diff --git a/src/jdk.jfr/share/classes/jdk/jfr/internal/consumer/EventDirectoryStream.java b/src/jdk.jfr/share/classes/jdk/jfr/internal/consumer/EventDirectoryStream.java
index 46dab564ac0fb..c8db9aef169e5 100644
--- a/src/jdk.jfr/share/classes/jdk/jfr/internal/consumer/EventDirectoryStream.java
+++ b/src/jdk.jfr/share/classes/jdk/jfr/internal/consumer/EventDirectoryStream.java
@@ -257,6 +257,11 @@ private void processOrdered(Dispatcher c) throws IOException {
         }
         for (int i = 0; i < index; i++) {
             c.dispatch(sortedCache[i]);
+            sortedCache[i] = null;
+        }
+        // Shrink array
+        if (index > 100_000 && 4 * index < sortedCache.length) {
+            sortedCache = new RecordedEvent[2 * index];
         }
         onFlush();
         return;
diff --git a/src/jdk.jfr/share/classes/jdk/jfr/internal/consumer/EventFileStream.java b/src/jdk.jfr/share/classes/jdk/jfr/internal/consumer/EventFileStream.java
index 56d9fe01d790c..82712fcbedc49 100644
--- a/src/jdk.jfr/share/classes/jdk/jfr/internal/consumer/EventFileStream.java
+++ b/src/jdk.jfr/share/classes/jdk/jfr/internal/consumer/EventFileStream.java
@@ -127,6 +127,10 @@ private void processOrdered(Dispatcher c) throws IOException {
                 cacheSorted[index++] = event;
             }
             dispatchOrdered(c, index);
+            if (index > 100_000 && 4 * index < cacheSorted.length) {
+                cacheSorted = new RecordedEvent[2 * index];
+            }
+            onFlush();
             index = 0;
         }
     }
@@ -136,8 +140,8 @@ private void dispatchOrdered(Dispatcher c, int index) {
         Arrays.sort(cacheSorted, 0, index, EVENT_COMPARATOR);
         for (int i = 0; i < index; i++) {
             c.dispatch(cacheSorted[i]);
+            cacheSorted[i] = null;
         }
-        onFlush();
     }
 
     private void processUnordered(Dispatcher c) throws IOException {