diff --git a/crates/core/src/protocol/checkpoints.rs b/crates/core/src/protocol/checkpoints.rs
index 4d39c90275..606642a3e5 100644
--- a/crates/core/src/protocol/checkpoints.rs
+++ b/crates/core/src/protocol/checkpoints.rs
@@ -353,18 +353,22 @@ fn parquet_bytes_from_state(
     // Count of actions
     let mut total_actions = 0;
 
-    for j in jsons {
-        let buf = serde_json::to_string(&j?).unwrap();
-        let _ = decoder.decode(buf.as_bytes())?;
-
-        total_actions += 1;
+    let span = tracing::debug_span!("serialize_checkpoint").entered();
+    for chunk in &jsons.chunks(CHECKPOINT_RECORD_BATCH_SIZE) {
+        let mut buf = Vec::new();
+        for j in chunk {
+            serde_json::to_writer(&mut buf, &j?)?;
+            total_actions += 1;
+        }
+        let _ = decoder.decode(&buf)?;
         while let Some(batch) = decoder.flush()? {
             writer.write(&batch)?;
         }
     }
+    drop(span);
 
     let _ = writer.close()?;
-    debug!("Finished writing checkpoint parquet buffer.");
+    debug!(total_actions, "Finished writing checkpoint parquet buffer.");
 
     let checkpoint = CheckPointBuilder::new(state.version(), total_actions)
         .with_size_in_bytes(bytes.len() as i64)