diff --git a/src/common/file_utils.c b/src/common/file_utils.c
index abe5129412..5380299f35 100644
--- a/src/common/file_utils.c
+++ b/src/common/file_utils.c
@@ -581,6 +581,52 @@ get_dirent_type(const char *path,
 	return result;
 }
 
+/*
+ * Compute what remains to be done after a possibly partial vectored read or
+ * write.  The part of 'source' beginning after 'transferred' bytes is copied
+ * to 'destination', and its length is returned.  'source' and 'destination'
+ * may point to the same array, for in-place adjustment.  A return value of
+ * zero indicates completion (for callers without a cheaper way to know that).
+ */
+int
+compute_remaining_iovec(struct iovec *destination,
+						const struct iovec *source,
+						int iovcnt,
+						size_t transferred)
+{
+	Assert(iovcnt > 0);
+
+	/* Skip wholly transferred iovecs. */
+	while (source->iov_len <= transferred)
+	{
+		transferred -= source->iov_len;
+		source++;
+		iovcnt--;
+
+		/* All iovecs transferred? */
+		if (iovcnt == 0)
+		{
+			/*
+			 * We don't expect the kernel to transfer more than we asked it
+			 * to, or something is out of sync.
+			 */
+			Assert(transferred == 0);
+			return 0;
+		}
+	}
+
+	/* Copy the remaining iovecs to the front of the array. */
+	if (source != destination)
+		memmove(destination, source, sizeof(*source) * iovcnt);
+
+	/* Adjust leading iovec, which may have been partially transferred. */
+	Assert(destination->iov_len > transferred);
+	destination->iov_base = (char *) destination->iov_base + transferred;
+	destination->iov_len -= transferred;
+
+	return iovcnt;
+}
+
 /*
  * pg_pwritev_with_retry
  *
@@ -601,7 +647,7 @@ pg_pwritev_with_retry(int fd, const struct iovec *iov, int iovcnt, off_t offset)
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	for (;;)
+	do
 	{
 		/* Write as much as we can. */
 		part = pg_pwritev(fd, iov, iovcnt, offset);
@@ -616,33 +662,14 @@ pg_pwritev_with_retry(int fd, const struct iovec *iov, int iovcnt, off_t offset)
 		sum += part;
 		offset += part;
 
-		/* Step over iovecs that are done. */
-		while (iovcnt > 0 && iov->iov_len <= part)
-		{
-			part -= iov->iov_len;
-			++iov;
-			--iovcnt;
-		}
-
-		/* Are they all done? */
-		if (iovcnt == 0)
-		{
-			/* We don't expect the kernel to write more than requested. */
-			Assert(part == 0);
-			break;
-		}
-
 		/*
-		 * Move whatever's left to the front of our mutable copy and adjust
-		 * the leading iovec.
+		 * See what is left.  On the first loop we used the caller's array,
+		 * but in later loops we'll use our local copy that we are allowed to
+		 * mutate.
 		 */
-		Assert(iovcnt > 0);
-		memmove(iov_copy, iov, sizeof(*iov) * iovcnt);
-		Assert(iov->iov_len > part);
-		iov_copy[0].iov_base = (char *) iov_copy[0].iov_base + part;
-		iov_copy[0].iov_len -= part;
+		iovcnt = compute_remaining_iovec(iov_copy, iov, iovcnt, part);
 		iov = iov_copy;
-	}
+	} while (iovcnt > 0);
 
 	return sum;
 }
diff --git a/src/include/common/file_utils.h b/src/include/common/file_utils.h
index 3bb20170cb..02a940e310 100644
--- a/src/include/common/file_utils.h
+++ b/src/include/common/file_utils.h
@@ -46,6 +46,11 @@ extern PGFileType get_dirent_type(const char *path,
 								  bool look_through_symlinks,
 								  int elevel);
 
+extern int	compute_remaining_iovec(struct iovec *destination,
+									const struct iovec *source,
+									int iovcnt,
+									size_t transferred);
+
 extern ssize_t pg_pwritev_with_retry(int fd,
 									 const struct iovec *iov,
 									 int iovcnt,