diff --git a/mountpoint-s3/src/prefetch/part_queue.rs b/mountpoint-s3/src/prefetch/part_queue.rs
index 30a2c264c..08778666a 100644
--- a/mountpoint-s3/src/prefetch/part_queue.rs
+++ b/mountpoint-s3/src/prefetch/part_queue.rs
@@ -5,16 +5,19 @@ use tracing::trace;
 use crate::prefetch::part::Part;
 use crate::prefetch::PrefetchReadError;
 use crate::sync::async_channel::{unbounded, Receiver, RecvError, Sender};
-use crate::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, AtomicUsize, Ordering};
-use crate::sync::{Arc, AsyncMutex};
+use crate::sync::atomic::{AtomicUsize, Ordering};
+use crate::sync::Arc;
 
 /// A queue of [Part]s where the first part can be partially read from if the reader doesn't want
 /// the entire part in one shot.
 #[derive(Debug)]
 pub struct PartQueue<E: std::error::Error> {
-    current_part: AsyncMutex<Option<Part>>,
+    /// The auxiliary queue that supports pushing parts to the front of the part queue in order to
+    /// allow partial reads and backwards seeks.
+    front_queue: Vec<Part>,
+    /// The main queue that receives parts from [super::ObjectPartStream]
     receiver: Receiver<Result<Part, PrefetchReadError<E>>>,
-    failed: AtomicBool,
+    failed: bool,
     /// The total number of bytes sent to the underlying queue of `self.receiver`
     bytes_received: Arc<AtomicUsize>,
 }
@@ -32,9 +35,9 @@ pub fn unbounded_part_queue<E: std::error::Error>() -> (PartQueue<E>, PartQueueP
     let (sender, receiver) = unbounded();
     let bytes_counter = Arc::new(AtomicUsize::new(0));
     let part_queue = PartQueue {
-        current_part: AsyncMutex::new(None),
+        front_queue: Vec::new(),
         receiver,
-        failed: AtomicBool::new(false),
+        failed: false,
         bytes_received: Arc::clone(&bytes_counter),
     };
     let part_queue_producer = PartQueueProducer {
@@ -52,65 +55,48 @@ impl<E: std::error::Error + Send + Sync> PartQueue<E> {
     ///
     /// If this method returns an Err, the PartQueue must never be accessed again.
     pub async fn read(&mut self, length: usize) -> Result<Part, PrefetchReadError<E>> {
-        let mut current_part = self.current_part.lock().await;
-
-        assert!(
-            !self.failed.load(Ordering::SeqCst),
-            "cannot use a PartQueue after failure"
-        );
-
-        let part = if let Some(current_part) = current_part.take() {
-            Ok(current_part)
+        assert!(!self.failed, "cannot use a PartQueue after failure");
+
+        // Read from the auxiliary queue first if it's not empty
+        let part = if let Some(part) = self.front_queue.pop() {
+            Ok(part)
+        // Then do `try_recv` from the main queue so we can track whether the read is starved or not
+        } else if let Ok(part) = self.receiver.try_recv() {
+            part
         } else {
-            // Do `try_recv` first so we can track whether the read is starved or not
-            if let Ok(part) = self.receiver.try_recv() {
-                part
-            } else {
-                let start = Instant::now();
-                let part = self.receiver.recv().await;
-                metrics::histogram!("prefetch.part_queue_starved_us").record(start.elapsed().as_micros() as f64);
-                match part {
-                    Err(RecvError) => Err(PrefetchReadError::GetRequestTerminatedUnexpectedly),
-                    Ok(part) => part,
-                }
+            let start = Instant::now();
+            let part = self.receiver.recv().await;
+            metrics::histogram!("prefetch.part_queue_starved_us").record(start.elapsed().as_micros() as f64);
+            match part {
+                Err(RecvError) => Err(PrefetchReadError::GetRequestTerminatedUnexpectedly),
+                Ok(part) => part,
             }
         };
 
         let mut part = match part {
             Err(e) => {
-                self.failed.store(true, Ordering::SeqCst);
+                self.failed = true;
                 return Err(e);
             }
             Ok(part) => part,
         };
         debug_assert!(!part.is_empty(), "parts must not be empty");
 
