diff --git a/src/dbus_fast/_private/marshaller.py b/src/dbus_fast/_private/marshaller.py
index 5ba49894..777fe1c2 100644
--- a/src/dbus_fast/_private/marshaller.py
+++ b/src/dbus_fast/_private/marshaller.py
@@ -1,88 +1,29 @@
-from struct import pack
+from struct import Struct, error, pack
+from typing import Any, Callable, Dict, List, Optional, Tuple
 
-from ..signature import SignatureTree
+from ..signature import SignatureTree, SignatureType, Variant
+
+PACK_UINT32 = Struct("<I").pack
 
 
 class Marshaller:
-    def __init__(self, signature, body):
+    def __init__(self, signature: str, body: Any) -> None:
         self.signature_tree = SignatureTree._get(signature)
-        self.signature_tree.verify(body)
         self.buffer = bytearray()
         self.body = body
 
-        self.writers = {
-            "y": self.write_byte,
-            "b": self.write_boolean,
-            "n": self.write_int16,
-            "q": self.write_uint16,
-            "i": self.write_int32,
-            "u": self.write_uint32,
-            "x": self.write_int64,
-            "t": self.write_uint64,
-            "d": self.write_double,
-            "h": self.write_uint32,
-            "o": self.write_string,
-            "s": self.write_string,
-            "g": self.write_signature,
-            "a": self.write_array,
-            "(": self.write_struct,
-            "{": self.write_dict_entry,
-            "v": self.write_variant,
-        }
-
-    def align(self, n):
+    def align(self, n) -> int:
         offset = n - len(self.buffer) % n
         if offset == 0 or offset == n:
             return 0
         self.buffer.extend(bytes(offset))
         return offset
 
-    def write_byte(self, byte, _=None):
-        self.buffer.append(byte)
-        return 1
-
-    def write_boolean(self, boolean, _=None):
-        if boolean:
-            return self.write_uint32(1)
-        else:
-            return self.write_uint32(0)
-
-    def write_int16(self, int16, _=None):
-        written = self.align(2)
-        self.buffer.extend(pack("<h", int16))
-        return written + 2
-
-    def write_uint16(self, uint16, _=None):
-        written = self.align(2)
-        self.buffer.extend(pack("<H", uint16))
-        return written + 2
-
-    def write_int32(self, int32, _):
-        written = self.align(4)
-        self.buffer.extend(pack("<i", int32))
-        return written + 4
-
-    def write_uint32(self, uint32, _=None):
-        written = self.align(4)
-        self.buffer.extend(pack("<I", uint32))
-        return written + 4
-
-    def write_int64(self, int64, _=None):
-        written = self.align(8)
-        self.buffer.extend(pack("<q", int64))
-        return written + 8
+    def write_boolean(self, boolean: bool, _=None) -> int:
+        self.buffer.extend(PACK_UINT32(int(boolean)))
+        return self.align(4) + 4
 
-    def write_uint64(self, uint64, _=None):
-        written = self.align(8)
-        self.buffer.extend(pack("<Q", uint64))
-        return written + 8
-
-    def write_double(self, double, _=None):
-        written = self.align(8)
-        self.buffer.extend(pack("<d", double))
-        return written + 8
-
-    def write_signature(self, signature, _=None):
+    def write_signature(self, signature: str, _=None) -> int:
         signature = signature.encode()
         signature_len = len(signature)
         self.buffer.append(signature_len)
@@ -90,27 +31,29 @@ def write_signature(self, signature, _=None):
         self.buffer.append(0)
         return signature_len + 2
 
-    def write_string(self, value, _=None):
+    def write_string(self, value: str, _=None) -> int:
         value = value.encode()
         value_len = len(value)
-        written = self.write_uint32(value_len)
+        written = self.align(4) + 4
+        self.buffer.extend(PACK_UINT32(value_len))
         self.buffer.extend(value)
         written += value_len
         self.buffer.append(0)
         written += 1
         return written
 
-    def write_variant(self, variant, _=None):
+    def write_variant(self, variant: Variant, _=None) -> int:
         written = self.write_signature(variant.signature)
         written += self.write_single(variant.type, variant.value)
         return written
 
-    def write_array(self, array, type_):
+    def write_array(self, array: Any, type_: SignatureType) -> int:
         # TODO max array size is 64MiB (67108864 bytes)
         written = self.align(4)
         # length placeholder
         offset = len(self.buffer)
-        written += self.write_uint32(0)
+        written += self.align(4) + 4
+        self.buffer.extend(PACK_UINT32(0))
         child_type = type_.children[0]
 
         if child_type.token in "xtd{(":
@@ -128,34 +71,87 @@ def write_array(self, array, type_):
             for value in array:
                 array_len += self.write_single(child_type, value)
 
-        array_len_packed = pack("<I", array_len)
+        array_len_packed = PACK_UINT32(array_len)
         for i in range(offset, offset + 4):
             self.buffer[i] = array_len_packed[i - offset]
 
         return written + array_len
 
-    def write_struct(self, array, type_):
+    def write_struct(self, array: List[Any], type_: SignatureType) -> int:
         written = self.align(8)
         for i, value in enumerate(array):
             written += self.write_single(type_.children[i], value)
         return written
 
-    def write_dict_entry(self, dict_entry, type_):
+    def write_dict_entry(self, dict_entry: List[Any], type_: SignatureType) -> int:
         written = self.align(8)
         written += self.write_single(type_.children[0], dict_entry[0])
         written += self.write_single(type_.children[1], dict_entry[1])
         return written
 
