diff --git a/tap/tcp_reader.go b/tap/tcp_reader.go
index 0315745a0..0b4a92513 100644
--- a/tap/tcp_reader.go
+++ b/tap/tcp_reader.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package tap
 
 import (
 	"bufio"
+	"bytes"
 	"io"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
@@ -21,9 +22,8 @@ type tcpReader struct {
 	isClient        bool
 	isOutgoing      bool
 	msgQueue        chan api.TcpReaderDataMsg // Channel of captured reassembled tcp payload
-	msgBuffer       []api.TcpReaderDataMsg
-	msgBufferMaster []api.TcpReaderDataMsg
-	exhaustBuffer   bool
+	msgBuffer       *bytes.Buffer
+	msgBufferMaster *bytes.Buffer
 	data            []byte
 	progress        *api.ReadProgress
 	captureTime     time.Time
@@ -37,15 +37,17 @@ type tcpReader struct {
 
 func NewTcpReader(msgQueue chan api.TcpReaderDataMsg, progress *api.ReadProgress, ident string, tcpId *api.TcpID, captureTime time.Time, parent *tcpStream, isClient bool, isOutgoing bool, emitter api.Emitter) *tcpReader {
 	return &tcpReader{
-		msgQueue:    msgQueue,
-		progress:    progress,
-		ident:       ident,
-		tcpID:       tcpId,
-		captureTime: captureTime,
-		parent:      parent,
-		isClient:    isClient,
-		isOutgoing:  isOutgoing,
-		emitter:     emitter,
+		msgQueue:        msgQueue,
+		msgBuffer:       bytes.NewBuffer(make([]byte, 0)),
+		msgBufferMaster: bytes.NewBuffer(make([]byte, 0)),
+		progress:        progress,
+		ident:           ident,
+		tcpID:           tcpId,
+		captureTime:     captureTime,
+		parent:          parent,
+		isClient:        isClient,
+		isOutgoing:      isOutgoing,
+		emitter:         emitter,
 	}
 }
 
@@ -85,60 +87,32 @@ func (reader *tcpReader) isProtocolIdentified() bool {
 }
 
 func (reader *tcpReader) rewind() {
-	// Tell Read to exhaust the msgBuffer
-	reader.exhaustBuffer = true
-
 	// Reset the data and msgBuffer from the master record
 	reader.data = make([]byte, 0)
-	reader.msgBuffer = make([]api.TcpReaderDataMsg, len(reader.msgBufferMaster))
-	copy(reader.msgBuffer, reader.msgBufferMaster)
+	buffer := reader.msgBufferMaster.Bytes()
+	reader.msgBuffer = bytes.NewBuffer(make([]byte, 0))
+	reader.msgBuffer.Write(buffer)
 
 	// Reset the read progress
 	reader.progress.Reset()
 }
 
-func (reader *tcpReader) populateData(msg api.TcpReaderDataMsg) {
-	reader.data = msg.GetBytes()
-	reader.captureTime = msg.GetTimestamp()
-}
-
 func (reader *tcpReader) Read(p []byte) (int, error) {
-	var msg api.TcpReaderDataMsg
-
-	if reader.exhaustBuffer && len(reader.data) == 0 {
-		if len(reader.msgBuffer) > 0 {
-			// Pop first message
-			if len(reader.msgBuffer) > 1 {
-				msg, reader.msgBuffer = reader.msgBuffer[0], reader.msgBuffer[1:]
-			} else {
-				msg = reader.msgBuffer[0]
-				reader.msgBuffer = make([]api.TcpReaderDataMsg, 0)
-			}
-
-			// Get the bytes
-			reader.populateData(msg)
-
-			// Set exhaustBuffer to false if we exhaust the msgBuffer
-			if len(reader.msgBuffer) == 0 {
-				reader.exhaustBuffer = false
-			}
-		} else {
-			// Buffer is empty
-			reader.exhaustBuffer = false
-		}
+	if reader.msgBuffer.Len() > 0 {
+		reader.data = reader.msgBuffer.Bytes()
+		reader.msgBuffer = bytes.NewBuffer(make([]byte, 0))
 	}
 
+	var msg api.TcpReaderDataMsg
 	ok := true
 	for ok && len(reader.data) == 0 {
 		msg, ok = <-reader.msgQueue
 		if msg != nil {
-			reader.populateData(msg)
+			reader.data = msg.GetBytes()
+			reader.captureTime = msg.GetTimestamp()
 
 			if !reader.isProtocolIdentified() {
-				reader.msgBufferMaster = append(
-					reader.msgBufferMaster,
-					NewTcpReaderDataMsg(msg.GetBytes(), msg.GetTimestamp()),
-				)
+				reader.msgBufferMaster.Write(reader.data)
 			}
 		}
 
diff --git a/tap/tcp_stream.go b/tap/tcp_stream.go
index d63982920..04d78e6d7 100644
--- a/tap/tcp_stream.go
+++ b/tap/tcp_stream.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package tap
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
@@ -71,8 +72,8 @@ func (t *tcpStream) SetProtocol(protocol *api.Protocol) {
 	t.protocol = protocol
 
 	// Clean the buffers
-	t.client.msgBufferMaster = make([]api.TcpReaderDataMsg, 0)
-	t.server.msgBufferMaster = make([]api.TcpReaderDataMsg, 0)
+	t.client.msgBufferMaster = bytes.NewBuffer(make([]byte, 0))
+	t.server.msgBufferMaster = bytes.NewBuffer(make([]byte, 0))
 }
 
 func (t *tcpStream) GetOrigin() api.Capture {