diff --git a/core/vdbe/sorter.rs b/core/vdbe/sorter.rs
index 366d59e1e..47f480890 100644
--- a/core/vdbe/sorter.rs
+++ b/core/vdbe/sorter.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ use std::sync::{atomic, Arc, RwLock};
 use tempfile;
 
 use crate::types::IOCompletions;
-use crate::util::IOExt;
 use crate::{
     error::LimboError,
     io::{Buffer, Completion, File, OpenFlags, IO},
@@ -88,6 +87,7 @@ pub struct Sorter {
     /// State machine for [Sorter::init_chunk_heap]
     init_chunk_heap_state: InitChunkHeapState,
     seq_count: i64,
+    pending_completions: Vec<Completion>,
 }
 
 impl Sorter {
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ impl Sorter {
             insert_state: InsertState::Start,
             init_chunk_heap_state: InitChunkHeapState::Start,
             seq_count: 0,
+            pending_completions: Vec::new(),
         }
     }
 
@@ -284,43 +285,58 @@ impl Sorter {
                 );
                 self.chunk_heap.reserve(self.chunks.len());
                 // TODO: blocking will be unnecessary here with IO completions
-                let io = self.io.clone();
+                let mut completions = vec![];
                 for chunk_idx in 0..self.chunks.len() {
-                    io.block(|| self.push_to_chunk_heap(chunk_idx))?;
+                    match self.push_to_chunk_heap(chunk_idx)? {
+                        Some(c) => completions.push(c),
+                        None => (),
+                    };
                 }
                 self.init_chunk_heap_state = InitChunkHeapState::Start;
+                if !completions.is_empty() {
+                    io_yield_many!(completions);
+                }
                 Ok(IOResult::Done(()))
             }
         }
     }
 
     fn next_from_chunk_heap(&mut self) -> Result<IOResult<Option<SortableImmutableRecord>>> {
+        if !self.pending_completions.is_empty() {
+            return Ok(IOResult::IO(IOCompletions::Many(
+                self.pending_completions.drain(..).collect(),
+            )));
+        }
         // Make sure all chunks read at least one record into their buffer.
         if let Some((next_record, next_chunk_idx)) = self.chunk_heap.pop() {
             // TODO: blocking will be unnecessary here with IO completions
-            let io = self.io.clone();
-            io.block(|| self.push_to_chunk_heap(next_chunk_idx))?;
+            if let Some(c) = self.push_to_chunk_heap(next_chunk_idx)? {
+                self.pending_completions.push(c);
+            }
             Ok(IOResult::Done(Some(next_record.0)))
         } else {
             Ok(IOResult::Done(None))
         }
     }
 
-    fn push_to_chunk_heap(&mut self, chunk_idx: usize) -> Result<IOResult<()>> {
+    fn push_to_chunk_heap(&mut self, chunk_idx: usize) -> Result<Option<Completion>> {
         let chunk = &mut self.chunks[chunk_idx];
 
-        if let Some(record) = return_if_io!(chunk.next()) {
-            self.chunk_heap.push((
-                Reverse(SortableImmutableRecord::new(
-                    record,
-                    self.key_len,
-                    self.index_key_info.clone(),
-                )?),
-                chunk_idx,
-            ));
+        match chunk.next()? {
+            ChunkNextResult::Done(Some(record)) => {
+                self.chunk_heap.push((
+                    Reverse(SortableImmutableRecord::new(
+                        record,
+                        self.key_len,
+                        self.index_key_info.clone(),
+                    )?),
+                    chunk_idx,
+                ));
+                Ok(None)
+            }
+            ChunkNextResult::Done(None) => Ok(None),
+            ChunkNextResult::IO(io) => Ok(Some(io)),
         }
-
-        Ok(IOResult::Done(()))
     }
 
     fn flush(&mut self) -> Result<Option<Completion>> {
@@ -404,6 +420,11 @@ struct SortedChunk {
     next_state: NextState,
 }
 
+enum ChunkNextResult {
+    Done(Option<ImmutableRecord>),
+    IO(Completion),
+}
+
 impl SortedChunk {
     fn new(file: Arc<dyn File>, start_offset: usize, buffer_size: usize) -> Self {
         Self {
@@ -427,13 +448,13 @@ impl SortedChunk {
         self.buffer_len.store(len, atomic::Ordering::SeqCst);
     }
 
-    fn next(&mut self) -> Result<IOResult<Option<ImmutableRecord>>> {
+    fn next(&mut self) -> Result<ChunkNextResult> {
         loop {
             match self.next_state {
                 NextState::Start => {
                     let mut buffer_len = self.buffer_len();
                     if self.records.is_empty() && buffer_len == 0 {
-                        return Ok(IOResult::Done(None));
+                        return Ok(ChunkNextResult::Done(None));
                     }
 
                     if self.records.is_empty() {
@@ -497,13 +518,15 @@ impl SortedChunk {
                             *self.io_state.write().unwrap() = SortedChunkIOState::ReadEOF;
                         } else {
                             let c = self.read()?;
-                            io_yield_one!(c);
+                            if !c.succeeded() {
+                                return Ok(ChunkNextResult::IO(c));
+                            }
                         }
                     }
                 }
                 NextState::Finish => {
                     self.next_state = NextState::Start;
-                    return Ok(IOResult::Done(self.records.pop()));
+                    return Ok(ChunkNextResult::Done(self.records.pop()));
                 }
             }
         }