diff --git a/src/db/car/forest/index/mod.rs b/src/db/car/forest/index/mod.rs
index 169ec68442f3..84a3d9783213 100644
--- a/src/db/car/forest/index/mod.rs
+++ b/src/db/car/forest/index/mod.rs
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@
 
 #[cfg_vis(feature = "benchmark-private", pub)]
 use self::util::NonMaximalU64;
-use byteorder::{LittleEndian, ReadBytesExt as _, WriteBytesExt as _};
+use byteorder::{LittleEndian, ReadBytesExt as _};
 use cfg_vis::cfg_vis;
 use cid::Cid;
 use itertools::Itertools as _;
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ use positioned_io::{ReadAt, Size};
 use smallvec::{SmallVec, smallvec};
 use std::{
     cmp,
-    io::{self, Read, Write},
+    io::{self, Read},
     iter,
     num::NonZeroUsize,
     pin::pin,
@@ -395,30 +395,19 @@ impl Writer {
             .chain(iter::once(Slot::Empty))
     }
     pub async fn write_into(self, writer: impl AsyncWrite) -> io::Result<()> {
-        let mut buf = vec![];
         let mut writer = pin!(writer);
         let Self {
             version,
             header,
             slots,
         } = self;
-        /// Bridge between our sync [`Writeable`] trait, and async writing code
-        async fn write_via_buf(
-            buf: &mut Vec<u8>,
-            writer: impl AsyncWrite,
-            data: impl Writeable,
-        ) -> io::Result<()> {
-            buf.clear();
-            data.write_to(&mut *buf)?;
-            pin!(writer).write_all(buf).await
-        }
-        write_via_buf(&mut buf, &mut writer, version).await?;
-        write_via_buf(&mut buf, &mut writer, &header).await?;
+        version.write_to(&mut writer).await?;
+        header.write_to(&mut writer).await?;
         for slot in Self::slots(
             header.initial_buckets.try_into().unwrap(),
             slots.iter().copied(),
         ) {
-            write_via_buf(&mut buf, &mut writer, slot).await?;
+            slot.write_to(&mut writer).await?;
         }
         Ok(())
     }
@@ -519,9 +508,9 @@ impl Readable for Version {
     }
 }
 
-impl Writeable for Version {
-    fn write_to(&self, mut writer: impl Write) -> io::Result<()> {
-        writer.write_u64::<LittleEndian>(*self as u64)
+impl Writable for Version {
+    async fn write_to<W: AsyncWrite + Unpin>(&self, writer: &mut W) -> io::Result<()> {
+        writer.write_u64_le(*self as u64).await
     }
     const LEN: u64 = std::mem::size_of::<u64>() as u64;
 }
@@ -545,9 +534,9 @@ impl Readable for Slot {
     }
 }
 
-impl Writeable for Slot {
-    fn write_to(&self, writer: impl Write) -> io::Result<()> {
-        self.into_raw().write_to(writer)
+impl Writable for Slot {
+    async fn write_to<W: AsyncWrite + Unpin>(&self, writer: &mut W) -> io::Result<()> {
+        self.into_raw().write_to(writer).await
     }
     const LEN: u64 = RawSlot::LEN;
 }
@@ -564,11 +553,11 @@ impl Readable for RawSlot {
     }
 }
 
-impl Writeable for RawSlot {
-    fn write_to(&self, mut writer: impl Write) -> io::Result<()> {
+impl Writable for RawSlot {
+    async fn write_to<W: AsyncWrite + Unpin>(&self, writer: &mut W) -> io::Result<()> {
         let Self { hash, frame_offset } = *self;
-        writer.write_u64::<LittleEndian>(hash)?;
-        writer.write_u64::<LittleEndian>(frame_offset)?;
+        writer.write_u64_le(hash).await?;
+        writer.write_u64_le(frame_offset).await?;
         Ok(())
     }
     const LEN: u64 = std::mem::size_of::<u64>() as u64 * 2;
@@ -587,16 +576,16 @@ impl Readable for V1Header {
     }
 }
 
-impl Writeable for V1Header {
-    fn write_to(&self, mut writer: impl Write) -> io::Result<()> {
+impl Writable for V1Header {
+    async fn write_to<W: AsyncWrite + Unpin>(&self, writer: &mut W) -> io::Result<()> {
         let Self {
             longest_distance,
             collisions,
             initial_buckets,
         } = *self;
-        writer.write_u64::<LittleEndian>(longest_distance)?;
-        writer.write_u64::<LittleEndian>(collisions)?;
-        writer.write_u64::<LittleEndian>(initial_buckets)?;
+        writer.write_u64_le(longest_distance).await?;
+        writer.write_u64_le(collisions).await?;
+        writer.write_u64_le(initial_buckets).await?;
         Ok(())
     }
     const LEN: u64 = std::mem::size_of::<u64>() as u64 * 3;
@@ -608,26 +597,26 @@ trait Readable {
         Self: Sized;
 }
 
-trait Writeable {
+trait Writable {
     /// Must only return [`Err(_)`] if the underlying io fails.
-    fn write_to(&self, writer: impl Write) -> io::Result<()>;
-    /// The number of bytes that will be written on a call to [`Writeable::write_to`].
+    async fn write_to<W: AsyncWrite + Unpin>(&self, writer: &mut W) -> io::Result<()>;
+    /// The number of bytes that will be written on a call to [`Writable::write_to`].
     ///
     /// Implementations may panic if this is incorrect.
     const LEN: u64;
 }
 
 /// Useful for exhaustiveness checking
-fn written_len<T: Writeable>(_: T) -> u64 {
+fn written_len<T: Writable>(_: T) -> u64 {
     T::LEN
 }
 
-impl<T> Writeable for &T
+impl<T> Writable for &T
 where
-    T: Writeable,
+    T: Writable,
 {
-    fn write_to(&self, writer: impl Write) -> io::Result<()> {
-        T::write_to(self, writer)
+    async fn write_to<W: AsyncWrite + Unpin>(&self, writer: &mut W) -> io::Result<()> {
+        T::write_to(self, writer).await
     }
     const LEN: u64 = T::LEN;
 }
@@ -767,8 +756,9 @@ mod tests {
     }
 
     #[track_caller]
-    fn round_trip<T: PartialEq + std::fmt::Debug + Readable + Writeable>(original: &T) {
-        let serialized = write_to_vec(|v| original.write_to(v));
+    fn round_trip<T: PartialEq + std::fmt::Debug + Readable + Writable>(original: &T) {
+        let serialized =
+            write_to_vec(|v| tokio::runtime::Runtime::new()?.block_on(original.write_to(v)));
         assert_eq!(
             serialized.len(),
             usize::try_from(written_len(original)).unwrap()