diff --git a/sql/item_cmpfunc.cc b/sql/item_cmpfunc.cc
index c2adb58677d..0c48592eb9f 100644
--- a/sql/item_cmpfunc.cc
+++ b/sql/item_cmpfunc.cc
@@ -1442,6 +1442,12 @@ bool Item_in_optimizer::eval_not_null_tables(uchar *opt_arg)
 bool Item_in_optimizer::fix_left(THD *thd, Item **ref)
 {
   DBUG_ENTER("Item_in_optimizer::fix_left");
+  /*
+    Here we will store pointer on place of main storage of left expression.
+    For usual IN (ALL/ANY) it is subquery left_expr.
+    For other cases (MAX/MIN optimization, non-transformed EXISTS (10.0))
+    it is args[0].
+  */
   Item **ref0= args;
   if (args[1]->type() == Item::SUBSELECT_ITEM &&
       ((Item_subselect *)args[1])->is_in_predicate())
@@ -1455,12 +1461,17 @@ bool Item_in_optimizer::fix_left(THD *thd, Item **ref)
        next execution we need to copy args[1]->left_expr again.
     */
     ref0= &(((Item_in_subselect *)args[1])->left_expr);
+    args[0]= ((Item_in_subselect *)args[1])->left_expr;
   }
   if ((!(*ref0)->fixed && (*ref0)->fix_fields(thd, ref0)) ||
       (!cache && !(cache= Item_cache::get_cache(*ref0))))
     DBUG_RETURN(1);
+  /*
+    During fix_field() expression could be substituted.
+    So we copy changes before use
+  */
   if (args[0] != (*ref0))
-    current_thd->change_item_tree(args, (*ref0));
+    args[0]= (*ref0);
   DBUG_PRINT("info", ("actual fix fields"));
 
   cache->setup(args[0]);
diff --git a/sql/item_subselect.h b/sql/item_subselect.h
index 930bd665e3a..0ee5f73eb35 100644
--- a/sql/item_subselect.h
+++ b/sql/item_subselect.h
@@ -449,6 +449,11 @@ protected:
                                     Item **having_item);
 public:
   Item *left_expr;
+  /*
+    Important for PS/SP: left_expr_orig is the item that left_expr originally
+    pointed at. That item is allocated on the statement arena, while
+    left_expr could later be changed to something on the execution arena.
+  */
   Item *left_expr_orig;
   /* Priority of this predicate in the convert-to-semi-join-nest process. */
   int sj_convert_priority;
diff --git a/sql/opt_subselect.cc b/sql/opt_subselect.cc
index 1363be002b9..827290fd15b 100644
--- a/sql/opt_subselect.cc
+++ b/sql/opt_subselect.cc
@@ -1592,6 +1592,15 @@ static bool convert_subq_to_sj(JOIN *parent_join, Item_in_subselect *subq_pred)
   if (subq_pred->left_expr->cols() == 1)
   {
     nested_join->sj_outer_expr_list.push_back(subq_pred->left_expr);
+    /*
+      Create Item_func_eq. Note that
+      1. this is done on the statement, not execution, arena
+      2. if it's a PS then this happens only once - on the first execution.
+         On following re-executions, the item will be fix_field-ed normally.
+      3. Thus it should be created as if it was fix_field'ed, in particular
+         all pointers to items in the execution arena should be protected
+         with thd->change_item_tree
+    */
     Item_func_eq *item_eq=
       new Item_func_eq(subq_pred->left_expr_orig, subq_lex->ref_pointer_array[0]);
     if (subq_pred->left_expr_orig != subq_pred->left_expr)