diff --git a/go/mysql/conn.go b/go/mysql/conn.go
index 69bdee912b2..15441970f85 100644
--- a/go/mysql/conn.go
+++ b/go/mysql/conn.go
@@ -41,19 +41,10 @@ const (
 	// read or write a packet while one is already used.
 	ephemeralUnused = iota
 
-	// ephemeralWriteSingleBuffer means a single buffer was
-	// allocated to write a packet.  It is in
-	// c.currentEphemeralWriteBuffer. The first four bytes contain size
-	// and sequence.
-	ephemeralWriteSingleBuffer
-
-	// ephemeralWriteBigBuffer means a big buffer was allocated to
-	// write a packet, and will need to be split when sending.
-	// The allocated buffer is in c.currentEphemeralWriteBuffer.
-	ephemeralWriteBigBuffer
-
-	// ephemeralRead means we are using currentEphemeralReadBuffer, which might be allocated from heap or pool.
-	// On recycle smaller buffers will be returned to pool and bigger (> MaxPacketSize) discarded.
+	// ephemeralWrite means we currently in process of writing currentEphemeralWriteBuffer
+	ephemeralWrite
+
+	// ephemeralRead means we currently in process of reading into currentEphemeralReadBuffer
 	ephemeralRead
 )
 
@@ -152,7 +143,8 @@ type Conn struct {
 	currentEphemeralPolicy int
 	// TODO (danieltahara): Ultimately get rid of this delineation.
 	// currentEphemeralWriteBuffer and currentEphemeralReadBuffer used for tracking
-	// allocated temporary buffers for writes and reads respectively.
+	// allocated temporary buffers for writes and reads respectively. They can be allocated
+	// from bufPool or heap and should be recycled in the same manner.
 	currentEphemeralWriteBuffer *[]byte
 	currentEphemeralReadBuffer  *[]byte
 }
@@ -365,7 +357,7 @@ func (c *Conn) recycleReadPacket() {
 			bufPool.Put(c.currentEphemeralReadBuffer)
 			c.currentEphemeralReadBuffer = nil
 		}
-	case ephemeralUnused, ephemeralWriteSingleBuffer, ephemeralWriteBigBuffer:
+	case ephemeralUnused, ephemeralWrite:
 		// Programming error.
 		panic(fmt.Errorf("trying to call recycleReadPacket while currentEphemeralPolicy is %d", c.currentEphemeralPolicy))
 	}
@@ -508,23 +500,9 @@ func (c *Conn) startEphemeralPacket(length int) []byte {
 		panic("startEphemeralPacket cannot be used while a packet is already started.")
 	}
 
-	// get buffer from pool
-	if length < MaxPacketSize {
-		c.currentEphemeralPolicy = ephemeralWriteSingleBuffer
-
-		c.currentEphemeralWriteBuffer = bufPool.Get(length + 4)
-		(*c.currentEphemeralWriteBuffer)[0] = byte(length)
-		(*c.currentEphemeralWriteBuffer)[1] = byte(length >> 8)
-		(*c.currentEphemeralWriteBuffer)[2] = byte(length >> 16)
-		(*c.currentEphemeralWriteBuffer)[3] = c.sequence
-		c.sequence++
-		return (*c.currentEphemeralWriteBuffer)[4:]
-	}
-
-	// Even slower path: create a full size buffer and return it.
-	c.currentEphemeralPolicy = ephemeralWriteBigBuffer
-	data := make([]byte, length)
-	c.currentEphemeralWriteBuffer = &data
+	c.currentEphemeralPolicy = ephemeralWrite
+	// get buffer from pool or it'll be allocated if length is too big
+	c.currentEphemeralWriteBuffer = bufPool.Get(length)
 	return *c.currentEphemeralWriteBuffer
 }
 
@@ -534,16 +512,7 @@ func (c *Conn) writeEphemeralPacket() error {
 	defer c.recycleWritePacket()
 
 	switch c.currentEphemeralPolicy {
-	case ephemeralWriteSingleBuffer:
-		// Write the allocated buffer as a single buffer.
-		// It has both header and data.
-		if n, err := c.getWriter().Write(*c.currentEphemeralWriteBuffer); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("Conn %v: Write(*c.currentEphemeralWriteBuffer) failed: %v", c.ID(), err)
-		} else if n != len(*c.currentEphemeralWriteBuffer) {
-			return fmt.Errorf("Conn %v: Write(*c.currentEphemeralWriteBuffer) returned a short write: %v < %v", c.ID(), n, len(*c.currentEphemeralWriteBuffer))
-		}
-	case ephemeralWriteBigBuffer:
-		// This is the slower path for big data.
+	case ephemeralWrite:
 		if err := c.writePacket(*c.currentEphemeralWriteBuffer); err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("Conn %v: %v", c.ID(), err)
 		}
@@ -559,15 +528,10 @@ func (c *Conn) writeEphemeralPacket() error {
 // after writeEphemeralPacket was called.
 func (c *Conn) recycleWritePacket() {
 	switch c.currentEphemeralPolicy {
-	case ephemeralWriteSingleBuffer:
+	case ephemeralWrite:
 		// Release our reference so the buffer can be gced
 		bufPool.Put(c.currentEphemeralWriteBuffer)
 		c.currentEphemeralWriteBuffer = nil
-	case ephemeralWriteBigBuffer:
-		// We allocated a one-time buffer we can't re-use.
-		// N.B. Unlike the read packet, we actually assign the big buffer to currentEphemeralReadBuffer,
-		// so we should remove our reference to it.
-		c.currentEphemeralWriteBuffer = nil
 	case ephemeralUnused, ephemeralRead:
 		// Programming error.
 		panic(fmt.Errorf("trying to call recycleWritePacket while currentEphemeralPolicy is %d", c.currentEphemeralPolicy))