+        // Split the part and push the remaining to the front of the queue if it's a partial read
         if length < part.len() {
             let tail = part.split_off(length);
-            *current_part = Some(tail);
+            self.front_queue.push(tail);
         }
         metrics::gauge!("prefetch.bytes_in_queue").decrement(part.len() as f64);
         Ok(part)
     }
 
     /// Push a new [Part] onto the front of the queue
-    /// which actually just concatenate it with the current part
-    pub async fn push_front(&self, mut part: Part) -> Result<(), PrefetchReadError<E>> {
-        let part_len = part.len();
-        let mut current_part = self.current_part.lock().await;
-
-        assert!(
-            !self.failed.load(Ordering::SeqCst),
-            "cannot use a PartQueue after failure"
-        );
-
-        if let Some(current_part) = current_part.as_mut() {
-            part.extend(current_part)?;
-            *current_part = part;
-        } else {
-            *current_part = Some(part);
-        }
-        metrics::gauge!("prefetch.bytes_in_queue").increment(part_len as f64);
+    pub async fn push_front(&mut self, part: Part) -> Result<(), PrefetchReadError<E>> {
+        assert!(!self.failed, "cannot use a PartQueue after failure");
+
+        metrics::gauge!("prefetch.bytes_in_queue").increment(part.len() as f64);
+        self.front_queue.push(part);
         Ok(())
     }
 
@@ -137,12 +123,7 @@ impl<E: std::error::Error + Send + Sync> PartQueueProducer<E> {
 
 impl<E: std::error::Error> Drop for PartQueue<E> {
     fn drop(&mut self) {
-        let current_part = self.current_part.lock_blocking();
-        let current_size = match current_part.as_ref() {
-            Some(part) => part.len(),
-            None => 0,
-        };
-        // close the channel and drain remaining parts
+        // close the channel and drain remaining parts from the main queue
         self.receiver.close();
         let mut queue_size = 0;
         while let Ok(part) = self.receiver.try_recv() {
@@ -150,8 +131,11 @@ impl<E: std::error::Error> Drop for PartQueue<E> {
                 queue_size += part.len();
             }
         }
-        let remaining = current_size + queue_size;
-        metrics::gauge!("prefetch.bytes_in_queue").decrement(remaining as f64);
+        // count remaining bytes in the auxiliary queue
+        for part in &self.front_queue {
+            queue_size += part.len()
+        }
+        metrics::gauge!("prefetch.bytes_in_queue").decrement(queue_size as f64);
     }
 }
 
@@ -199,7 +183,7 @@ mod tests {
                     current_length -= bytes.len();
                 }
                 Op::ReadAligned => {
-                    let first_part_length = part_queue.current_part.lock().await.as_ref().map(|p| p.len());
+                    let first_part_length = part_queue.front_queue.last().map(|p| p.len());
                     if let Some(n) = first_part_length {
                         let part = part_queue.read(n).await.unwrap();
                         let checksummed_bytes = part.into_bytes(&part_id, current_offset).unwrap();
diff --git a/mountpoint-s3/src/prefetch/task.rs b/mountpoint-s3/src/prefetch/task.rs
index c4de1e125..cd858d7bc 100644
--- a/mountpoint-s3/src/prefetch/task.rs
+++ b/mountpoint-s3/src/prefetch/task.rs
@@ -38,9 +38,7 @@ impl<E: std::error::Error + Send + Sync> RequestTask<E> {
 
     // Push a given list of parts in front of the part queue
     pub async fn push_front(&mut self, parts: Vec<Part>) -> Result<(), PrefetchReadError<E>> {
-        // Merge all parts into one single part by pushing them to the front of the part queue.
-        // This could result in a really big part, but we normally use this only for backward seek
-        // so its size should not be bigger than the prefetcher's `max_backward_seek_distance`.
+        // Iterate backwards to push each part to the front of the part queue
         for part in parts.into_iter().rev() {
             self.remaining += part.len();
             self.part_queue.push_front(part).await?;