diff --git a/src/backend/access/transam/xlogreader.c b/src/backend/access/transam/xlogreader.c
index 2a5a464bc0..f84569cdba 100644
--- a/src/backend/access/transam/xlogreader.c
+++ b/src/backend/access/transam/xlogreader.c
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
 
 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);
@@ -124,14 +124,7 @@ 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;
 }
 
@@ -160,7 +153,6 @@ 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.
  *
@@ -172,7 +164,7 @@ 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;
@@ -182,15 +174,8 @@ 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;
 }
 
 /*
@@ -524,13 +509,7 @@ 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;
 			}