diff --git a/db/db_iter.cc b/db/db_iter.cc
index 256b65447..4afe610f7 100644
--- a/db/db_iter.cc
+++ b/db/db_iter.cc
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 
 #include "db/dbformat.h"
 #include "db/filename.h"
+#include "db/merge_context.h"
 #include "port/port.h"
 #include "rocksdb/env.h"
 #include "rocksdb/iterator.h"
@@ -251,7 +252,7 @@ class DBIter: public Iterator {
   bool prefix_same_as_start_;
   bool iter_pinned_;
   // List of operands for merge operator.
-  std::deque<std::string> merge_operands_;
+  MergeContext merge_context_;
   LocalStatistics local_stats_;
 
   // No copying allowed
@@ -411,9 +412,9 @@ void DBIter::MergeValuesNewToOld() {
     return;
   }
 
+  merge_context_.Clear();
   // Start the merge process by pushing the first operand
-  std::deque<std::string> operands;
-  operands.push_front(iter_->value().ToString());
+  merge_context_.PushOperand(iter_->value());
 
   ParsedInternalKey ikey;
   for (iter_->Next(); iter_->Valid(); iter_->Next()) {
@@ -438,7 +439,8 @@ void DBIter::MergeValuesNewToOld() {
       {
         StopWatchNano timer(env_, statistics_ != nullptr);
         PERF_TIMER_GUARD(merge_operator_time_nanos);
-        user_merge_operator_->FullMerge(ikey.user_key, &val, operands,
+        user_merge_operator_->FullMerge(ikey.user_key, &val,
+                                        merge_context_.GetOperands(),
                                         &saved_value_, logger_);
         RecordTick(statistics_, MERGE_OPERATION_TOTAL_TIME,
                    timer.ElapsedNanos());
@@ -450,7 +452,7 @@ void DBIter::MergeValuesNewToOld() {
       // hit a merge, add the value as an operand and run associative merge.
       // when complete, add result to operands and continue.
       const Slice& val = iter_->value();
-      operands.push_front(val.ToString());
+      merge_context_.PushOperand(val);
     } else {
       assert(false);
     }
@@ -463,8 +465,9 @@ void DBIter::MergeValuesNewToOld() {
     // a deletion marker.
     // feed null as the existing value to the merge operator, such that
     // client can differentiate this scenario and do things accordingly.
-    user_merge_operator_->FullMerge(saved_key_.GetKey(), nullptr, operands,
-                                    &saved_value_, logger_);
+    user_merge_operator_->FullMerge(saved_key_.GetKey(), nullptr,
+                                    merge_context_.GetOperands(), &saved_value_,
+                                    logger_);
     RecordTick(statistics_, MERGE_OPERATION_TOTAL_TIME, timer.ElapsedNanos());
   }
 }
@@ -556,7 +559,7 @@ void DBIter::PrevInternal() {
 // saved_value_
 bool DBIter::FindValueForCurrentKey() {
   assert(iter_->Valid());
-  merge_operands_.clear();
+  merge_context_.Clear();
   // last entry before merge (could be kTypeDeletion, kTypeSingleDeletion or
   // kTypeValue)
   ValueType last_not_merge_type = kTypeDeletion;
@@ -576,19 +579,19 @@ bool DBIter::FindValueForCurrentKey() {
     last_key_entry_type = ikey.type;
     switch (last_key_entry_type) {
       case kTypeValue:
-        merge_operands_.clear();
+        merge_context_.Clear();
         saved_value_ = iter_->value().ToString();
         last_not_merge_type = kTypeValue;
         break;
       case kTypeDeletion:
       case kTypeSingleDeletion:
-        merge_operands_.clear();
+        merge_context_.Clear();
         last_not_merge_type = last_key_entry_type;
         PERF_COUNTER_ADD(internal_delete_skipped_count, 1);
         break;
       case kTypeMerge:
         assert(user_merge_operator_ != nullptr);
-        merge_operands_.push_back(iter_->value().ToString());
+        merge_context_.PushOperandBack(iter_->value());
         break;
       default:
         assert(false);
@@ -611,8 +614,8 @@ bool DBIter::FindValueForCurrentKey() {
         StopWatchNano timer(env_, statistics_ != nullptr);
         PERF_TIMER_GUARD(merge_operator_time_nanos);
         user_merge_operator_->FullMerge(saved_key_.GetKey(), nullptr,
-                                        merge_operands_, &saved_value_,
-                                        logger_);
+                                        merge_context_.GetOperands(),
+                                        &saved_value_, logger_);
         RecordTick(statistics_, MERGE_OPERATION_TOTAL_TIME,
                    timer.ElapsedNanos());
       } else {
@@ -623,8 +626,8 @@ bool DBIter::FindValueForCurrentKey() {
           StopWatchNano timer(env_, statistics_ != nullptr);
           PERF_TIMER_GUARD(merge_operator_time_nanos);
           user_merge_operator_->FullMerge(saved_key_.GetKey(), &temp_slice,
-                                          merge_operands_, &saved_value_,
-                                          logger_);
+                                          merge_context_.GetOperands(),
+                                          &saved_value_, logger_);
           RecordTick(statistics_, MERGE_OPERATION_TOTAL_TIME,
                      timer.ElapsedNanos());
         }
@@ -667,11 +670,11 @@ bool DBIter::FindValueForCurrentKeyUsingSeek() {
 
