diff --git a/src/backend/access/heap/README.tuplock b/src/backend/access/heap/README.tuplock
index 31c52ad28f9..818cd7f9806 100644
--- a/src/backend/access/heap/README.tuplock
+++ b/src/backend/access/heap/README.tuplock
@@ -203,4 +203,6 @@ Inplace updates create an exception to the rule that tuple data won't change
 under a reader holding a pin.  A reader of a heap_fetch() result tuple may
 witness a torn read.  Current inplace-updated fields are aligned and are no
 wider than four bytes, and current readers don't need consistency across
-fields.  Hence, they get by with just fetching each field once.
+fields.  Hence, they get by with just fetching each field once.  XXX such a
+caller may also read a value that has not reached WAL; see
+systable_inplace_update_finish().
diff --git a/src/backend/access/heap/heapam.c b/src/backend/access/heap/heapam.c
index 3ebba39db87..fe168636093 100644
--- a/src/backend/access/heap/heapam.c
+++ b/src/backend/access/heap/heapam.c
@@ -6348,8 +6348,6 @@ heap_inplace_update_and_unlock(Relation relation,
 	HeapTupleHeader htup = oldtup->t_data;
 	uint32		oldlen;
 	uint32		newlen;
-	char	   *dst;
-	char	   *src;
 
 	Assert(ItemPointerEquals(&oldtup->t_self, &tuple->t_self));
 	oldlen = oldtup->t_len - htup->t_hoff;
@@ -6357,9 +6355,6 @@ heap_inplace_update_and_unlock(Relation relation,
 	if (oldlen != newlen || htup->t_hoff != tuple->t_data->t_hoff)
 		elog(ERROR, "wrong tuple length");
 
-	dst = (char *) htup + htup->t_hoff;
-	src = (char *) tuple->t_data + tuple->t_data->t_hoff;
-
 	/*
 	 * Construct shared cache inval if necessary.  Note that because we only
 	 * pass the new version of the tuple, this mustn't be used for any
@@ -6378,15 +6373,15 @@ heap_inplace_update_and_unlock(Relation relation,
 	 */
 	PreInplace_Inval();
 
+	/* NO EREPORT(ERROR) from here till changes are logged */
+	START_CRIT_SECTION();
+
+	memcpy((char *) htup + htup->t_hoff,
+		   (char *) tuple->t_data + tuple->t_data->t_hoff,
+		   newlen);
+
 	/*----------
-	 * NO EREPORT(ERROR) from here till changes are complete
-	 *
-	 * Our buffer lock won't stop a reader having already pinned and checked
-	 * visibility for this tuple.  Hence, we write WAL first, then mutate the
-	 * buffer.  Like in MarkBufferDirtyHint() or RecordTransactionCommit(),
-	 * checkpoint delay makes that acceptable.  With the usual order of
-	 * changes, a crash after memcpy() and before XLogInsert() could allow
-	 * datfrozenxid to overtake relfrozenxid:
+	 * XXX A crash here can allow datfrozenxid() to get ahead of relfrozenxid:
 	 *
 	 * ["D" is a VACUUM (ONLY_DATABASE_STATS)]
 	 * ["R" is a VACUUM tbl]
@@ -6396,28 +6391,14 @@ heap_inplace_update_and_unlock(Relation relation,
 	 * D: raise pg_database.datfrozenxid, XLogInsert(), finish
 	 * [crash]
 	 * [recovery restores datfrozenxid w/o relfrozenxid]
-	 *
-	 * Like in MarkBufferDirtyHint() subroutine XLogSaveBufferForHint(), copy
-	 * the buffer to the stack before logging.  Here, that facilitates a FPI
-	 * of the post-mutation block before we accept other sessions seeing it.
 	 */
-	Assert((MyProc->delayChkptFlags & DELAY_CHKPT_START) == 0);
-	START_CRIT_SECTION();
-	MyProc->delayChkptFlags |= DELAY_CHKPT_START;
+
+	MarkBufferDirty(buffer);
 
 	/* XLOG stuff */
 	if (RelationNeedsWAL(relation))
 	{
 		xl_heap_inplace xlrec;
-		PGAlignedBlock copied_buffer;
-		char	   *origdata = (char *) BufferGetBlock(buffer);
-		Page		page = BufferGetPage(buffer);
-		uint16		lower = ((PageHeader) page)->pd_lower;
-		uint16		upper = ((PageHeader) page)->pd_upper;
-		uintptr_t	dst_offset_in_block;
-		RelFileLocator rlocator;
-		ForkNumber	forkno;
-		BlockNumber blkno;
 		XLogRecPtr	recptr;
 
 		xlrec.offnum = ItemPointerGetOffsetNumber(&tuple->t_self);
@@ -6425,28 +6406,16 @@ heap_inplace_update_and_unlock(Relation relation,
 		XLogBeginInsert();
 		XLogRegisterData((char *) &xlrec, SizeOfHeapInplace);
 
-		/* register block matching what buffer will look like after changes */
-		memcpy(copied_buffer.data, origdata, lower);
-		memcpy(copied_buffer.data + upper, origdata + upper, BLCKSZ - upper);
-		dst_offset_in_block = dst - origdata;
-		memcpy(copied_buffer.data + dst_offset_in_block, src, newlen);
-		BufferGetTag(buffer, &rlocator, &forkno, &blkno);
-		Assert(forkno == MAIN_FORKNUM);
-		XLogRegisterBlock(0, &rlocator, forkno, blkno, copied_buffer.data,
-						  REGBUF_STANDARD);
-		XLogRegisterBufData(0, src, newlen);
+		XLogRegisterBuffer(0, buffer, REGBUF_STANDARD);
+		XLogRegisterBufData(0, (char *) htup + htup->t_hoff, newlen);
 
 		/* inplace updates aren't decoded atm, don't log the origin */
 
 		recptr = XLogInsert(RM_HEAP_ID, XLOG_HEAP_INPLACE);
 
-		PageSetLSN(page, recptr);
+		PageSetLSN(BufferGetPage(buffer), recptr);
 	}
 
-	memcpy(dst, src, newlen);
-
-	MarkBufferDirty(buffer);
-
 	LockBuffer(buffer, BUFFER_LOCK_UNLOCK);
 
 	/*
@@ -6459,7 +6428,6 @@ heap_inplace_update_and_unlock(Relation relation,
 	 */
 	AtInplace_Inval();
 
-	MyProc->delayChkptFlags &= ~DELAY_CHKPT_START;
 	END_CRIT_SECTION();
 	UnlockTuple(relation, &tuple->t_self, InplaceUpdateTupleLock);