diff --git a/ldb/block.go b/ldb/block.go
index 3d12360a..5d4ff22f 100644
--- a/ldb/block.go
+++ b/ldb/block.go
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ package ldb
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"encoding/binary"
-	"fmt"
 
 	"github.com/conformal/btcdb"
 	"github.com/conformal/btcutil"
@@ -72,25 +71,17 @@ func (db *LevelDb) FetchBlockHeaderBySha(sha *btcwire.ShaHash) (bh *btcwire.Bloc
 }
 
 func (db *LevelDb) getBlkLoc(sha *btcwire.ShaHash) (int64, error) {
-	var blkHeight int64
-
 	key := shaBlkToKey(sha)
 
 	data, err := db.lDb.Get(key, db.ro)
-
 	if err != nil {
 		return 0, err
 	}
 
 	// deserialize
-	dr := bytes.NewBuffer(data)
-	err = binary.Read(dr, binary.LittleEndian, &blkHeight)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Tracef("get getBlkLoc len %v\n", len(data))
-		err = fmt.Errorf("Db Corrupt 0")
-		return 0, err
-	}
-	return blkHeight, nil
+	blkHeight := binary.LittleEndian.Uint64(data)
+
+	return int64(blkHeight), nil
 }
 
 func (db *LevelDb) getBlkByHeight(blkHeight int64) (rsha *btcwire.ShaHash, rbuf []byte, err error) {
@@ -131,17 +122,12 @@ func (db *LevelDb) getBlk(sha *btcwire.ShaHash) (rblkHeight int64, rbuf []byte,
 	return blkHeight, buf, nil
 }
 
-func (db *LevelDb) setBlk(sha *btcwire.ShaHash, blkHeight int64, buf []byte) error {
-
+func (db *LevelDb) setBlk(sha *btcwire.ShaHash, blkHeight int64, buf []byte) {
 	// serialize
-	var lw bytes.Buffer
-	err := binary.Write(&lw, binary.LittleEndian, blkHeight)
-	if err != nil {
-		err = fmt.Errorf("Write Fail")
-		return err
-	}
-	shaKey := shaBlkToKey(sha)
+	var lw [8]byte
+	binary.LittleEndian.PutUint64(lw[:], uint64(blkHeight))
 
+	shaKey := shaBlkToKey(sha)
 	blkKey := int64ToKey(blkHeight)
 
 	shaB := sha.Bytes()
@@ -149,21 +135,15 @@ func (db *LevelDb) setBlk(sha *btcwire.ShaHash, blkHeight int64, buf []byte) err
 	copy(blkVal[0:], shaB)
 	copy(blkVal[len(shaB):], buf)
 
-	db.lBatch().Put(shaKey, lw.Bytes())
-
+	db.lBatch().Put(shaKey, lw[:])
 	db.lBatch().Put(blkKey, blkVal)
-
-	return nil
 }
 
 // insertSha stores a block hash and its associated data block with a
 // previous sha of `prevSha'.
 // insertSha shall be called with db lock held
-func (db *LevelDb) insertBlockData(sha *btcwire.ShaHash, prevSha *btcwire.ShaHash, buf []byte) (blockid int64, err error) {
-
-	var oBlkHeight int64
-	oBlkHeight, err = db.getBlkLoc(prevSha)
-
+func (db *LevelDb) insertBlockData(sha *btcwire.ShaHash, prevSha *btcwire.ShaHash, buf []byte) (int64, error) {
+	oBlkHeight, err := db.getBlkLoc(prevSha)
 	if err != nil {
 		// check current block count
 		// if count != 0  {
@@ -179,11 +159,7 @@ func (db *LevelDb) insertBlockData(sha *btcwire.ShaHash, prevSha *btcwire.ShaHas
 	// TODO(drahn) check curfile filesize, increment curfile if this puts it over
 	blkHeight := oBlkHeight + 1
 
-	err = db.setBlk(sha, blkHeight, buf)
-
-	if err != nil {
-		return
-	}
+	db.setBlk(sha, blkHeight, buf)
 
