diff --git a/src/nominatim_db/indexer/indexer.py b/src/nominatim_db/indexer/indexer.py
index 66ebbb47c..eb79ed819 100644
--- a/src/nominatim_db/indexer/indexer.py
+++ b/src/nominatim_db/indexer/indexer.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 """
 Main work horse for indexing (computing addresses) the database.
 """
-from typing import cast
+from typing import cast, List, Any
 import logging
 import time
 
@@ -148,22 +148,26 @@ async def _index(self, runner: runners.Runner, batch: int = 1) -> int:
                 fetcher_time = 0.0
                 tstart = time.time()
                 async with aconn.cursor(name='places') as cur:
-                    places = []
+                    query = runner.index_places_query(batch)
+                    params: List[Any] = []
+                    num_places = 0
                     async for place in cur.stream(runner.sql_get_objects()):
                         fetcher_time += time.time() - tstart
 
-                        places.append(place)
+                        params.extend(runner.index_places_params(place))
+                        num_places += 1
 
-                        if len(places) >= batch:
-                            LOG.debug("Processing places: %s", str(places))
-                            await pool.put_query(*runner.index_places(places))
-                            progress.add(len(places))
-                            places = []
+                        if num_places >= batch:
+                            LOG.debug("Processing places: %s", str(params))
+                            await pool.put_query(query, params)
+                            progress.add(num_places)
+                            params = []
+                            num_places = 0
 
                         tstart = time.time()
 
-                    if places:
-                        await pool.put_query(*runner.index_places(places))
+                if num_places > 0:
+                    await pool.put_query(runner.index_places_query(num_places), params)
 
             LOG.info("Wait time: fetcher: %.2fs,  pool: %.2fs",
                      fetcher_time, pool.wait_time)
diff --git a/src/nominatim_db/indexer/runners.py b/src/nominatim_db/indexer/runners.py
index 82f35e581..0c0d1d16f 100644
--- a/src/nominatim_db/indexer/runners.py
+++ b/src/nominatim_db/indexer/runners.py
@@ -8,8 +8,7 @@
 Mix-ins that provide the actual commands for the indexer for various indexing
 tasks.
 """
-from typing import Any, List, Tuple, Sequence
-import functools
+from typing import Any, Sequence
 
 from psycopg import sql as pysql
 from psycopg.abc import Query
@@ -33,7 +32,8 @@ class Runner(Protocol):
     def name(self) -> str: ...
     def sql_count_objects(self) -> Query: ...
     def sql_get_objects(self) -> Query: ...
-    def index_places(self, places: Sequence[DictRow]) -> Tuple[Query, Sequence[Any]]: ...
+    def index_places_query(self, batch_size: int) -> Query: ...
+    def index_places_params(self, place: DictRow) -> Sequence[Any]: ...
 
 
 SELECT_SQL = pysql.SQL("""SELECT place_id, extra.*
@@ -49,25 +49,22 @@ def __init__(self, rank: int, analyzer: AbstractAnalyzer) -> None:
         self.analyzer = analyzer
 
 
-    @functools.lru_cache(maxsize=1)
-    def _index_sql(self, num_places: int) -> pysql.Composed:
+    def index_places_query(self, batch_size: int) -> Query:
         return pysql.SQL(
             """ UPDATE placex
                 SET indexed_status = 0, address = v.addr, token_info = v.ti,
                     name = v.name, linked_place_id = v.linked_place_id
                 FROM (VALUES {}) as v(id, name, addr, linked_place_id, ti)
                 WHERE place_id = v.id
-            """).format(_mk_valuelist(UPDATE_LINE, num_places))
+            """).format(_mk_valuelist(UPDATE_LINE, batch_size))
 
 
-    def index_places(self, places: Sequence[DictRow]) -> Tuple[Query, Sequence[Any]]:
-        values: List[Any] = []
-        for place in places:
-            for field in ('place_id', 'name', 'address', 'linked_place_id'):
-                values.append(place[field])
-            values.append(_analyze_place(place, self.analyzer))
-
-        return (self._index_sql(len(places)), values)
+    def index_places_params(self, place: DictRow) -> Sequence[Any]:
+        return (place['place_id'],
+                place['name'],
+                place['address'],
+                place['linked_place_id'],
+                _analyze_place(place, self.analyzer))
 
 
 class RankRunner(AbstractPlacexRunner):
@@ -136,22 +133,17 @@ def sql_get_objects(self) -> Query:
                   ORDER BY geometry_sector"""
 
 
-    @functools.lru_cache(maxsize=1)
-    def _index_sql(self, num_places: int) -> pysql.Composed:
+    def index_places_query(self, batch_size: int) -> Query:
         return pysql.SQL("""UPDATE location_property_osmline
                             SET indexed_status = 0, address = v.addr, token_info = v.ti
                             FROM (VALUES {}) as v(id, addr, ti)
                             WHERE place_id = v.id
-                         """).format(_mk_valuelist("(%s, %s::hstore, %s::jsonb)", num_places))
-
+                         """).format(_mk_valuelist("(%s, %s::hstore, %s::jsonb)", batch_size))
 
-    def index_places(self, places: Sequence[DictRow]) -> Tuple[Query, Sequence[Any]]:
-        values: List[Any] = []
-        for place in places:
-            values.extend((place[x] for x in ('place_id', 'address')))
-            values.append(_analyze_place(place, self.analyzer))
 
-        return (self._index_sql(len(places)), values)
+    def index_places_params(self, place: DictRow) -> Sequence[Any]:
+        return (place['place_id'], place['address'],
+                _analyze_place(place, self.analyzer))
 
 
 
@@ -173,7 +165,11 @@ def sql_get_objects(self) -> Query:
                   ORDER BY country_code, postcode"""
 
 
-    def index_places(self, places: Sequence[DictRow]) -> Tuple[Query, Sequence[Any]]:
-        return (pysql.SQL("""UPDATE location_postcode SET indexed_status = 0
-                                    WHERE place_id IN ({})""")
-                .format(pysql.SQL(',').join((pysql.Literal(i['place_id']) for i in places))), [])
+    def index_places_query(self, batch_size: int) -> Query:
+        return pysql.SQL("""UPDATE location_postcode SET indexed_status = 0
+                                    WHERE place_id IN ({})""")\
+                    .format(pysql.SQL(',').join((pysql.Placeholder() for _ in range(batch_size))))
+
+
+    def index_places_params(self, place: DictRow) -> Sequence[Any]:
+        return (place['place_id'], )