diff --git a/opendj-server-legacy/src/main/java/org/opends/server/backends/pdb/PDBStorage.java b/opendj-server-legacy/src/main/java/org/opends/server/backends/pdb/PDBStorage.java
index 916e5a0fb8..d398e49611 100644
--- a/opendj-server-legacy/src/main/java/org/opends/server/backends/pdb/PDBStorage.java
+++ b/opendj-server-legacy/src/main/java/org/opends/server/backends/pdb/PDBStorage.java
@@ -137,6 +137,8 @@ public final class PDBStorage implements Storage, Backupable, ConfigurationChang
   private static final String JOURNAL_NAME = VOLUME_NAME + "_journal";
   /** The buffer / page size used by the PersistIt storage. */
   private static final int BUFFER_SIZE = 16 * 1024;
+  /** Encoded by {@link #bytesToValue(Value, ByteSequence)} for the header Persistit puts before a byte array. */
+  private static final byte[] EMPTY_BYTES = new byte[0];
 
   /** PersistIt implementation of the {@link Cursor} interface. */
   private final class CursorImpl implements Cursor<ByteString, ByteString>
@@ -576,7 +578,7 @@ public boolean update(final TreeName treeName, final ByteSequence key, final Upd
           }
           else
           {
-            ex.getValue().clear().putByteArray(newValue.toByteArray());
+            bytesToValue(ex.getValue(), newValue);
             ex.store();
           }
           return true;
@@ -1530,9 +1532,21 @@ private static Key bytesToKey(final Key key, final ByteSequence bytes)
     return key.clear().appendByteArray(tmp, 0, tmp.length);
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Encodes the bytes as a byte array value, copying them once, straight into the encoded bytes of the value.
+   * {@code putByteArray(bytes.toByteArray())} would copy them twice, and for a value of 63 MB the extra copy is
+   * one more humongous array live next to the source and the value buffer. Persistit encodes a byte array as a
+   * header followed by the bytes as they are, so the header is taken from Persistit itself - by encoding an empty
+   * array - and the bytes are appended behind it.
+   */
   private static Value bytesToValue(final Value value, final ByteSequence bytes)
   {
-    value.clear().putByteArray(bytes.toByteArray());
+    value.clear().putByteArray(EMPTY_BYTES);
+    final int headerSize = value.getEncodedSize();
+    value.ensureFit(bytes.length());
+    // ensureFit() may have replaced the encoded bytes, so they are read only after it
+    bytes.copyTo(value.getEncodedBytes(), headerSize);
+    value.setEncodedSize(headerSize + bytes.length());
     return value;
   }
 
diff --git a/opendj-server-legacy/src/test/java/org/opends/server/backends/pdb/PDBStorageTest.java b/opendj-server-legacy/src/test/java/org/opends/server/backends/pdb/PDBStorageTest.java
index 49f3929a66..48bc046fa2 100644
--- a/opendj-server-legacy/src/test/java/org/opends/server/backends/pdb/PDBStorageTest.java
+++ b/opendj-server-legacy/src/test/java/org/opends/server/backends/pdb/PDBStorageTest.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 package org.opends.server.backends.pdb;
 
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.*;
+import static org.mockito.AdditionalAnswers.delegatesTo;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.*;
 import static org.forgerock.opendj.config.ConfigurationMock.*;
 import static org.opends.server.util.StaticUtils.*;
@@ -31,7 +32,9 @@
 import org.forgerock.i18n.LocalizableMessage;
 import org.forgerock.opendj.config.server.ConfigChangeResult;
 import org.forgerock.opendj.config.server.ConfigException;
+import org.forgerock.opendj.ldap.ByteSequence;
 import org.forgerock.opendj.ldap.ByteString;
+import org.forgerock.opendj.ldap.ByteStringBuilder;
 import org.forgerock.opendj.ldap.ResultCode;
 import org.opends.server.DirectoryServerTestCase;
 import org.opends.server.TestCaseUtils;
@@ -42,6 +45,7 @@
 import org.opends.server.backends.pluggable.spi.StorageInUseException;
 import org.opends.server.backends.pluggable.spi.StorageRuntimeException;
 import org.opends.server.backends.pluggable.spi.TreeName;
+import org.opends.server.backends.pluggable.spi.UpdateFunction;
 import org.opends.server.backends.pluggable.spi.WriteOperation;
 import org.opends.server.backends.pluggable.spi.WriteableTransaction;
 import org.opends.server.core.DirectoryServer;
@@ -64,6 +68,8 @@ public class PDBStorageTest extends DirectoryServerTestCase
   private static final long SHORT_RETRY_WINDOW_NANOS = 200L * 1000L * 1000L; //200 ms
   /** An attempt long enough to outlast {@link #SHORT_RETRY_WINDOW_NANOS} on its own, in milliseconds. */
   private static final long ATTEMPT_LONGER_THAN_SHORT_WINDOW_MS = 300;
+  /** The buffer pool {@link #testCanAddLargeValues()} writes through, well under the 20% of the other methods. */
+  private static final long LARGE_VALUES_DB_CACHE_SIZE = 16L * MB;
 
   private final TreeName treeName = new TreeName("dc=test", "test");
   private ServerContext serverContext;
@@ -150,16 +156,20 @@ private void reopenWithReplayBounds(int maxRetries, long retryWindowNanos) throw
   }
 