 	// update the last block cache
 	db.lastBlkShaCached = true
diff --git a/ldb/leveldb.go b/ldb/leveldb.go
index 95f42bfb..1e797a5a 100644
--- a/ldb/leveldb.go
+++ b/ldb/leveldb.go
@@ -649,28 +649,22 @@ func (db *LevelDb) processBatches() error {
 		for txSha, txU := range db.txUpdateMap {
 			key := shaTxToKey(&txSha)
 			if txU.delete {
-				//log.Infof("deleting tx %v", txSha)
+				log.Tracef("deleting tx %v", txSha)
 				db.lbatch.Delete(key)
 			} else {
-				//log.Infof("inserting tx %v", txSha)
-				txdat, err := db.formatTx(txU)
-				if err != nil {
-					return err
-				}
+				log.Tracef("inserting tx %v", txSha)
+				txdat := db.formatTx(txU)
 				db.lbatch.Put(key, txdat)
 			}
 		}
 		for txSha, txSu := range db.txSpentUpdateMap {
 			key := shaSpentTxToKey(&txSha)
 			if txSu.delete {
-				//log.Infof("deleting tx %v", txSha)
+				log.Tracef("deleting tx %v", txSha)
 				db.lbatch.Delete(key)
 			} else {
-				//log.Infof("inserting tx %v", txSha)
-				txdat, err := db.formatTxFullySpent(txSu.txl)
-				if err != nil {
-					return err
-				}
+				log.Tracef("inserting tx %v", txSha)
+				txdat := db.formatTxFullySpent(txSu.txl)
 				db.lbatch.Put(key, txdat)
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/ldb/tx.go b/ldb/tx.go
index 1e2e7ce0..c010998f 100644
--- a/ldb/tx.go
+++ b/ldb/tx.go
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ package ldb
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"encoding/binary"
-	"fmt"
 
 	"github.com/conformal/btcdb"
 	"github.com/conformal/btcwire"
@@ -61,81 +60,36 @@ func (db *LevelDb) insertTx(txSha *btcwire.ShaHash, height int64, txoff int, txl
 }
 
 // formatTx generates the value buffer for the Tx db.
-func (db *LevelDb) formatTx(txu *txUpdateObj) ([]byte, error) {
-
-	blkHeight := txu.blkHeight
-	txoff := txu.txoff
-	txlen := txu.txlen
+func (db *LevelDb) formatTx(txu *txUpdateObj) []byte {
+	blkHeight := uint64(txu.blkHeight)
+	txOff := uint32(txu.txoff)
+	txLen := uint32(txu.txlen)
 	spentbuf := txu.spentData
 
-	txOff := int32(txoff)
-	txLen := int32(txlen)
+	txW := make([]byte, 16+len(spentbuf))
+	binary.LittleEndian.PutUint64(txW[:], blkHeight)
+	binary.LittleEndian.PutUint32(txW[8:], txOff)
+	binary.LittleEndian.PutUint32(txW[12:], txLen)
+	copy(txW[16:], spentbuf)
 
-	var txW bytes.Buffer
-
-	err := binary.Write(&txW, binary.LittleEndian, blkHeight)
-	if err != nil {
-		err = fmt.Errorf("Write fail")
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	err = binary.Write(&txW, binary.LittleEndian, txOff)
-	if err != nil {
-		err = fmt.Errorf("Write fail")
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	err = binary.Write(&txW, binary.LittleEndian, txLen)
-	if err != nil {
-		err = fmt.Errorf("Write fail")
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	err = binary.Write(&txW, binary.LittleEndian, spentbuf)
-	if err != nil {
-		err = fmt.Errorf("Write fail")
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	return txW.Bytes(), nil
+	return txW[:]
 }
 
-func (db *LevelDb) getTxData(txsha *btcwire.ShaHash) (rblkHeight int64,
-	rtxOff int, rtxLen int, rspentBuf []byte, err error) {
-	var buf []byte
-
+func (db *LevelDb) getTxData(txsha *btcwire.ShaHash) (int64, int, int, []byte, error) {
 	key := shaTxToKey(txsha)
-	buf, err = db.lDb.Get(key, db.ro)
+	buf, err := db.lDb.Get(key, db.ro)
 	if err != nil {
-		return
+		return 0, 0, 0, nil, err
 	}
 
-	var blkHeight int64
-	var txOff, txLen int32
-	dr := bytes.NewBuffer(buf)
-	err = binary.Read(dr, binary.LittleEndian, &blkHeight)
-	if err != nil {
-		err = fmt.Errorf("Db Corrupt 1")
-		return
-	}
-	err = binary.Read(dr, binary.LittleEndian, &txOff)
-	if err != nil {
-		err = fmt.Errorf("Db Corrupt 2")
-		return
-	}
-	err = binary.Read(dr, binary.LittleEndian, &txLen)
-	if err != nil {
-		err = fmt.Errorf("Db Corrupt 3")
-		return
-	}
-	// remainder of buffer is spentbuf
-	spentBuf := make([]byte, dr.Len())
-	err = binary.Read(dr, binary.LittleEndian, spentBuf)
-	if err != nil {
-		err = fmt.Errorf("Db Corrupt 4")
-		return
-	}
-	return blkHeight, int(txOff), int(txLen), spentBuf, nil
+	blkHeight := binary.LittleEndian.Uint64(buf)
+	txOff := binary.LittleEndian.Uint32(buf[8:])
+	txLen := binary.LittleEndian.Uint32(buf[12:])
+
+	spentBuf := make([]byte, len(buf)-16)
+	copy(spentBuf, buf[16:])
+
+	return int64(blkHeight), int(txOff), int(txLen), spentBuf, nil
 }
 
