diff --git a/src/box/sql/mem.c b/src/box/sql/mem.c
index a47dd8f7ae941b219ef2b63d6152b9936bb7c059..f60df40ac38c8e387581e201bc423affcf2888f2 100644
--- a/src/box/sql/mem.c
+++ b/src/box/sql/mem.c
@@ -152,6 +152,25 @@ mem_copy(struct Mem *to, const struct Mem *from)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+void
+mem_copy_as_ephemeral(struct Mem *to, const struct Mem *from)
+{
+	mem_clear(to);
+	to->u = from->u;
+	to->flags = from->flags;
+	to->subtype = from->subtype;
+	to->field_type = from->field_type;
+	to->n = from->n;
+	to->z = from->z;
+	if ((to->flags & (MEM_Str | MEM_Blob)) == 0)
+		return;
+	if ((to->flags & (MEM_Static | MEM_Ephem)) != 0)
+		return;
+	to->flags &= (MEM_Str | MEM_Blob | MEM_Term | MEM_Zero | MEM_Subtype);
+	to->flags |= MEM_Ephem;
+	return;
+}
+
 static inline bool
 mem_has_msgpack_subtype(struct Mem *mem)
 {
@@ -263,20 +282,6 @@ vdbeMemAddTerminator(Mem * pMem)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-/*
- * Make an shallow copy of pFrom into pTo.  Prior contents of
- * pTo are freed.  The pFrom->z field is not duplicated.  If
- * pFrom->z is used, then pTo->z points to the same thing as pFrom->z
- * and flags gets srcType (either MEM_Ephem or MEM_Static).
- */
-static SQL_NOINLINE void
-vdbeClrCopy(Mem * pTo, const Mem * pFrom, int eType)
-{
-	mem_clear(pTo);
-	assert(!VdbeMemDynamic(pTo));
-	sqlVdbeMemShallowCopy(pTo, pFrom, eType);
-}
-
 /*
  * Both *pMem1 and *pMem2 contain string values. Compare the two values
  * using the collation sequence pColl. As usual, return a negative , zero
@@ -1845,22 +1850,6 @@ vdbe_mem_alloc_blob_region(struct Mem *vdbe_mem, uint32_t size)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-void
-sqlVdbeMemShallowCopy(Mem * pTo, const Mem * pFrom, int srcType)
-{
-	assert(pTo->db == pFrom->db);
-	if (VdbeMemDynamic(pTo)) {
-		vdbeClrCopy(pTo, pFrom, srcType);
-		return;
-	}
-	memcpy(pTo, pFrom, MEMCELLSIZE);
-	if ((pFrom->flags & MEM_Static) == 0) {
-		pTo->flags &= ~(MEM_Dyn | MEM_Static | MEM_Ephem);
-		assert(srcType == MEM_Ephem || srcType == MEM_Static);
-		pTo->flags |= srcType;
-	}
-}
-
 /*
  * Transfer the contents of pFrom to pTo. Any existing value in pTo is
  * freed. If pFrom contains ephemeral data, a copy is made.
diff --git a/src/box/sql/mem.h b/src/box/sql/mem.h
index 86dcdaec0c07099ce19a989cf915c10f04a5d421..e30e5466e996e49f68031bc89d328b3b639d8bc3 100644
--- a/src/box/sql/mem.h
+++ b/src/box/sql/mem.h
@@ -81,12 +81,6 @@ struct Mem {
 #endif
 };
 
-/*
- * Size of struct Mem not including the Mem.zMalloc member or anything that
- * follows.
- */
-#define MEMCELLSIZE offsetof(Mem,zMalloc)
-
 /* One or more of the following flags are set to indicate the validOK
  * representations of the value stored in the Mem struct.
  *
@@ -314,6 +308,14 @@ mem_destroy(struct Mem *mem);
 int
 mem_copy(struct Mem *to, const struct Mem *from);
 
+/**
+ * Copy content of MEM from one MEM to another. In case source MEM contains
+ * string or binary and allocation type is not STATIC, this value is copied as
+ * value with ephemeral allocation type.
+ */
+void
+mem_copy_as_ephemeral(struct Mem *to, const struct Mem *from);
+
 /**
  * Simple type to str convertor. It is used to simplify
  * error reporting.
@@ -561,7 +563,6 @@ mem_is_type_compatible(struct Mem *mem, enum field_type type);
 
 int
 vdbe_mem_alloc_blob_region(struct Mem *vdbe_mem, uint32_t size);
-void sqlVdbeMemShallowCopy(Mem *, const Mem *, int);
 void sqlVdbeMemMove(Mem *, Mem *);
 int sqlVdbeMemMakeWriteable(Mem *);
 
diff --git a/src/box/sql/vdbe.c b/src/box/sql/vdbe.c
index 446e7d00173f1e47c07bbde9d8c3104536f56bfe..ba3b44e8db24a9e99843d121da13bfdc488124ef 100644
--- a/src/box/sql/vdbe.c
+++ b/src/box/sql/vdbe.c
@@ -74,9 +74,12 @@ sqlVdbeMemAboutToChange(Vdbe * pVdbe, Mem * pMem)
 	int i;
 	Mem *pX;
 	for (i = 0, pX = pVdbe->aMem; i < pVdbe->nMem; i++, pX++) {
-		if (pX->pScopyFrom == pMem) {
-			pX->flags |= MEM_Undefined;
-			pX->pScopyFrom = 0;
+		if (mem_is_bytes(pX) && !mem_is_ephemeral(pX) &&
+		    !mem_is_static(pX)) {
+			if (pX->pScopyFrom == pMem) {
+				pX->flags |= MEM_Undefined;
+				pX->pScopyFrom = 0;
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	pMem->pScopyFrom = 0;
@@ -946,7 +949,7 @@ case OP_Variable: {            /* out2 */
 		goto too_big;
 	}
 	pOut = vdbe_prepare_null_out(p, pOp->p2);
-	sqlVdbeMemShallowCopy(pOut, pVar, MEM_Static);
+	mem_copy_as_ephemeral(pOut, pVar);
 	UPDATE_MAX_BLOBSIZE(pOut);
 	break;
 }
@@ -1034,7 +1037,7 @@ case OP_SCopy: {            /* out2 */
 	pIn1 = &aMem[pOp->p1];
 	pOut = &aMem[pOp->p2];
 	assert(pOut!=pIn1);
-	sqlVdbeMemShallowCopy(pOut, pIn1, MEM_Ephem);
+	mem_copy_as_ephemeral(pOut, pIn1);
 #ifdef SQL_DEBUG
 	if (pOut->pScopyFrom==0) pOut->pScopyFrom = pIn1;
 #endif
@@ -2313,7 +2316,7 @@ case OP_Column: {
 	if (mem_is_null(pDest) &&
 	    (uint32_t) p2  >= pC->field_ref.field_count &&
 	    default_val_mem != NULL) {
-		sqlVdbeMemShallowCopy(pDest, default_val_mem, MEM_Static);
+		mem_copy_as_ephemeral(pDest, default_val_mem);
 	}
 	pDest->field_type = field_type;
 op_column_out:
@@ -4491,7 +4494,7 @@ case OP_Param: {           /* out2 */
 	pOut = vdbe_prepare_null_out(p, pOp->p2);
 	pFrame = p->pFrame;
 	pIn = &pFrame->aMem[pOp->p1 + pFrame->aOp[pFrame->pc].p1];
-	sqlVdbeMemShallowCopy(pOut, pIn, MEM_Ephem);
+	mem_copy_as_ephemeral(pOut, pIn);
 	break;
 }