diff --git a/flow/Net2Packet.cpp b/flow/Net2Packet.cpp
index d860e56357..74ce689be6 100644
--- a/flow/Net2Packet.cpp
+++ b/flow/Net2Packet.cpp
@@ -53,11 +53,11 @@ void PacketWriter::serializeBytesAcrossBoundary(const void* data, int bytes) {
 	}
 }
 
-void PacketWriter::nextBuffer() {
+void PacketWriter::nextBuffer(size_t size) {
 	auto last_buffer_bytes_written = buffer->bytes_written;
 	length += last_buffer_bytes_written;
 
-	buffer->next = PacketBuffer::create();
+	buffer->next = PacketBuffer::create(size);
 	buffer = buffer->nextPacketBuffer();
 
 	if (reliable) {
diff --git a/flow/ObjectSerializer.h b/flow/ObjectSerializer.h
index 6ebc9ad586..77235a5ddc 100644
--- a/flow/ObjectSerializer.h
+++ b/flow/ObjectSerializer.h
@@ -99,18 +99,24 @@ private:
 
 class ObjectWriter {
 public:
+	ObjectWriter() = default;
+	explicit ObjectWriter(std::function<uint8_t*(size_t)> customAllocator) : customAllocator(customAllocator) {}
 	template <class... Items>
 	void serialize(FileIdentifier file_identifier, Items const&... items) {
 		ASSERT(data == nullptr); // object serializer can only serialize one object
-		int allocations = 0;
-		auto allocator = [this, &allocations](size_t size_) {
-			++allocations;
-			size = size_;
-			data = new (arena) uint8_t[size];
-			return data;
-		};
-		save_members(allocator, file_identifier, items...);
-		ASSERT(allocations == 1);
+		if (customAllocator) {
+			save_members(customAllocator, file_identifier, items...);
+		} else {
+			int allocations = 0;
+			auto allocator = [this, &allocations](size_t size_) {
+				++allocations;
+				size = size_;
+				data = new (arena) uint8_t[size];
+				return data;
+			};
+			save_members(allocator, file_identifier, items...);
+			ASSERT(allocations == 1);
+		}
 	}
 
 	template <class Item>
@@ -123,6 +129,7 @@ public:
 	}
 
 	Standalone<StringRef> toString() const {
+		ASSERT(!customAllocator);
 		return Standalone<StringRef>(toStringRef(), arena);
 	}
 
@@ -135,6 +142,7 @@ public:
 
 private:
 	Arena arena;
+	std::function<uint8_t*(size_t)> customAllocator;
 	uint8_t* data = nullptr;
 	int size = 0;
 };
diff --git a/flow/serialize.h b/flow/serialize.h
index bfe9c8ee73..5a204f77fa 100644
--- a/flow/serialize.h
+++ b/flow/serialize.h
@@ -732,7 +732,7 @@ struct PacketWriter {
 	}
 	void serializeBytesAcrossBoundary(const void* data, int bytes);
 	void writeAhead( int bytes, struct SplitBuffer* );
-	void nextBuffer();
+	void nextBuffer(size_t size = 0 /* downstream it will default to at least 4k minus some padding */);
 	PacketBuffer* finish();
 	int size() { return length; }
 
@@ -750,7 +750,21 @@ struct PacketWriter {
 	}
 	ProtocolVersion protocolVersion() const { return m_protocolVersion; }
 	void setProtocolVersion(ProtocolVersion pv) { m_protocolVersion = pv; }
+
 private:
+	uint8_t* writeBytes(size_t size) {
+		if (size > buffer->bytes_unwritten()) {
+			nextBuffer(size);
+			ASSERT(buffer->size() >= size);
+		}
+		uint8_t* result = buffer->data() + buffer->bytes_written;
+		buffer->bytes_written += size;
+		return result;
+	}
+
+	template <class, class>
+	friend class MakeSerializeSource;
+
 	void init( PacketBuffer* buf, ReliablePacket* reliable );
 };
 
@@ -765,9 +779,8 @@ struct MakeSerializeSource : ISerializeSource {
 	using value_type = V;
 	virtual void serializePacketWriter(PacketWriter& w, bool useObjectSerializer) const {
 		if (useObjectSerializer) {
-			ObjectWriter writer;
-			writer.serialize(get());
-			w.serializeBytes(writer.toStringRef()); // TODO(atn34) Eliminate unnecessary memcpy
+			ObjectWriter writer([&](size_t size) { return w.writeBytes(size); });
+			writer.serialize(get()); // Writes directly into buffer supplied by |w|
 		} else {
 			static_cast<T const*>(this)->serialize(w);
 		}