   // kTypeMerge. We need to collect all kTypeMerge values and save them
   // in operands
-  std::deque<std::string> operands;
+  merge_context_.Clear();
   while (iter_->Valid() &&
          user_comparator_->Equal(ikey.user_key, saved_key_.GetKey()) &&
          ikey.type == kTypeMerge) {
-    operands.push_front(iter_->value().ToString());
+    merge_context_.PushOperand(iter_->value());
     iter_->Next();
     FindParseableKey(&ikey, kForward);
   }
@@ -682,7 +685,8 @@ bool DBIter::FindValueForCurrentKeyUsingSeek() {
     {
       StopWatchNano timer(env_, statistics_ != nullptr);
       PERF_TIMER_GUARD(merge_operator_time_nanos);
-      user_merge_operator_->FullMerge(saved_key_.GetKey(), nullptr, operands,
+      user_merge_operator_->FullMerge(saved_key_.GetKey(), nullptr,
+                                      merge_context_.GetOperands(),
                                       &saved_value_, logger_);
       RecordTick(statistics_, MERGE_OPERATION_TOTAL_TIME, timer.ElapsedNanos());
     }
@@ -700,8 +704,9 @@ bool DBIter::FindValueForCurrentKeyUsingSeek() {
   {
     StopWatchNano timer(env_, statistics_ != nullptr);
     PERF_TIMER_GUARD(merge_operator_time_nanos);
-    user_merge_operator_->FullMerge(saved_key_.GetKey(), &val, operands,
-                                    &saved_value_, logger_);
+    user_merge_operator_->FullMerge(saved_key_.GetKey(), &val,
+                                    merge_context_.GetOperands(), &saved_value_,
+                                    logger_);
     RecordTick(statistics_, MERGE_OPERATION_TOTAL_TIME, timer.ElapsedNanos());
   }
   valid_ = true;
diff --git a/db/merge_context.h b/db/merge_context.h
index 74264c4c9..229f11d62 100644
--- a/db/merge_context.h
+++ b/db/merge_context.h
@@ -37,6 +37,11 @@ public:
     Initialize();
     operand_list->push_front(operand_slice.ToString());
   }
+  // Push back a merge operand
+  void PushOperandBack(const Slice& operand_slice) {
+    Initialize();
+    operand_list->push_back(operand_slice.ToString());
+  }
   // return total number of operands in the list
   size_t GetNumOperands() const {
     if (!operand_list) {