diff --git a/server/rpc_codec.go b/server/rpc_codec.go
index 2fea1b83..2fbddc0e 100644
--- a/server/rpc_codec.go
+++ b/server/rpc_codec.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package server
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/micro/go-micro/codec"
 	raw "github.com/micro/go-micro/codec/bytes"
@@ -11,20 +12,25 @@ import (
 	"github.com/micro/go-micro/codec/proto"
 	"github.com/micro/go-micro/codec/protorpc"
 	"github.com/micro/go-micro/transport"
+	"github.com/oxtoacart/bpool"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
 
 type rpcCodec struct {
 	socket   transport.Socket
 	codec    codec.Codec
-	first    bool
 	protocol string
 
 	req *transport.Message
 	buf *readWriteCloser
+
+	// check if we're the first
+	sync.RWMutex
+	first chan bool
 }
 
 type readWriteCloser struct {
+	sync.RWMutex
 	wbuf *bytes.Buffer
 	rbuf *bytes.Buffer
 }
@@ -51,19 +57,24 @@ var (
 		"application/proto-rpc":    protorpc.NewCodec,
 		"application/octet-stream": protorpc.NewCodec,
 	}
+
+	// the local buffer pool
+	bufferPool = bpool.NewSizedBufferPool(32, 1)
 )
 
 func (rwc *readWriteCloser) Read(p []byte) (n int, err error) {
+	rwc.RLock()
+	defer rwc.RUnlock()
 	return rwc.rbuf.Read(p)
 }
 
 func (rwc *readWriteCloser) Write(p []byte) (n int, err error) {
+	rwc.Lock()
+	defer rwc.Unlock()
 	return rwc.wbuf.Write(p)
 }
 
 func (rwc *readWriteCloser) Close() error {
-	rwc.rbuf.Reset()
-	rwc.wbuf.Reset()
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -155,8 +166,8 @@ func setupProtocol(msg *transport.Message) codec.NewCodec {
 
 func newRpcCodec(req *transport.Message, socket transport.Socket, c codec.NewCodec) codec.Codec {
 	rwc := &readWriteCloser{
-		rbuf: bytes.NewBuffer(nil),
-		wbuf: bytes.NewBuffer(nil),
+		rbuf: bufferPool.Get(),
+		wbuf: bufferPool.Get(),
 	}
 
 	r := &rpcCodec{
@@ -165,18 +176,20 @@ func newRpcCodec(req *transport.Message, socket transport.Socket, c codec.NewCod
 		req:      req,
 		socket:   socket,
 		protocol: "mucp",
+		first:    make(chan bool),
 	}
 
 	// if grpc pre-load the buffer
 	// TODO: remove this terrible hack
 	switch r.codec.String() {
 	case "grpc":
-		// set as first
-		r.first = true
 		// write the body
 		rwc.rbuf.Write(req.Body)
 		// set the protocol
 		r.protocol = "grpc"
+	default:
+		// first is not preloaded
+		close(r.first)
 	}
 
 	return r
@@ -190,7 +203,9 @@ func (c *rpcCodec) ReadHeader(r *codec.Message, t codec.MessageType) error {
 	}
 
 	// first message could be pre-loaded
-	if !c.first {
+	select {
+	case <-c.first:
+		// not the first
 		var tm transport.Message
 
 		// read off the socket
@@ -212,11 +227,26 @@ func (c *rpcCodec) ReadHeader(r *codec.Message, t codec.MessageType) error {
 
 		// set req
 		c.req = &tm
+	default:
+		// we need to lock here to prevent race conditions
+		// and we make use of a channel otherwise because
+		// this does not result in a context switch
+		// locking to check c.first on every call to ReadHeader
+		// would otherwise drastically slow the code execution
+		c.Lock()
+		// recheck before closing because the select statement
+		// above is not thread safe, so thread safety here is
+		// mandatory
+		select {
+		case <-c.first:
+		default:
+			// disable first
+			close(c.first)
+		}
+		// now unlock and we never need this again
+		c.Unlock()
 	}
 
-	// disable first
-	c.first = false
-
 	// set some internal things
 	getHeaders(&m)
 
@@ -309,9 +339,15 @@ func (c *rpcCodec) Write(r *codec.Message, b interface{}) error {
 }
 
 func (c *rpcCodec) Close() error {
-	c.buf.Close()
+	// close the codec
 	c.codec.Close()
-	return c.socket.Close()
+	// close the socket
+	err := c.socket.Close()
+	// put back the buffers
+	bufferPool.Put(c.buf.rbuf)
+	bufferPool.Put(c.buf.wbuf)
+	// return the error
+	return err
 }
 
 func (c *rpcCodec) String() string {