diff --git a/storage/remote/queue_manager.go b/storage/remote/queue_manager.go
index dc2be46e9..361113fc6 100644
--- a/storage/remote/queue_manager.go
+++ b/storage/remote/queue_manager.go
@@ -507,7 +507,6 @@ func (t *QueueManager) sendMetadataWithBackoff(ctx context.Context, metadata []p
 // Append queues a sample to be sent to the remote storage. Blocks until all samples are
 // enqueued on their shards or a shutdown signal is received.
 func (t *QueueManager) Append(samples []record.RefSample) bool {
-	var appendSample prompb.Sample
 outer:
 	for _, s := range samples {
 		t.seriesMtx.Lock()
@@ -530,9 +529,12 @@ outer:
 				return false
 			default:
 			}
-			appendSample.Value = s.V
-			appendSample.Timestamp = s.T
-			if t.shards.enqueue(s.Ref, writeSample{lbls, appendSample}) {
+			if t.shards.enqueue(s.Ref, sampleOrExemplar{
+				seriesLabels: lbls,
+				timestamp:    s.T,
+				value:        s.V,
+				isSample:     true,
+			}) {
 				continue outer
 			}
 
@@ -552,7 +554,6 @@ func (t *QueueManager) AppendExemplars(exemplars []record.RefExemplar) bool {
 		return true
 	}
 
-	var appendExemplar prompb.Exemplar
 outer:
 	for _, e := range exemplars {
 		t.seriesMtx.Lock()
@@ -576,10 +577,12 @@ outer:
 				return false
 			default:
 			}
-			appendExemplar.Labels = labelsToLabelsProto(e.Labels, nil)
-			appendExemplar.Timestamp = e.T
-			appendExemplar.Value = e.V
-			if t.shards.enqueue(e.Ref, writeExemplar{lbls, appendExemplar}) {
+			if t.shards.enqueue(e.Ref, sampleOrExemplar{
+				seriesLabels:   lbls,
+				timestamp:      e.T,
+				value:          e.V,
+				exemplarLabels: e.Labels,
+			}) {
 				continue outer
 			}
 
@@ -901,16 +904,6 @@ func (t *QueueManager) newShards() *shards {
 	return s
 }
 
-type writeSample struct {
-	seriesLabels labels.Labels
-	sample       prompb.Sample
-}
-
-type writeExemplar struct {
-	seriesLabels labels.Labels
-	exemplar     prompb.Exemplar
-}
-
 type shards struct {
 	mtx sync.RWMutex // With the WAL, this is never actually contended.
 
@@ -999,7 +992,7 @@ func (s *shards) stop() {
 
 // enqueue data (sample or exemplar).  If we are currently in the process of shutting down or resharding,
 // will return false; in this case, you should back off and retry.
-func (s *shards) enqueue(ref chunks.HeadSeriesRef, data interface{}) bool {
+func (s *shards) enqueue(ref chunks.HeadSeriesRef, data sampleOrExemplar) bool {
 	s.mtx.RLock()
 	defer s.mtx.RUnlock()
 
@@ -1018,43 +1011,49 @@ func (s *shards) enqueue(ref chunks.HeadSeriesRef, data interface{}) bool {
 		if !appended {
 			return false
 		}
-		switch data.(type) {
-		case writeSample:
+		switch data.isSample {
+		case true:
 			s.qm.metrics.pendingSamples.Inc()
 			s.enqueuedSamples.Inc()
-		case writeExemplar:
+		case false:
 			s.qm.metrics.pendingExemplars.Inc()
 			s.enqueuedExemplars.Inc()
-		default:
-			level.Warn(s.qm.logger).Log("msg", "Invalid object type in shards enqueue")
 		}
 		return true
 	}
 }
 
 type queue struct {
-	batch      []interface{}
-	batchQueue chan []interface{}
+	batch      []sampleOrExemplar
+	batchQueue chan []sampleOrExemplar
 
 	// Since we know there are a limited number of batches out, using a stack
 	// is easy and safe so a sync.Pool is not necessary.
-	batchPool [][]interface{}
+	batchPool [][]sampleOrExemplar
 	// This mutex covers adding and removing batches from the batchPool.
 	poolMux sync.Mutex
 }
 
+type sampleOrExemplar struct {
+	seriesLabels   labels.Labels
+	value          float64
+	timestamp      int64
+	exemplarLabels labels.Labels
+	isSample       bool
+}
+
 func newQueue(batchSize, capacity int) *queue {
 	batches := capacity / batchSize
 	return &queue{
-		batch:      make([]interface{}, 0, batchSize),
-		batchQueue: make(chan []interface{}, batches),
+		batch:      make([]sampleOrExemplar, 0, batchSize),
+		batchQueue: make(chan []sampleOrExemplar, batches),
 		// batchPool should have capacity for everything in the channel + 1 for
 		// the batch being processed.
-		batchPool: make([][]interface{}, 0, batches+1),
+		batchPool: make([][]sampleOrExemplar, 0, batches+1),
 	}
 }
 
