diff --git a/beacon-chain/p2p/encoder/ssz.go b/beacon-chain/p2p/encoder/ssz.go
index f8872d9cc682..eb328e6680b8 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/p2p/encoder/ssz.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/p2p/encoder/ssz.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package encoder
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 
@@ -18,14 +19,7 @@ type SszNetworkEncoder struct {
 }
 
 func (e SszNetworkEncoder) doEncode(msg interface{}) ([]byte, error) {
-	b, err := ssz.Marshal(msg)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	if e.UseSnappyCompression {
-		b = snappy.Encode(nil /*dst*/, b)
-	}
-	return b, nil
+	return ssz.Marshal(msg)
 }
 
 // Encode the proto message to the io.Writer.
@@ -33,11 +27,13 @@ func (e SszNetworkEncoder) Encode(w io.Writer, msg interface{}) (int, error) {
 	if msg == nil {
 		return 0, nil
 	}
-
 	b, err := e.doEncode(msg)
 	if err != nil {
 		return 0, err
 	}
+	if e.UseSnappyCompression {
+		return writeSnappyBuffer(w, b)
+	}
 	return w.Write(b)
 }
 
@@ -51,7 +47,14 @@ func (e SszNetworkEncoder) EncodeWithLength(w io.Writer, msg interface{}) (int,
 	if err != nil {
 		return 0, err
 	}
-	b = append(proto.EncodeVarint(uint64(len(b))), b...)
+	// write varint first
+	_, err = w.Write(proto.EncodeVarint(uint64(len(b))))
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+	if e.UseSnappyCompression {
+		return writeSnappyBuffer(w, b)
+	}
 	return w.Write(b)
 }
 
@@ -68,21 +71,34 @@ func (e SszNetworkEncoder) EncodeWithMaxLength(w io.Writer, msg interface{}, max
 	if uint64(len(b)) > maxSize {
 		return 0, fmt.Errorf("size of encoded message is %d which is larger than the provided max limit of %d", len(b), maxSize)
 	}
-	b = append(proto.EncodeVarint(uint64(len(b))), b...)
+	// write varint first
+	_, err = w.Write(proto.EncodeVarint(uint64(len(b))))
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+	if e.UseSnappyCompression {
+		return writeSnappyBuffer(w, b)
+	}
 	return w.Write(b)
 }
 
+func (e SszNetworkEncoder) doDecode(b []byte, to interface{}) error {
+	return ssz.Unmarshal(b, to)
+}
+
 // Decode the bytes to the protobuf message provided.
 func (e SszNetworkEncoder) Decode(b []byte, to interface{}) error {
 	if e.UseSnappyCompression {
-		var err error
-		b, err = snappy.Decode(nil /*dst*/, b)
+		newBuffer := bytes.NewBuffer(b)
+		r := snappy.NewReader(newBuffer)
+		newObj := make([]byte, len(b))
+		numOfBytes, err := r.Read(newObj)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
+		return e.doDecode(newObj[:numOfBytes], to)
 	}
-
-	return ssz.Unmarshal(b, to)
+	return e.doDecode(b, to)
 }
 
 // DecodeWithLength the bytes from io.Reader to the protobuf message provided.
@@ -91,12 +107,15 @@ func (e SszNetworkEncoder) DecodeWithLength(r io.Reader, to interface{}) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	b := make([]byte, msgLen)
-	_, err = r.Read(b)
+	if e.UseSnappyCompression {
+		r = snappy.NewReader(r)
+	}
+	b := make([]byte, e.MaxLength(int(msgLen)))
+	numOfBytes, err := r.Read(b)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	return e.Decode(b, to)
+	return e.doDecode(b[:numOfBytes], to)
 }
 
 // DecodeWithMaxLength the bytes from io.Reader to the protobuf message provided.
@@ -106,15 +125,18 @@ func (e SszNetworkEncoder) DecodeWithMaxLength(r io.Reader, to interface{}, maxS
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	if e.UseSnappyCompression {
+		r = snappy.NewReader(r)
+	}
 	if msgLen > maxSize {
 		return fmt.Errorf("size of decoded message is %d which is larger than the provided max limit of %d", msgLen, maxSize)
 	}
-	b := make([]byte, msgLen)
-	_, err = r.Read(b)
+	b := make([]byte, e.MaxLength(int(msgLen)))
+	numOfBytes, err := r.Read(b)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	return e.Decode(b, to)
+	return e.doDecode(b[:numOfBytes], to)
 }
 
 // ProtocolSuffix returns the appropriate suffix for protocol IDs.
@@ -124,3 +146,19 @@ func (e SszNetworkEncoder) ProtocolSuffix() string {
 	}
 	return "/ssz"
 }
+
+// MaxLength specifies the maximum possible length of an encoded
+// chunk of data.
+func (e SszNetworkEncoder) MaxLength(length int) int {
+	if e.UseSnappyCompression {
+		return snappy.MaxEncodedLen(length)
+	}
+	return length
+}
+
+// Writes a bytes value through a snappy buffered writer.
+func writeSnappyBuffer(w io.Writer, b []byte) (int, error) {
+	bufWriter := snappy.NewBufferedWriter(w)
+	defer bufWriter.Close()
+	return bufWriter.Write(b)
+}