A method of accelerating copy operations is performed by a data storage appliance. The method includes (a) in response to receiving a copy command to copy from a source extent to a target extent, issuing a buffered read command to read from the source extent down a storage stack of the data storage appliance by a driver running on the data storage appliance, the source extent being part of a first logical disk backed by non-volatile storage of the data storage appliance and the target extent being part of a second logical disk backed by non-volatile storage of the data storage appliance, (b) in response to issuing, receiving at the driver an indication from the storage stack that the source extent is empty, and (c) in response to receiving, issuing a zero-fill command to fill the target extent with zeroes down the storage stack by the driver.