diff --git a/crypto/merklesignature/persistentMerkleSignatureScheme.go b/crypto/merklesignature/persistentMerkleSignatureScheme.go
index c862dcb965..a5e114a46a 100644
--- a/crypto/merklesignature/persistentMerkleSignatureScheme.go
+++ b/crypto/merklesignature/persistentMerkleSignatureScheme.go
@@ -98,7 +98,8 @@ func (s *Secrets) Persist(store db.Accessor) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Secrets.Persist: %w", ErrKeyLifetimeIsZero)
 	}
 	round := indexToRound(s.FirstValid, s.KeyLifetime, 0)
-	encodedKey := protocol.GetEncodingBuf()
+	encodedBuf := protocol.GetEncodingBuf()
+	encodedKey := encodedBuf.Bytes()
 	err := store.Atomic(func(ctx context.Context, tx *sql.Tx) error {
 		err := InstallStateProofTable(tx) // assumes schema table already exists (created by partInstallDatabase)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -126,7 +127,7 @@ func (s *Secrets) Persist(store db.Accessor) error {
 
 		return nil
 	})
-	protocol.PutEncodingBuf(encodedKey)
+	protocol.PutEncodingBuf(encodedBuf.Update(encodedKey))
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Secrets.Persist: %w", err)
 	}
diff --git a/data/transactions/signedtxn.go b/data/transactions/signedtxn.go
index 4f0823d7ff..30d0e90e11 100644
--- a/data/transactions/signedtxn.go
+++ b/data/transactions/signedtxn.go
@@ -71,15 +71,17 @@ func (s SignedTxnInBlock) ID() {
 
 // GetEncodedLength returns the length in bytes of the encoded transaction
 func (s SignedTxn) GetEncodedLength() int {
-	enc := s.MarshalMsg(protocol.GetEncodingBuf())
-	defer protocol.PutEncodingBuf(enc)
+	buf := protocol.GetEncodingBuf()
+	enc := s.MarshalMsg(buf.Bytes())
+	defer protocol.PutEncodingBuf(buf.Update(enc))
 	return len(enc)
 }
 
 // GetEncodedLength returns the length in bytes of the encoded transaction
 func (s SignedTxnInBlock) GetEncodedLength() int {
-	enc := s.MarshalMsg(protocol.GetEncodingBuf())
-	defer protocol.PutEncodingBuf(enc)
+	buf := protocol.GetEncodingBuf()
+	enc := s.MarshalMsg(buf.Bytes())
+	defer protocol.PutEncodingBuf(buf.Update(enc))
 	return len(enc)
 }
 
@@ -116,16 +118,17 @@ func (s *SignedTxnInBlock) ToBeHashed() (protocol.HashID, []byte) {
 
 // Hash implements an optimized version of crypto.HashObj(s).
 func (s *SignedTxnInBlock) Hash() crypto.Digest {
-	enc := s.MarshalMsg(append(protocol.GetEncodingBuf(), []byte(protocol.SignedTxnInBlock)...))
-	defer protocol.PutEncodingBuf(enc)
-
+	buf := protocol.GetEncodingBuf()
+	enc := s.MarshalMsg(append(buf.Bytes(), []byte(protocol.SignedTxnInBlock)...))
+	defer protocol.PutEncodingBuf(buf.Update(enc))
 	return crypto.Hash(enc)
 }
 
 // HashSHA256 implements an optimized version of crypto.HashObj(s) using SHA256 instead of the default SHA512_256.
 func (s *SignedTxnInBlock) HashSHA256() crypto.Digest {
-	enc := s.MarshalMsg(append(protocol.GetEncodingBuf(), []byte(protocol.SignedTxnInBlock)...))
-	defer protocol.PutEncodingBuf(enc)
+	buf := protocol.GetEncodingBuf()
+	enc := s.MarshalMsg(append(buf.Bytes(), []byte(protocol.SignedTxnInBlock)...))
+	defer protocol.PutEncodingBuf(buf.Update(enc))
 
 	return sha256.Sum256(enc)
 }
diff --git a/data/transactions/teal.go b/data/transactions/teal.go
index 6d09ab3140..85a162854c 100644
--- a/data/transactions/teal.go
+++ b/data/transactions/teal.go
@@ -89,9 +89,13 @@ func (ed EvalDelta) Equal(o EvalDelta) bool {
 // tedious) field comparisons. == is not defined on almost any of the
 // subfields because of slices.
 func (stx SignedTxn) equal(o SignedTxn) bool {
-	stxenc := stx.MarshalMsg(protocol.GetEncodingBuf())
-	defer protocol.PutEncodingBuf(stxenc)
-	oenc := o.MarshalMsg(protocol.GetEncodingBuf())
-	defer protocol.PutEncodingBuf(oenc)
+	buf1 := protocol.GetEncodingBuf()
+	stxenc := stx.MarshalMsg(buf1.Bytes())
+	defer protocol.PutEncodingBuf(buf1.Update(stxenc))
+
+	buf2 := protocol.GetEncodingBuf()
+	oenc := o.MarshalMsg(buf2.Bytes())
+	defer protocol.PutEncodingBuf(buf2.Update(oenc))
+
 	return bytes.Equal(stxenc, oenc)
 }
diff --git a/protocol/codec.go b/protocol/codec.go
index e0386eb9b2..85b59851f2 100644
--- a/protocol/codec.go
+++ b/protocol/codec.go
@@ -288,21 +288,38 @@ func (d *MsgpDecoderBytes) Remaining() int {
 // encodingPool holds temporary byte slice buffers used for encoding messages.
 var encodingPool = sync.Pool{
 	New: func() interface{} {
-		return []byte{}
+		return &EncodingBuf{b: make([]byte, 0, 1024)}
 	},
 }
 
+type EncodingBuf struct {
+	b []byte
+}
+
+func (eb *EncodingBuf) Bytes() []byte {
+	return eb.b
+}
+
+func (eb *EncodingBuf) Update(v []byte) *EncodingBuf {
+	if cap(eb.b) < cap(v) {
+		eb.b = v
+	}
+	return eb
+}
+
 // GetEncodingBuf returns a byte slice that can be used for encoding a
 // temporary message.  The byte slice has zero length but potentially
 // non-zero capacity.  The caller gets full ownership of the byte slice,
 // but is encouraged to return it using PutEncodingBuf().
-func GetEncodingBuf() []byte {
-	return encodingPool.Get().([]byte)[:0]
+func GetEncodingBuf() *EncodingBuf {
+	buf := encodingPool.Get().(*EncodingBuf)
+	buf.b = buf.b[:0]
+	return buf
 }
 
 // PutEncodingBuf places a byte slice into the pool of temporary buffers
 // for encoding.  The caller gives up ownership of the byte slice when
 // passing it to PutEncodingBuf().
-func PutEncodingBuf(s []byte) {
-	encodingPool.Put(s)
+func PutEncodingBuf(buf *EncodingBuf) {
+	encodingPool.Put(buf)
 }