diff --git a/db/commitlog/commitlog_entry.cc b/db/commitlog/commitlog_entry.cc
index e8e3898bcb..a7423709f2 100644
--- a/db/commitlog/commitlog_entry.cc
+++ b/db/commitlog/commitlog_entry.cc
@@ -34,48 +34,26 @@
 #include "idl/mutation.dist.impl.hh"
 #include "idl/commitlog.dist.impl.hh"
 
-commitlog_entry::commitlog_entry(stdx::optional<column_mapping> mapping, frozen_mutation&& mutation)
-    : _mapping(std::move(mapping))
-      , _mutation_storage(std::move(mutation))
-      , _mutation(*_mutation_storage)
-{ }
-
-commitlog_entry::commitlog_entry(stdx::optional<column_mapping> mapping, const frozen_mutation& mutation)
-    : _mapping(std::move(mapping))
-      , _mutation(mutation)
-{ }
-
-commitlog_entry::commitlog_entry(commitlog_entry&& ce)
-    : _mapping(std::move(ce._mapping))
-    , _mutation_storage(std::move(ce._mutation_storage))
-    , _mutation(_mutation_storage ? *_mutation_storage : ce._mutation)
-{
-}
-
-commitlog_entry& commitlog_entry::operator=(commitlog_entry&& ce)
-{
-    if (this != &ce) {
-        this->~commitlog_entry();
-        new (this) commitlog_entry(std::move(ce));
-    }
-    return *this;
-}
-
-commitlog_entry commitlog_entry_writer::get_entry() const {
-    if (_with_schema) {
-        return commitlog_entry(_schema->get_column_mapping(), _mutation);
-    } else {
-        return commitlog_entry({}, _mutation);
-    }
+template<typename Output>
+void commitlog_entry_writer::serialize(Output& out) const {
+    [this, wr = ser::writer_of_commitlog_entry<Output>(out)] () mutable {
+        if (_with_schema) {
+            return std::move(wr).write_mapping(_schema->get_column_mapping());
+        } else {
+            return std::move(wr).skip_mapping();
+        }
+    }().write_mutation(_mutation).end_commitlog_entry();
 }
 
 void commitlog_entry_writer::compute_size() {
-    _size = ser::get_sizeof(get_entry());
+    seastar::measuring_output_stream ms;
+    serialize(ms);
+    _size = ms.size();
 }
 
 void commitlog_entry_writer::write(data_output& out) const {
     seastar::simple_output_stream str(out.reserve(size()), size());
-    ser::serialize(str, get_entry());
+    serialize(str);
 }
 
 commitlog_entry_reader::commitlog_entry_reader(const temporary_buffer<char>& buffer)
diff --git a/db/commitlog/commitlog_entry.hh b/db/commitlog/commitlog_entry.hh
index 25149c951b..ddc9754e07 100644
--- a/db/commitlog/commitlog_entry.hh
+++ b/db/commitlog/commitlog_entry.hh
@@ -31,15 +31,10 @@ namespace stdx = std::experimental;
 
 class commitlog_entry {
     stdx::optional<column_mapping> _mapping;
-    stdx::optional<frozen_mutation> _mutation_storage;
-    const frozen_mutation& _mutation;
+    frozen_mutation _mutation;
 public:
-    commitlog_entry(stdx::optional<column_mapping> mapping, frozen_mutation&& mutation);
-    commitlog_entry(stdx::optional<column_mapping> mapping, const frozen_mutation& mutation);
-    commitlog_entry(commitlog_entry&&);
-    commitlog_entry(const commitlog_entry&) = delete;
-    commitlog_entry& operator=(commitlog_entry&&);
-    commitlog_entry& operator=(const commitlog_entry&) = delete;
+    commitlog_entry(stdx::optional<column_mapping> mapping, frozen_mutation&& mutation)
+        : _mapping(std::move(mapping)), _mutation(std::move(mutation)) { }
     const stdx::optional<column_mapping>& mapping() const { return _mapping; }
     const frozen_mutation& mutation() const { return _mutation; }
 };
@@ -50,8 +45,9 @@ class commitlog_entry_writer {
     bool _with_schema = true;
     size_t _size;
 private:
+    template<typename Output>
+    void serialize(Output&) const;
     void compute_size();
-    commitlog_entry get_entry() const;
 public:
     commitlog_entry_writer(schema_ptr s, const frozen_mutation& fm)
         : _schema(std::move(s)), _mutation(fm)
@@ -88,4 +84,4 @@ public:
 
     const stdx::optional<column_mapping>& get_column_mapping() const { return _ce.mapping(); }
     const frozen_mutation& mutation() const { return _ce.mutation(); }
-};
\ No newline at end of file
+};
diff --git a/idl/commitlog.idl.hh b/idl/commitlog.idl.hh
index a4d88076de..a2dc60c4e8 100644
--- a/idl/commitlog.idl.hh
+++ b/idl/commitlog.idl.hh
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
  * along with Scylla.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
  */
 
-class commitlog_entry {
+class commitlog_entry [[writable]] {
     std::experimental::optional<column_mapping> mapping();
     frozen_mutation mutation();
-};
\ No newline at end of file
+};