-    def write_single(self, type_, body):
+    def write_single(self, type_: SignatureType, body: Any) -> int:
         t = type_.token
 
-        if t not in self.writers:
-            raise NotImplementedError(f'type isnt implemented yet: "{t}"')
+        if t not in self._writers:
+            raise NotImplementedError(f'type is not implemented yet: "{t}"')
 
-        return self.writers[t](body, type_)
+        writer, packer, size = self._writers[t]
+        if packer and size:
+            written = self.align(size)
+            self.buffer.extend(packer(body))
+            return written + size
+        return writer(self, body, type_)
 
     def marshall(self):
+        """Marshalls the body into a byte array"""
+        try:
+            self._construct_buffer()
+        except error:
+            self.signature_tree.verify(self.body)
+        return self.buffer
+
+    def _construct_buffer(self):
         self.buffer.clear()
         for i, type_ in enumerate(self.signature_tree.types):
-            self.write_single(type_, self.body[i])
-        return self.buffer
+            t = type_.token
+            if t not in self._writers:
+                raise NotImplementedError(f'type is not implemented yet: "{t}"')
+
+            writer, packer, size = self._writers[t]
+            if packer and size:
+
+                # In-line align
+                offset = size - len(self.buffer) % size
+                if offset != 0 and offset != size:
+                    self.buffer.extend(bytes(offset))
+
+                self.buffer.extend(packer(self.body[i]))
+            else:
+                writer(self, self.body[i], type_)
+
+    _writers: Dict[
+        str,
+        Tuple[
+            Optional[Callable[[Any, Any], int]],
+            Optional[Callable[[Any], bytes]],
+            Optional[int],
+        ],
+    ] = {
+        "y": (None, Struct("<B").pack, 1),
+        "b": (write_boolean, None, None),
+        "n": (None, Struct("<h").pack, 2),
+        "q": (None, Struct("<H").pack, 2),
+        "i": (None, Struct("<i").pack, 4),
+        "u": (None, PACK_UINT32, 4),
+        "x": (None, Struct("<q").pack, 8),
+        "t": (None, Struct("<Q").pack, 8),
+        "d": (None, Struct("<d").pack, 8),
+        "h": (None, Struct("<I").pack, 4),
+        "o": (write_string, None, None),
+        "s": (write_string, None, None),
+        "g": (write_signature, None, None),
+        "a": (write_array, None, None),
+        "(": (write_struct, None, None),
+        "{": (write_dict_entry, None, None),
+        "v": (write_variant, None, None),
+    }
diff --git a/src/dbus_fast/message.py b/src/dbus_fast/message.py
index 7c05f9c9..8433378a 100644
--- a/src/dbus_fast/message.py
+++ b/src/dbus_fast/message.py
@@ -19,6 +19,15 @@
     MessageType.METHOD_RETURN: ("reply_serial",),
 }
 
+HEADER_PATH = HeaderField.PATH.value
+HEADER_INTERFACE = HeaderField.INTERFACE.value
+HEADER_MEMBER = HeaderField.MEMBER.value
+HEADER_ERROR_NAME = HeaderField.ERROR_NAME.value
+HEADER_REPLY_SERIAL = HeaderField.REPLY_SERIAL.value
+HEADER_DESTINATION = HeaderField.DESTINATION.value
+HEADER_SIGNATURE = HeaderField.SIGNATURE.value
+HEADER_UNIX_FDS = HeaderField.UNIX_FDS.value
+
 
 class Message:
     """A class for sending and receiving messages through the
@@ -242,27 +251,36 @@ def _marshall(self, negotiate_unix_fd=False):
 
         fields = []
 
+        # No verify here since the marshaller will raise an exception if the
+        # Variant is invalid.
+
         if self.path:
-            fields.append([HeaderField.PATH.value, Variant("o", self.path)])
+            fields.append([HEADER_PATH, Variant("o", self.path, verify=False)])
         if self.interface:
-            fields.append([HeaderField.INTERFACE.value, Variant("s", self.interface)])
+            fields.append(
+                [HEADER_INTERFACE, Variant("s", self.interface, verify=False)]
+            )
         if self.member:
-            fields.append([HeaderField.MEMBER.value, Variant("s", self.member)])
+            fields.append([HEADER_MEMBER, Variant("s", self.member, verify=False)])
         if self.error_name:
-            fields.append([HeaderField.ERROR_NAME.value, Variant("s", self.error_name)])
+            fields.append(
+                [HEADER_ERROR_NAME, Variant("s", self.error_name, verify=False)]
+            )
         if self.reply_serial:
             fields.append(
-                [HeaderField.REPLY_SERIAL.value, Variant("u", self.reply_serial)]
+                [HEADER_REPLY_SERIAL, Variant("u", self.reply_serial, verify=False)]
             )
         if self.destination:
             fields.append(
-                [HeaderField.DESTINATION.value, Variant("s", self.destination)]
+                [HEADER_DESTINATION, Variant("s", self.destination, verify=False)]
             )
         if self.signature:
-            fields.append([HeaderField.SIGNATURE.value, Variant("g", self.signature)])
+            fields.append(
+                [HEADER_SIGNATURE, Variant("g", self.signature, verify=False)]
+            )
         if self.unix_fds and negotiate_unix_fd:
             fields.append(
-                [HeaderField.UNIX_FDS.value, Variant("u", len(self.unix_fds))]
+                [HEADER_UNIX_FDS, Variant("u", len(self.unix_fds), verify=False)]
             )
 
         header_body = [