diff --git a/jaeger.go b/jaeger.go
index 2fd480b..d173acf 100644
--- a/jaeger.go
+++ b/jaeger.go
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ func spanDataToThrift(data *trace.SpanData) *jaeger.Span {
 		tags = append(tags, attributeToTag("error", true))
 	}
 
-	var logs []*jaeger.Log
+	logs := make([]*jaeger.Log, 0, len(data.Annotations))
 	for _, a := range data.Annotations {
 		fields := make([]*jaeger.Tag, 0, len(a.Attributes))
 		for k, v := range a.Attributes {
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ func spanDataToThrift(data *trace.SpanData) *jaeger.Span {
 			Fields:    fields,
 		})
 	}
-	var refs []*jaeger.SpanRef
+	refs := make([]*jaeger.SpanRef, 0, len(data.Links))
 	for _, link := range data.Links {
 		refs = append(refs, &jaeger.SpanRef{
 			TraceIdHigh: bytesToInt64(link.TraceID[0:8]),
diff --git a/jaeger_test.go b/jaeger_test.go
index f78b0e2..7b1c3c8 100644
--- a/jaeger_test.go
+++ b/jaeger_test.go
@@ -16,14 +16,13 @@ package jaeger
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"reflect"
+	"sort"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/uber/jaeger-client-go/thrift-gen/jaeger"
 
 	"go.opencensus.io/trace"
-	"sort"
 )
 
 // TODO(jbd): Test export.
@@ -129,6 +128,7 @@ func Test_spanDataToThrift(t *testing.T) {
 						{Key: "message", VType: jaeger.TagType_STRING, VStr: &statusMessage},
 					}},
 				},
+				References: []*jaeger.SpanRef{},
 			},
 		},
 	}
@@ -141,7 +141,15 @@ func Test_spanDataToThrift(t *testing.T) {
 			sort.Slice(tt.want.Tags, func(i, j int) bool {
 				return tt.want.Tags[i].Key < tt.want.Tags[j].Key
 			})
-			if !reflect.DeepEqual(got, tt.want) {
+			gotBuf, err := serialize(got)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("failed to serialize: %v", err)
+			}
+			wantBuf, err := serialize(tt.want)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("failed to serialize: %v", err)
+			}
+			if gotBuf.String() != wantBuf.String() {
 				t.Errorf("spanDataToThrift()\nGot:\n%v\nWant;\n%v", got, tt.want)
 			}
 		})