diff --git a/src/backend/access/transam/xlogreader.c b/src/backend/access/transam/xlogreader.c
index a17263df20..a1363e3b8f 100644
--- a/src/backend/access/transam/xlogreader.c
+++ b/src/backend/access/transam/xlogreader.c
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
 
 static void report_invalid_record(XLogReaderState *state, const char *fmt,...)
 			pg_attribute_printf(2, 3);
-static bool allocate_recordbuf(XLogReaderState *state, uint32 reclength);
+static void allocate_recordbuf(XLogReaderState *state, uint32 reclength);
 static int	ReadPageInternal(XLogReaderState *state, XLogRecPtr pageptr,
 							 int reqLen);
 static void XLogReaderInvalReadState(XLogReaderState *state);
@@ -155,14 +155,7 @@ XLogReaderAllocate(int wal_segment_size, const char *waldir,
 	 * Allocate an initial readRecordBuf of minimal size, which can later be
 	 * enlarged if necessary.
 	 */
-	if (!allocate_recordbuf(state, 0))
-	{
-		pfree(state->errormsg_buf);
-		pfree(state->readBuf);
-		pfree(state);
-		return NULL;
-	}
-
+	allocate_recordbuf(state, 0);
 	return state;
 }
 
@@ -184,7 +177,6 @@ XLogReaderFree(XLogReaderState *state)
 
 /*
  * Allocate readRecordBuf to fit a record of at least the given length.
- * Returns true if successful, false if out of memory.
  *
  * readRecordBufSize is set to the new buffer size.
  *
@@ -196,7 +188,7 @@ XLogReaderFree(XLogReaderState *state)
  * Note: This routine should *never* be called for xl_tot_len until the header
  * of the record has been fully validated.
  */
-static bool
+static void
 allocate_recordbuf(XLogReaderState *state, uint32 reclength)
 {
 	uint32		newSize = reclength;
@@ -206,15 +198,8 @@ allocate_recordbuf(XLogReaderState *state, uint32 reclength)
 
 	if (state->readRecordBuf)
 		pfree(state->readRecordBuf);
-	state->readRecordBuf =
-		(char *) palloc_extended(newSize, MCXT_ALLOC_NO_OOM);
-	if (state->readRecordBuf == NULL)
-	{
-		state->readRecordBufSize = 0;
-		return false;
-	}
+	state->readRecordBuf = (char *) palloc(newSize);
 	state->readRecordBufSize = newSize;
-	return true;
 }
 
 /*
@@ -505,9 +490,7 @@ XLogReadRecordAlloc(XLogReaderState *state, size_t xl_tot_len, bool allow_oversi
 	/* Not enough space in the decode buffer.  Are we allowed to allocate? */
 	if (allow_oversized)
 	{
-		decoded = palloc_extended(required_space, MCXT_ALLOC_NO_OOM);
-		if (decoded == NULL)
-			return NULL;
+		decoded = palloc(required_space);
 		decoded->oversized = true;
 		return decoded;
 	}
@@ -815,13 +798,7 @@ restart:
 				Assert(gotlen <= lengthof(save_copy));
 				Assert(gotlen <= state->readRecordBufSize);
 				memcpy(save_copy, state->readRecordBuf, gotlen);
-				if (!allocate_recordbuf(state, total_len))
-				{
-					/* We treat this as a "bogus data" condition */
-					report_invalid_record(state, "record length %u at %X/%X too long",
-										  total_len, LSN_FORMAT_ARGS(RecPtr));
-					goto err;
-				}
+				allocate_recordbuf(state, total_len);
 				memcpy(state->readRecordBuf, save_copy, gotlen);
 				buffer = state->readRecordBuf + gotlen;
 			}
@@ -877,16 +854,8 @@ restart:
 		decoded = XLogReadRecordAlloc(state,
 									  total_len,
 									  true /* allow_oversized */ );
-		if (decoded == NULL)
-		{
-			/*
-			 * We failed to allocate memory for an oversized record.  As
-			 * above, we currently treat this as a "bogus data" condition.
-			 */
-			report_invalid_record(state,
-								  "out of memory while trying to decode a record of length %u", total_len);
-			goto err;
-		}
+		/* allocation should always happen under allow_oversized */
+		Assert(decoded != NULL);
 	}
 
 	if (DecodeXLogRecord(state, decoded, record, RecPtr, &errormsg))