 func (db *LevelDb) getTxFullySpent(txsha *btcwire.ShaHash) ([]*spentTx, error) {
@@ -150,41 +104,22 @@ func (db *LevelDb) getTxFullySpent(txsha *btcwire.ShaHash) ([]*spentTx, error) {
 		return badTxList, err
 	}
 	txListLen := len(buf) / 20
-	txR := bytes.NewBuffer(buf)
+
 	spentTxList = make([]*spentTx, txListLen, txListLen)
-
 	for i := range spentTxList {
-		var sTx spentTx
-		var blkHeight int64
-		var txOff, txLen, numTxO int32
+		offset := i * 20
 
-		err := binary.Read(txR, binary.LittleEndian, &blkHeight)
-		if err != nil {
-			err = fmt.Errorf("sTx Read fail 0")
-			return nil, err
-		}
-		sTx.blkHeight = blkHeight
+		blkHeight := binary.LittleEndian.Uint64(buf[offset:])
+		txOff := binary.LittleEndian.Uint32(buf[offset+8:])
+		txLen := binary.LittleEndian.Uint32(buf[offset+12:])
+		numTxO := binary.LittleEndian.Uint32(buf[offset+16:])
 
-		err = binary.Read(txR, binary.LittleEndian, &txOff)
-		if err != nil {
-			err = fmt.Errorf("sTx Read fail 1")
-			return nil, err
+		sTx := spentTx{
+			blkHeight: int64(blkHeight),
+			txoff:     int(txOff),
+			txlen:     int(txLen),
+			numTxO:    int(numTxO),
 		}
-		sTx.txoff = int(txOff)
-
-		err = binary.Read(txR, binary.LittleEndian, &txLen)
-		if err != nil {
-			err = fmt.Errorf("sTx Read fail 2")
-			return nil, err
-		}
-		sTx.txlen = int(txLen)
-
-		err = binary.Read(txR, binary.LittleEndian, &numTxO)
-		if err != nil {
-			err = fmt.Errorf("sTx Read fail 3")
-			return nil, err
-		}
-		sTx.numTxO = int(numTxO)
 
 		spentTxList[i] = &sTx
 	}
@@ -192,41 +127,23 @@ func (db *LevelDb) getTxFullySpent(txsha *btcwire.ShaHash) ([]*spentTx, error) {
 	return spentTxList, nil
 }
 
-func (db *LevelDb) formatTxFullySpent(sTxList []*spentTx) ([]byte, error) {
-	var txW bytes.Buffer
+func (db *LevelDb) formatTxFullySpent(sTxList []*spentTx) []byte {
+	txW := make([]byte, 20*len(sTxList))
 
-	for _, sTx := range sTxList {
-		blkHeight := sTx.blkHeight
-		txOff := int32(sTx.txoff)
-		txLen := int32(sTx.txlen)
-		numTxO := int32(sTx.numTxO)
+	for i, sTx := range sTxList {
+		blkHeight := uint64(sTx.blkHeight)
+		txOff := uint32(sTx.txoff)
+		txLen := uint32(sTx.txlen)
+		numTxO := uint32(sTx.numTxO)
+		offset := i * 20
 
-		err := binary.Write(&txW, binary.LittleEndian, blkHeight)
-		if err != nil {
-			err = fmt.Errorf("Write fail")
-			return nil, err
-		}
-
-		err = binary.Write(&txW, binary.LittleEndian, txOff)
-		if err != nil {
-			err = fmt.Errorf("Write fail")
-			return nil, err
-		}
-
-		err = binary.Write(&txW, binary.LittleEndian, txLen)
-		if err != nil {
-			err = fmt.Errorf("Write fail")
-			return nil, err
-		}
-
-		err = binary.Write(&txW, binary.LittleEndian, numTxO)
-		if err != nil {
-			err = fmt.Errorf("Write fail")
-			return nil, err
-		}
+		binary.LittleEndian.PutUint64(txW[offset:], blkHeight)
+		binary.LittleEndian.PutUint32(txW[offset+8:], txOff)
+		binary.LittleEndian.PutUint32(txW[offset+12:], txLen)
+		binary.LittleEndian.PutUint32(txW[offset+16:], numTxO)
 	}
 
-	return txW.Bytes(), nil
+	return txW
 }
 
 // ExistsTxSha returns if the given tx sha exists in the database