   /**
-   * The sources are wrapped rather than copied: a value on its way into Persistit is copied twice more -
-   * {@code toByteArray()} and the value buffer of the exchange, which doubles up to 64 MB - so with a copy
-   * here as well the 63 MB value had four copies of itself live at once, on top of the buffer pool and the
-   * server: about 310 MB left after a collection, in a JVM of 512 MB, which one CI leg ran out of. Wrapped,
-   * about 165 MB. The three values stay in one transaction on purpose: the value buffer the 32 MB one
-   * grew fits the 63 MB one without growing again.
+   * The sources are wrapped rather than copied, and the storage is reopened with a buffer pool of
+   * {@link #LARGE_VALUES_DB_CACHE_SIZE}: in a JVM of 512 MB each 63 MB array needs a free run of 64 regions,
+   * and two CI legs ran out of one. A value on its way into Persistit is copied once more, into the value buffer
+   * of the exchange, which doubles up to 64 MB; the 20% cache of the other methods would allocate 76 MB of
+   * buffers up front, which this test does not need. The three values stay in one transaction on purpose:
+   * the value buffer the 32 MB one grew fits the 63 MB one without growing again.
    */
   @Test
   public void testCanAddLargeValues() throws Exception
   {
+    closeAndRemove(storage);
+    storage = new PDBStorage(createBackendCfg(LARGE_VALUES_DB_CACHE_SIZE), serverContext);
+    storage.open(AccessMode.READ_WRITE);
+
     storage.write(new WriteOperation()
     {
       private final TreeName treeName = new TreeName("dc=test", "test");
@@ -176,6 +186,93 @@ public void run(WriteableTransaction txn) throws Exception
     });
   }
 
+  /**
+   * A value is copied straight into the encoded bytes of the Persistit value, behind the header Persistit
+   * writes for a byte array: each of these reads back as it was written - an empty one, one which starts past
+   * the offset of the array behind it, one which is not a {@link ByteString} at all, and one which outgrows the
+   * encoded bytes the value had, so that it is copied into the ones {@code ensureFit()} put in their place.
+   */
+  @Test
+  public void testValuesReadBackAsWritten() throws Exception
+  {
+    final ByteString empty = ByteString.empty();
+    final ByteString inTheMiddle = wrap(new byte[] { 9, 1, 2, 3, 9 }, 1, 3);
+    final ByteStringBuilder builder = new ByteStringBuilder().appendUtf8("built");
+    final byte[] patterned = new byte[64 * KB];
+    for (int i = 0; i < patterned.length; i++)
+    {
+      patterned[i] = (byte) i;
+    }
+    final ByteString large = wrap(patterned);
+    createTree();
+    storage.write(new WriteOperation()
+    {
+      @Override
+      public void run(WriteableTransaction txn) throws Exception
+      {
+        txn.put(treeName, valueOfUtf8("empty"), empty);
+        txn.put(treeName, valueOfUtf8("inTheMiddle"), inTheMiddle);
+        txn.put(treeName, valueOfUtf8("builder"), builder);
+        txn.put(treeName, valueOfUtf8("large"), large);
+      }
+    });
+
+    assertThat(read("empty")).isEqualTo(empty);
+    assertThat(read("inTheMiddle")).isEqualTo(valueOfBytes(new byte[] { 1, 2, 3 }));
+    assertThat(read("builder")).isEqualTo(valueOfUtf8("built"));
+    assertThat(read("large")).isEqualTo(large);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * A put copies the value once, straight into the encoded bytes of the Persistit value: the source is never
+   * asked for a copy of its own, which {@code putByteArray(bytes.toByteArray())} would make.
+   */
+  @Test
+  public void testPutValueIsCopiedOnlyOnce() throws Exception
+  {
+    final ByteString large = wrap(new byte[64 * KB]);
+    final ByteSequence value = mock(ByteSequence.class, delegatesTo(large));
+    createTree();
+    storage.write(new WriteOperation()
+    {
+      @Override
+      public void run(WriteableTransaction txn) throws Exception
+      {
+        txn.put(treeName, valueOfUtf8("large"), value);
+      }
+    });
+
+    verify(value, never()).toByteArray();
+    assertThat(read("large")).isEqualTo(large);
+  }
+
+  /** The new value an update computes is copied once as well, the same way as the value of a put. */
+  @Test
+  public void testUpdatedValueIsCopiedOnlyOnce() throws Exception
+  {
+    final ByteString large = wrap(new byte[64 * KB]);
+    final ByteSequence value = mock(ByteSequence.class, delegatesTo(large));
+    createTree();
+    storage.write(new WriteOperation()
+    {
+      @Override
+      public void run(WriteableTransaction txn) throws Exception
+      {
+        txn.update(treeName, valueOfUtf8("large"), new UpdateFunction()
+        {
+          @Override
+          public ByteSequence computeNewValue(ByteSequence oldValue)
+          {
+            return value;
+          }
+        });
+      }
+    });
+
+    verify(value, never()).toByteArray();
+    assertThat(read("large")).isEqualTo(large);
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void testExchangeWithSmallValuesAreReleasedToPool() throws Exception
   {