diff --git a/pkg/chunkenc/memchunk.go b/pkg/chunkenc/memchunk.go
index 6a96dc5f530f..774fe502a275 100644
--- a/pkg/chunkenc/memchunk.go
+++ b/pkg/chunkenc/memchunk.go
@@ -67,9 +67,6 @@ type MemChunk struct {
 	// the chunk format default to v2
 	format   byte
 	encoding Encoding
-
-	readers ReaderPool
-	writers WriterPool
 }
 
 type block struct {
@@ -81,8 +78,6 @@ type block struct {
 
 	offset           int // The offset of the block in the chunk.
 	uncompressedSize int // Total uncompressed size in bytes when the chunk is cut.
-
-	readers ReaderPool
 }
 
 // This block holds the un-compressed entries. Once it has enough data, this is
@@ -161,8 +156,6 @@ func NewMemChunk(enc Encoding, blockSize, targetSize int) *MemChunk {
 		format: chunkFormatV2,
 
 		encoding: enc,
-		writers:  getWriterPool(enc),
-		readers:  getReaderPool(enc),
 	}
 
 	return c
@@ -188,7 +181,7 @@ func NewByteChunk(b []byte, blockSize, targetSize int) (*MemChunk, error) {
 	bc.format = version
 	switch version {
 	case chunkFormatV1:
-		bc.readers, bc.writers = &Gzip, &Gzip
+		bc.encoding = EncGZIP
 	case chunkFormatV2:
 		// format v2 has a byte for block encoding.
 		enc := Encoding(db.byte())
@@ -196,7 +189,6 @@ func NewByteChunk(b []byte, blockSize, targetSize int) (*MemChunk, error) {
 			return nil, errors.Wrap(db.err(), "verifying encoding")
 		}
 		bc.encoding = enc
-		bc.readers, bc.writers = getReaderPool(enc), getWriterPool(enc)
 	default:
 		return nil, errors.Errorf("invalid version %d", version)
 	}
@@ -215,9 +207,7 @@ func NewByteChunk(b []byte, blockSize, targetSize int) (*MemChunk, error) {
 	bc.blocks = make([]block, 0, num)
 
 	for i := 0; i < num; i++ {
-		blk := block{
-			readers: bc.readers,
-		}
+		var blk block
 		// Read #entries.
 		blk.numEntries = db.uvarint()
 
@@ -430,13 +420,12 @@ func (c *MemChunk) cut() error {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	b, err := c.head.serialise(c.writers)
+	b, err := c.head.serialise(getWriterPool(c.encoding))
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
 	c.blocks = append(c.blocks, block{
-		readers:          c.readers,
 		b:                b,
 		numEntries:       len(c.head.entries),
 		mint:             c.head.mint,
@@ -483,7 +472,7 @@ func (c *MemChunk) Iterator(ctx context.Context, mintT, maxtT time.Time, directi
 		if maxt < b.mint || b.maxt < mint {
 			continue
 		}
-		its = append(its, b.Iterator(ctx, filter))
+		its = append(its, encBlock{c.encoding, b}.Iterator(ctx, filter))
 	}
 
 	if !c.head.isEmpty() {
@@ -512,7 +501,7 @@ func (c *MemChunk) SampleIterator(ctx context.Context, mintT, maxtT time.Time, f
 		if maxt < b.mint || b.maxt < mint {
 			continue
 		}
-		its = append(its, b.SampleIterator(ctx, filter, extractor))
+		its = append(its, encBlock{c.encoding, b}.SampleIterator(ctx, filter, extractor))
 	}
 
 	if !c.head.isEmpty() {
@@ -533,24 +522,33 @@ func (c *MemChunk) Blocks(mintT, maxtT time.Time) []Block {
 
 	for _, b := range c.blocks {
 		if maxt >= b.mint && b.maxt >= mint {
-			blocks = append(blocks, b)
+			blocks = append(blocks, encBlock{c.encoding, b})
 		}
 	}
 	return blocks
 }
 
-func (b block) Iterator(ctx context.Context, filter logql.LineFilter) iter.EntryIterator {
+// encBlock is an internal wrapper for a block, mainly to avoid binding an encoding in a block itself.
+// This may seem roundabout, but the encoding is already a field on the parent MemChunk type. encBlock
+// then allows us to bind a decoding context to a block when requested, but otherwise helps reduce the
+// chances of chunk<>block encoding drift in the codebase as the latter is parameterized by the former.
+type encBlock struct {
+	enc Encoding
+	block
+}
+
+func (b encBlock) Iterator(ctx context.Context, filter logql.LineFilter) iter.EntryIterator {
 	if len(b.b) == 0 {
 		return emptyIterator
 	}
-	return newEntryIterator(ctx, b.readers, b.b, filter)
+	return newEntryIterator(ctx, getReaderPool(b.enc), b.b, filter)
 }
 
-func (b block) SampleIterator(ctx context.Context, filter logql.LineFilter, extractor logql.SampleExtractor) iter.SampleIterator {
+func (b encBlock) SampleIterator(ctx context.Context, filter logql.LineFilter, extractor logql.SampleExtractor) iter.SampleIterator {
 	if len(b.b) == 0 {
 		return iter.NoopIterator
 	}
-	return newSampleIterator(ctx, b.readers, b.b, filter, extractor)
+	return newSampleIterator(ctx, getReaderPool(b.enc), b.b, filter, extractor)
 }
 
 func (b block) Offset() int {