diff --git a/mutation/frozen_mutation.cc b/mutation/frozen_mutation.cc
index 4748248794..8568698b2b 100644
--- a/mutation/frozen_mutation.cc
+++ b/mutation/frozen_mutation.cc
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ class fragmenting_mutation_freezer {
 
     tombstone _partition_tombstone;
     std::optional<static_row> _sr;
-    std::deque<clustering_row> _crs;
+    utils::chunked_vector<clustering_row> _crs;
     range_tombstone_list _rts;
 
     frozen_mutation_consumer_fn _consumer;
diff --git a/mutation/frozen_mutation.hh b/mutation/frozen_mutation.hh
index ccfde9d22b..4833d2dab8 100644
--- a/mutation/frozen_mutation.hh
+++ b/mutation/frozen_mutation.hh
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ class streamed_mutation_freezer {
 
     tombstone _partition_tombstone;
     std::optional<static_row> _sr;
-    std::deque<clustering_row> _crs;
+    utils::chunked_vector<clustering_row> _crs;
     range_tombstone_list _rts;
 public:
     streamed_mutation_freezer(const schema& s, const partition_key& key)
diff --git a/mutation/mutation_partition_serializer.cc b/mutation/mutation_partition_serializer.cc
index 1f60a9556a..7870e74a9d 100644
--- a/mutation/mutation_partition_serializer.cc
+++ b/mutation/mutation_partition_serializer.cc
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ future<> mutation_partition_serializer::write_gently(ser::writer_of_mutation_par
 
 void serialize_mutation_fragments(const schema& s, tombstone partition_tombstone,
     std::optional<static_row> sr,  range_tombstone_list rts,
-    std::deque<clustering_row> crs, ser::writer_of_mutation_partition<bytes_ostream>&& wr)
+    utils::chunked_vector<clustering_row> crs, ser::writer_of_mutation_partition<bytes_ostream>&& wr)
 {
     auto srow_writer = std::move(wr).write_tomb(partition_tombstone).start_static_row();
     auto row_tombstones = [&] {
@@ -242,10 +242,9 @@ void serialize_mutation_fragments(const schema& s, tombstone partition_tombstone
     rts.clear();
 
     auto clustering_rows = std::move(row_tombstones).end_range_tombstones().start_rows();
-    while (!crs.empty()) {
-        auto& cr = crs.front();
+    for (auto& cr : crs) {
         write_row(clustering_rows.add(), s, cr.key(), cr.cells(), cr.marker(), cr.tomb()).end_deletable_row();
-        crs.pop_front();
+        cr = clustering_row(clustering_key_prefix{});
     }
     std::move(clustering_rows).end_rows().end_mutation_partition();
 }
diff --git a/mutation/mutation_partition_serializer.hh b/mutation/mutation_partition_serializer.hh
index 68ad0f99c5..912b64f47a 100644
--- a/mutation/mutation_partition_serializer.hh
+++ b/mutation/mutation_partition_serializer.hh
@@ -41,4 +41,4 @@ public:
 
 void serialize_mutation_fragments(const schema& s, tombstone partition_tombstone,
     std::optional<static_row> sr, range_tombstone_list range_tombstones,
-    std::deque<clustering_row> clustering_rows, ser::writer_of_mutation_partition<bytes_ostream>&&);
+    utils::chunked_vector<clustering_row> clustering_rows, ser::writer_of_mutation_partition<bytes_ostream>&&);