-func (q *queue) Append(datum interface{}, stop <-chan struct{}) bool {
+func (q *queue) Append(datum sampleOrExemplar, stop <-chan struct{}) bool {
 	q.batch = append(q.batch, datum)
 	if len(q.batch) == cap(q.batch) {
 		select {
@@ -1070,20 +1069,20 @@ func (q *queue) Append(datum interface{}, stop <-chan struct{}) bool {
 	return true
 }
 
-func (q *queue) Chan() <-chan []interface{} {
+func (q *queue) Chan() <-chan []sampleOrExemplar {
 	return q.batchQueue
 }
 
 // Batch returns the current batch and allocates a new batch. Must not be
 // called concurrently with Append.
-func (q *queue) Batch() []interface{} {
+func (q *queue) Batch() []sampleOrExemplar {
 	batch := q.batch
 	q.batch = q.newBatch(cap(batch))
 	return batch
 }
 
 // ReturnForReuse adds the batch buffer back to the internal pool.
-func (q *queue) ReturnForReuse(batch []interface{}) {
+func (q *queue) ReturnForReuse(batch []sampleOrExemplar) {
 	q.poolMux.Lock()
 	defer q.poolMux.Unlock()
 	if len(q.batchPool) < cap(q.batchPool) {
@@ -1106,7 +1105,7 @@ func (q *queue) FlushAndShutdown(done <-chan struct{}) {
 	close(q.batchQueue)
 }
 
-func (q *queue) newBatch(capacity int) []interface{} {
+func (q *queue) newBatch(capacity int) []sampleOrExemplar {
 	q.poolMux.Lock()
 	defer q.poolMux.Unlock()
 	batches := len(q.batchPool)
@@ -1115,7 +1114,7 @@ func (q *queue) newBatch(capacity int) []interface{} {
 		q.batchPool = q.batchPool[:batches-1]
 		return batch
 	}
-	return make([]interface{}, 0, capacity)
+	return make([]sampleOrExemplar, 0, capacity)
 }
 
 func (s *shards) runShard(ctx context.Context, shardID int, queue *queue) {
@@ -1192,7 +1191,7 @@ func (s *shards) runShard(ctx context.Context, shardID int, queue *queue) {
 			// traffic instances.
 			s.mtx.Lock()
 			// First, we need to see if we can happen to get a batch from the queue if it filled while acquiring the lock.
-			var batch []interface{}
+			var batch []sampleOrExemplar
 			select {
 			case batch = <-batchQueue:
 			default:
@@ -1211,9 +1210,9 @@ func (s *shards) runShard(ctx context.Context, shardID int, queue *queue) {
 	}
 }
 
-func (s *shards) populateTimeSeries(batch []interface{}, pendingData []prompb.TimeSeries) (int, int) {
+func (s *shards) populateTimeSeries(batch []sampleOrExemplar, pendingData []prompb.TimeSeries) (int, int) {
 	var nPendingSamples, nPendingExemplars int
-	for nPending, sample := range batch {
+	for nPending, d := range batch {
 		pendingData[nPending].Samples = pendingData[nPending].Samples[:0]
 		if s.qm.sendExemplars {
 			pendingData[nPending].Exemplars = pendingData[nPending].Exemplars[:0]
@@ -1221,14 +1220,21 @@ func (s *shards) populateTimeSeries(batch []interface{}, pendingData []prompb.Ti
 		// Number of pending samples is limited by the fact that sendSamples (via sendSamplesWithBackoff)
 		// retries endlessly, so once we reach max samples, if we can never send to the endpoint we'll
 		// stop reading from the queue. This makes it safe to reference pendingSamples by index.
-		switch d := sample.(type) {
-		case writeSample:
+		switch d.isSample {
+		case true:
 			pendingData[nPending].Labels = labelsToLabelsProto(d.seriesLabels, pendingData[nPending].Labels)
-			pendingData[nPending].Samples = append(pendingData[nPending].Samples, d.sample)
+			pendingData[nPending].Samples = append(pendingData[nPending].Samples, prompb.Sample{
+				Value:     d.value,
+				Timestamp: d.timestamp,
+			})
 			nPendingSamples++
-		case writeExemplar:
+		case false:
 			pendingData[nPending].Labels = labelsToLabelsProto(d.seriesLabels, pendingData[nPending].Labels)
-			pendingData[nPending].Exemplars = append(pendingData[nPending].Exemplars, d.exemplar)
+			pendingData[nPending].Exemplars = append(pendingData[nPending].Exemplars, prompb.Exemplar{
+				Labels:    labelsToLabelsProto(d.exemplarLabels, nil),
+				Value:     d.value,
+				Timestamp: d.timestamp,
+			})
 			nPendingExemplars++
 		}
 	}