diff --git a/block/src/qcow/mod.rs b/block/src/qcow/mod.rs
index f19a52ce9..4600ec118 100644
--- a/block/src/qcow/mod.rs
+++ b/block/src/qcow/mod.rs
@@ -773,7 +773,7 @@ impl QcowFile {
             let raw_file = &mut self.raw_file;
             self.l2_cache
                 .insert(l1_index, table, |index, evicted| {
-                    raw_file.write_pointer_table(l1_table[index], evicted.get_values(), 0)
+                    raw_file.write_pointer_table_direct(l1_table[index], evicted.iter())
                 })
                 .map_err(Error::EvictingCache)?;
         }
@@ -998,7 +998,7 @@ impl QcowFile {
 
             // Rewrite the top-level refcount table.
             raw_file
-                .write_pointer_table(header.refcount_table_offset, ref_table, 0)
+                .write_pointer_table_direct(header.refcount_table_offset, ref_table.iter())
                 .map_err(Error::WritingHeader)?;
 
             // Rewrite the header again, now with lazy refcounts disabled.
@@ -1513,7 +1513,7 @@ impl QcowFile {
             let l1_table = &self.l1_table;
             let raw_file = &mut self.raw_file;
             self.l2_cache.insert(l1_index, l2_table, |index, evicted| {
-                raw_file.write_pointer_table(l1_table[index], evicted.get_values(), 0)
+                raw_file.write_pointer_table_direct(l1_table[index], evicted.iter())
             })?;
         }
         Ok(new_cluster)
@@ -1596,7 +1596,7 @@ impl QcowFile {
             let addr = self.l1_table[*l1_index];
             if addr != 0 {
                 self.raw_file
-                    .write_pointer_table(addr, l2_table.get_values(), 0)?;
+                    .write_pointer_table_direct(addr, l2_table.iter())?;
             } else {
                 return Err(std::io::Error::from_raw_os_error(EINVAL));
             }
@@ -1610,25 +1610,22 @@ impl QcowFile {
         // Push L1 table and refcount table last as all the clusters they point to are now
         // guaranteed to be valid.
         let mut sync_required = if self.l1_table.dirty() {
-            // Build L1 table with OFLAG_COPIED bits set correctly based on L2 cluster refcounts
-            let l1_active: Vec<u64> = self
-                .l1_table
-                .get_values()
-                .iter()
-                .map(|&l2_addr| {
+            // Write L1 table with OFLAG_COPIED bits
+            let refcounts = &mut self.refcounts;
+            self.raw_file.write_pointer_table(
+                self.header.l1_table_offset,
+                self.l1_table.iter(),
+                |raw_file, l2_addr| {
                     if l2_addr == 0 {
                         Ok(0)
                     } else {
-                        let refcount = self
-                            .refcounts
-                            .get_cluster_refcount(&mut self.raw_file, l2_addr)
+                        let refcount = refcounts
+                            .get_cluster_refcount(raw_file, l2_addr)
                             .map_err(|e| std::io::Error::other(Error::GettingRefcount(e)))?;
                         Ok(l1_entry_make(l2_addr, refcount == 1))
                     }
-                })
-                .collect::<io::Result<Vec<u64>>>()?;
-            self.raw_file
-                .write_pointer_table(self.header.l1_table_offset, &l1_active, 0)?;
+                },
+            )?;
             self.l1_table.mark_clean();
             true
         } else {
diff --git a/block/src/qcow/qcow_raw_file.rs b/block/src/qcow/qcow_raw_file.rs
index 18a1c771e..1b869b459 100644
--- a/block/src/qcow/qcow_raw_file.rs
+++ b/block/src/qcow/qcow_raw_file.rs
@@ -61,24 +61,47 @@ impl QcowRawFile {
         self.read_pointer_table(offset, count, mask)
     }
 
-    /// Writes `table` of u64 pointers to `offset` in the file.
-    /// `non_zero_flags` will be ORed with all non-zero values in `table`.
-    /// writing.
-    pub fn write_pointer_table(
+    /// Internal helper for creating a buffered writer for pointer tables.
+    #[inline]
+    fn setup_pointer_table_writer<T>(
         &mut self,
         offset: u64,
-        table: &[u64],
-        non_zero_flags: u64,
-    ) -> io::Result<()> {
+        entries: &impl Iterator<Item = T>,
+    ) -> io::Result<BufWriter<RawFile>> {
         self.file.seek(SeekFrom::Start(offset))?;
-        let mut buffer = BufWriter::with_capacity(std::mem::size_of_val(table), &mut self.file);
-        for addr in table {
-            let val = if *addr == 0 {
-                0
-            } else {
-                *addr | non_zero_flags
-            };
-            buffer.write_u64::<BigEndian>(val)?;
+        let my_file = self.file.try_clone()?;
+        let capacity = entries.size_hint().0 * size_of::<u64>();
+        Ok(BufWriter::with_capacity(capacity, my_file))
+    }
+
+    /// Writes a pointer table to `offset` in the file.
+    /// Entries are computed on-the-fly by the callback.
+    pub fn write_pointer_table<'a, T: Copy + 'a>(
+        &mut self,
+        offset: u64,
+        entries: impl Iterator<Item = &'a T>,
+        mut f: impl FnMut(&mut QcowRawFile, T) -> io::Result<u64>,
+    ) -> io::Result<()> {
+        let mut buffer = self.setup_pointer_table_writer(offset, &entries)?;
+
+        for addr in entries {
+            let entry = f(self, *addr)?;
+            buffer.write_u64::<BigEndian>(entry)?;
+        }
+        buffer.flush()?;
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    /// Writes a pointer table directly without transforming values.
+    pub fn write_pointer_table_direct<'a>(
+        &mut self,
+        offset: u64,
+        entries: impl Iterator<Item = &'a u64>,
+    ) -> io::Result<()> {
+        let mut buffer = self.setup_pointer_table_writer(offset, &entries)?;
+
+        for &entry in entries {
+            buffer.write_u64::<BigEndian>(entry)?;
         }
         buffer.flush()?;
         Ok(())
diff --git a/block/src/qcow/refcount.rs b/block/src/qcow/refcount.rs
index 0ec1ab5f4..7ef33c1b3 100644
--- a/block/src/qcow/refcount.rs
+++ b/block/src/qcow/refcount.rs
@@ -156,11 +156,8 @@ impl RefCount {
     /// Returns true if the table changed since the previous `flush_table()` call.
     pub fn flush_table(&mut self, raw_file: &mut QcowRawFile) -> io::Result<bool> {
         if self.ref_table.dirty() {
-            raw_file.write_pointer_table(
-                self.refcount_table_offset,
-                self.ref_table.get_values(),
-                0,
-            )?;
+            raw_file
+                .write_pointer_table_direct(self.refcount_table_offset, self.ref_table.iter())?;
             self.ref_table.mark_clean();
             Ok(true)
         } else {