshCache
 }
 
-func (csh *columnsHeader) initFromBlockHeader(a *arena, p *part, bh *blockHeader) {
-	bb := longTermBufPool.Get()
+func readColumnsHeaderBlock(dst []byte, p *part, bh *blockHeader) []byte {
 	columnsHeaderSize := bh.columnsHeaderSize
 	if columnsHeaderSize > maxColumnsHeaderSize {
 		logger.Panicf("FATAL: %s: columns header size cannot exceed %d bytes; got %d bytes", p.path, maxColumnsHeaderSize, columnsHeaderSize)
 	}
-	bb.B = bytesutil.ResizeNoCopyMayOverallocate(bb.B, int(columnsHeaderSize))
-	p.columnsHeaderFile.MustReadAt(bb.B, int64(bh.columnsHeaderOffset))
-
-	if err := csh.unmarshal(a, bb.B); err != nil {
-		logger.Panicf("FATAL: %s: cannot unmarshal columns header: %s", p.path, err)
-	}
-	longTermBufPool.Put(bb)
+	dstLen := len(dst)
+	dst = bytesutil.ResizeNoCopyMayOverallocate(dst, int(columnsHeaderSize)+dstLen)
+	p.columnsHeaderFile.MustReadAt(dst[dstLen:], int64(bh.columnsHeaderOffset))
+	return dst
 }
 
 // getBloomFilterForColumn returns bloom filter for the given ch.
diff --git a/lib/logstorage/rows.go b/lib/logstorage/rows.go
index 9d0d77e9c..a90e54a08 100644
--- a/lib/logstorage/rows.go
+++ b/lib/logstorage/rows.go
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ func (f *Field) marshal(dst []byte) []byte {
 	return dst
 }
 
-func (f *Field) unmarshal(a *arena, src []byte) ([]byte, error) {
+func (f *Field) unmarshalNoArena(src []byte) ([]byte, error) {
 	srcOrig := src
 
 	// Unmarshal field name
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ func (f *Field) unmarshal(a *arena, src []byte) ([]byte, error) {
 		return srcOrig, fmt.Errorf("cannot unmarshal field name")
 	}
 	src = src[nSize:]
-	f.Name = a.copyBytesToString(b)
+	f.Name = bytesutil.ToUnsafeString(b)
 
 	// Unmarshal field value
 	b, nSize = encoding.UnmarshalBytes(src)
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ func (f *Field) unmarshal(a *arena, src []byte) ([]byte, error) {
 		return srcOrig, fmt.Errorf("cannot unmarshal field value")
 	}
 	src = src[nSize:]
-	f.Value = a.copyBytesToString(b)
+	f.Value = bytesutil.ToUnsafeString(b)
 
 	return src, nil
 }
diff --git a/lib/logstorage/values_encoder.go b/lib/logstorage/values_encoder.go
index dc7dfebee..9185f8a74 100644
--- a/lib/logstorage/values_encoder.go
+++ b/lib/logstorage/values_encoder.go
@@ -1116,10 +1116,10 @@ func (vd *valuesDict) marshal(dst []byte) []byte {
 	return dst
 }
 
-// unmarshal unmarshals vd from src.
+// unmarshalNoArena unmarshals vd from src.
 //
-// vd is valid until a.reset() is called.
-func (vd *valuesDict) unmarshal(a *arena, src []byte) ([]byte, error) {
+// vd is valid until src is changed.
+func (vd *valuesDict) unmarshalNoArena(src []byte) ([]byte, error) {
 	vd.reset()
 
 	srcOrig := src
@@ -1135,7 +1135,7 @@ func (vd *valuesDict) unmarshal(a *arena, src []byte) ([]byte, error) {
 		}
 		src = src[nSize:]
 
-		v := a.copyBytesToString(data)
+		v := bytesutil.ToUnsafeString(data)
 		vd.values = append(vd.values, v)
 	}
 	return src, nil