diff --git a/library/alloc/src/vec/mod.rs b/library/alloc/src/vec/mod.rs
index b633beae89136..326da6ffb356a 100644
--- a/library/alloc/src/vec/mod.rs
+++ b/library/alloc/src/vec/mod.rs
@@ -1784,6 +1784,9 @@ impl<T, A: Allocator> Vec<T, A> {
     /// [`drain`]: Vec::drain
     #[stable(feature = "rust1", since = "1.0.0")]
     pub fn truncate(&mut self, len: usize) {
+        // SAFETY: `BufWriter::flush_buf` assumes that this will not
+        // de-initialize any elements of the spare capacity.
+
         // This is safe because:
         //
         // * the slice passed to `drop_in_place` is valid; the `len > self.len`
@@ -1857,6 +1860,9 @@ impl<T, A: Allocator> Vec<T, A> {
     #[rustc_diagnostic_item = "vec_as_mut_slice"]
     #[rustc_const_stable(feature = "const_vec_string_slice", since = "1.87.0")]
     pub const fn as_mut_slice(&mut self) -> &mut [T] {
+        // SAFETY: `BufWriter::flush_buf` assumes that this will not
+        // de-initialize any elements of the spare capacity.
+
         // SAFETY: `slice::from_raw_parts_mut` requires pointee is a contiguous, aligned buffer of
         // size `len` containing properly-initialized `T`s. Data must not be accessed through any
         // other pointer for the returned lifetime. Further, `len * size_of::<T>` <=
diff --git a/library/core/src/io/borrowed_buf.rs b/library/core/src/io/borrowed_buf.rs
index 5a52a5df33ed7..6b85e89551b69 100644
--- a/library/core/src/io/borrowed_buf.rs
+++ b/library/core/src/io/borrowed_buf.rs
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ impl<'data> BorrowedBuf<'data> {
         self.filled
     }
 
-    /// Returns the length of the initialized part of the buffer.
+    /// Returns `true` if the buffer is initialized.
     #[unstable(feature = "borrowed_buf_init", issue = "78485")]
     #[inline]
     pub fn is_init(&self) -> bool {
diff --git a/library/std/src/io/buffered/bufwriter.rs b/library/std/src/io/buffered/bufwriter.rs
index 1b34724e6ccdb..1a5cc911c0e43 100644
--- a/library/std/src/io/buffered/bufwriter.rs
+++ b/library/std/src/io/buffered/bufwriter.rs
@@ -193,6 +193,10 @@ impl<W: ?Sized + Write> BufWriter<W> {
     /// `write`), any 0-length writes from `inner` must be reported as i/o
     /// errors from this method.
     pub(in crate::io) fn flush_buf(&mut self) -> io::Result<()> {
+        // SAFETY: `<BufWriter as BufferedWriterSpec>::copy_from` assumes that
+        // this will not de-initialize any elements of `self.buf`'s spare
+        // capacity.
+
         /// Helper struct to ensure the buffer is updated after all the writes
         /// are complete. It tracks the number of written bytes and drains them
         /// all from the front of the buffer when dropped.
@@ -225,7 +229,16 @@ impl<W: ?Sized + Write> BufWriter<W> {
         impl Drop for BufGuard<'_> {
             fn drop(&mut self) {
                 if self.written > 0 {
-                    self.buffer.drain(..self.written);
+                    // Like `self.buffer.drain(..self.written)` but more obviously
+                    // preserving the spare capacity; see note above.
+                    let new_len = self.buffer.len() - self.written;
+                    // SAFETY: Assumes `Vec::as_mut_slice` will not
+                    // de-initialize any elements of `self.buf`'s spare capacity,
+                    // and that `<&mut [u8]>::copy_within` will not do so either.
+                    self.buffer.as_mut_slice().copy_within(self.written.., 0);
+                    // SAFETY: Assumes `Vec::truncate` will not de-initialize
+                    // any elements of `self.buf`'s spare capacity,
+                    self.buffer.truncate(new_len);
                 }
             }
         }
diff --git a/library/std/src/io/copy.rs b/library/std/src/io/copy.rs
index 0f3f890a964ad..0feadf2b3f8bb 100644
--- a/library/std/src/io/copy.rs
+++ b/library/std/src/io/copy.rs
@@ -221,7 +221,8 @@ impl<I: Write + ?Sized> BufferedWriterSpec for BufWriter<I> {
             let mut read_buf: BorrowedBuf<'_> = buf.spare_capacity_mut().into();
 
             if init {
-                // SAFETY: init is either 0 or the init_len from the previous iteration.
+                // SAFETY: `init` is only true after `reader` initializes
+                // `read_buf`. See the comment about `flush_buf` below.
                 unsafe { read_buf.set_init() };
             }
 
@@ -248,6 +249,8 @@ impl<I: Write + ?Sized> BufferedWriterSpec for BufWriter<I> {
                     Err(e) => return Err(e),
                 }
             } else {
+                // SAFETY: `flush_buf` will not de-initialize any elements of
+                // the spare capacity so we can remember `init` across this.
                 self.flush_buf()?;
             }
         }