diff --git a/utils/heap/queue.go b/utils/heap/queue.go
index 4d05158265c5..e5c446afcd9c 100644
--- a/utils/heap/queue.go
+++ b/utils/heap/queue.go
@@ -10,14 +10,22 @@ import (
 
 var _ stdheap.Interface = (*queue[int])(nil)
 
-// NewQueue returns an empty min-heap ordered by less. See OfQueue for more.
+// NewQueue returns an empty min-heap ordered by less. See QueueOf for more.
 func NewQueue[T any](less func(a, b T) bool) Queue[T] {
-	return Queue[T]{
+	return QueueOf(less)
+}
+
+func QueueOf[T any](less func(a, b T) bool, entries ...T) Queue[T] {
+	q := Queue[T]{
 		queue: &queue[T]{
 			entries: make([]T, 0),
 			less:    less,
 		},
 	}
+
+	for _, e := range entries {
+		q.Push(e)
+	}
 }
 
 type Queue[T any] struct {
diff --git a/vms/platformvm/state/merged_iterator.go b/vms/platformvm/state/merged_iterator.go
index 2be90a1a3106..08a7e34811b2 100644
--- a/vms/platformvm/state/merged_iterator.go
+++ b/vms/platformvm/state/merged_iterator.go
@@ -3,18 +3,15 @@
 
 package state
 
-import "container/heap"
+import "github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/utils/heap"
 
-var (
-	_ StakerIterator = (*mergedIterator)(nil)
-	_ heap.Interface = (*mergedIterator)(nil)
-)
+var _ StakerIterator = (*mergedIterator)(nil)
 
 type mergedIterator struct {
 	initialized bool
 	// heap only contains iterators that have been initialized and are not
 	// exhausted.
-	heap []StakerIterator
+	heap heap.Queue[StakerIterator]
 }
 
 // Returns an iterator that returns all of the elements of [stakers] in order.
@@ -36,15 +33,19 @@ func NewMergedIterator(stakers ...StakerIterator) StakerIterator {
 	}
 
 	it := &mergedIterator{
-		heap: stakers,
+		heap: heap.OfQueue[StakerIterator](
+			func(a, b StakerIterator) bool {
+				return a.Value().Less(b.Value())
+			},
+			stakers...,
+		),
 	}
 
-	heap.Init(it)
 	return it
 }
 
 func (it *mergedIterator) Next() bool {
-	if len(it.heap) == 0 {
+	if it.heap.Len() == 0 {
 		return false
 	}
 
@@ -57,54 +58,31 @@ func (it *mergedIterator) Next() bool {
 	}
 
 	// Update the heap root.
-	current := it.heap[0]
+	current, _ := it.heap.Peek()
 	if current.Next() {
 		// Calling Next() above modifies [current] so we fix the heap.
-		heap.Fix(it, 0)
+		it.heap.Fix(0)
 		return true
 	}
 
 	// The old root is exhausted. Remove it from the heap.
 	current.Release()
-	heap.Pop(it)
-	return len(it.heap) > 0
+	it.heap.Pop()
+	return it.heap.Len() > 0
 }
 
 func (it *mergedIterator) Value() *Staker {
-	return it.heap[0].Value()
+	peek, _ := it.heap.Peek()
+	return peek.Value()
 }
 
-// When Release() returns, Release() has been called on each element of
-// [stakers].
 func (it *mergedIterator) Release() {
-	for _, it := range it.heap {
-		it.Release()
+	for it.heap.Len() > 0 {
+		removed, _ := it.heap.Pop()
+		removed.Release()
 	}
-	it.heap = nil
 }
 
-// Returns the number of sub-iterators in [it].
 func (it *mergedIterator) Len() int {
-	return len(it.heap)
-}
-
-func (it *mergedIterator) Less(i, j int) bool {
-	return it.heap[i].Value().Less(it.heap[j].Value())
-}
-
-func (it *mergedIterator) Swap(i, j int) {
-	it.heap[j], it.heap[i] = it.heap[i], it.heap[j]
-}
-
-// Push is never actually used - but we need it to implement heap.Interface.
-func (it *mergedIterator) Push(value interface{}) {
-	it.heap = append(it.heap, value.(StakerIterator))
-}
-
-func (it *mergedIterator) Pop() interface{} {
-	newLength := len(it.heap) - 1
-	value := it.heap[newLength]
-	it.heap[newLength] = nil
-	it.heap = it.heap[:newLength]
-	return value
+	return it.heap.Len()
 }