diff --git a/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/DataLoader.java b/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/DataLoader.java
index 0bd974f53..c21685ac4 100644
--- a/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/DataLoader.java
+++ b/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/DataLoader.java
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 package org.klomp.snark;
 
+import net.i2p.data.ByteArray;
+
 /**
  * Callback used to fetch data
  * @since 0.8.2
@@ -10,5 +12,5 @@ interface DataLoader
    *  This is the callback that PeerConnectionOut calls to get the data from disk
    *  @return bytes or null for errors
    */
-    public byte[] loadData(int piece, int begin, int length);
+    public ByteArray loadData(int piece, int begin, int length);
 }
diff --git a/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/Message.java b/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/Message.java
index 42682b5f2..9f2197d2b 100644
--- a/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/Message.java
+++ b/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/Message.java
@@ -23,8 +23,13 @@ package org.klomp.snark;
 import java.io.DataOutputStream;
 import java.io.IOException;
 
-// Used to queue outgoing connections
-// sendMessage() should be used to translate them to wire format.
+import net.i2p.data.ByteArray;
+import net.i2p.util.ByteCache;
+
+/**
+ * Used to queue outgoing connections
+ * sendMessage() should be used to translate them to wire format.
+ */
 class Message
 {
   final static byte KEEP_ALIVE   = -1;
@@ -69,6 +74,9 @@ class Message
   // now unused
   //SimpleTimer.TimedEvent expireEvent;
   
+  private static final int BUFSIZE = PeerState.PARTSIZE;
+  private static final ByteCache _cache = ByteCache.getInstance(16, BUFSIZE);
+
   /** Utility method for sending a message through a DataStream. */
   void sendMessage(DataOutputStream dos) throws IOException
   {
@@ -79,11 +87,15 @@ class Message
         return;
       }
 
+    ByteArray ba;
     // Get deferred data
     if (data == null && dataLoader != null) {
-        data = dataLoader.loadData(piece, begin, length);
-        if (data == null)
+        ba = dataLoader.loadData(piece, begin, length);
+        if (ba == null)
             return;  // hmm will get retried, but shouldn't happen
+        data = ba.getData();
+    } else {
+        ba = null;
     }
 
     // Calculate the total length in bytes
@@ -139,6 +151,10 @@ class Message
     // Send actual data
     if (type == BITFIELD || type == PIECE || type == EXTENSION)
       dos.write(data, off, len);
+
+    // Was pulled from cache in Storage.getPiece() via dataLoader
+    if (ba != null && ba.getData().length == BUFSIZE)
+        _cache.release(ba, false);
   }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/PartialPiece.java b/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/PartialPiece.java
index 3c746590f..bfeb49b7f 100644
--- a/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/PartialPiece.java
+++ b/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/PartialPiece.java
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ import java.security.MessageDigest;
 
 import net.i2p.I2PAppContext;
 import net.i2p.crypto.SHA1;
+import net.i2p.data.ByteArray;
+import net.i2p.util.ByteCache;
 import net.i2p.util.Log;
 import net.i2p.util.SecureFile;
 
@@ -42,6 +44,9 @@ class PartialPiece implements Comparable {
     private final int pclen;
     private final File tempDir;
 
+    private static final int BUFSIZE = PeerState.PARTSIZE;
+    private static final ByteCache _cache = ByteCache.getInstance(16, BUFSIZE);
+
     // Any bigger than this, use temp file instead of heap
     private static final int MAX_IN_MEM = 128 * 1024;
     // May be reduced on OOM
@@ -154,7 +159,16 @@ class PartialPiece implements Comparable {
             sha1.update(bs);
         } else {
             int read = 0;
-            byte[] buf = new byte[Math.min(pclen, 16384)];
+            int buflen = Math.min(pclen, BUFSIZE);
+            ByteArray ba;
+            byte[] buf;
+            if (buflen == BUFSIZE) {
+                ba = _cache.acquire();
+                buf = ba.getData();
+            } else {
+                ba = null;
+                buf = new byte[buflen];
+            }
             synchronized (this) {
                 if (raf == null)
                     throw new IOException();
@@ -167,6 +181,8 @@ class PartialPiece implements Comparable {
                     sha1.update(buf, 0, rd);
                 }
             }
+            if (ba != null)
+                _cache.release(ba, false);
             if (read < pclen)
                 throw new IOException();
         }
@@ -182,7 +198,15 @@ class PartialPiece implements Comparable {
             din.readFully(bs, off, len);
         } else {
             // read in fully before synching on raf
-            byte[] tmp = new byte[len];
+            ByteArray ba;
+            byte[] tmp;
+            if (len == BUFSIZE) {
+                ba = _cache.acquire();
+                tmp = ba.getData();
+            } else {
+                ba = null;
+                tmp = new byte[len];
+            }
             din.readFully(tmp);
             synchronized (this) {
                 if (raf == null)
@@ -190,6 +214,8 @@ class PartialPiece implements Comparable {
                 raf.seek(off);
                 raf.write(tmp);
             }
+            if (ba != null)
+                _cache.release(ba, false);
         }
     }
 
@@ -208,7 +234,16 @@ class PartialPiece implements Comparable {
             out.write(bs, offset, len);
         } else {
             int read = 0;
-            byte[] buf = new byte[Math.min(len, 16384)];
+            int buflen = Math.min(len, BUFSIZE);
+            ByteArray ba;
+            byte[] buf;
+            if (buflen == BUFSIZE) {
+                ba = _cache.acquire();
+                buf = ba.getData();
+            } else {
+                ba = null;
+                buf = new byte[buflen];
+            }
             synchronized (this) {
                 if (raf == null)
                     throw new IOException();
@@ -220,6 +255,8 @@ class PartialPiece implements Comparable {
                     out.write(buf, 0, rd);
                 }
             }
+            if (ba != null)
+                _cache.release(ba, false);
         }
     }
     
diff --git a/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/PeerConnectionOut.java b/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/PeerConnectionOut.java
index 62e58ad8d..dc64f885f 100644
--- a/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/PeerConnectionOut.java
+++ b/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/PeerConnectionOut.java
@@ -437,6 +437,7 @@ class PeerConnectionOut implements Runnable
    */
   void sendPiece(int piece, int begin, int length, DataLoader loader)
   {
+    /****
       boolean sendNow = false;
       // are there any cases where we should?
 
@@ -447,6 +448,7 @@ class PeerConnectionOut implements Runnable
             sendPiece(piece, begin, length, bytes);
         return;
       }
+    ****/
 
       // queue a fake message... set everything up,
       // except save the PeerState instead of the bytes.
diff --git a/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/PeerCoordinator.java b/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/PeerCoordinator.java
index 5c4fdda39..536865b0b 100644
--- a/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/PeerCoordinator.java
+++ b/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/PeerCoordinator.java
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.concurrent.LinkedBlockingQueue;
 
 import net.i2p.I2PAppContext;
+import net.i2p.data.ByteArray;
 import net.i2p.data.DataHelper;
 import net.i2p.data.Destination;
 import net.i2p.util.ConcurrentHashSet;
@@ -874,7 +875,7 @@ class PeerCoordinator implements PeerListener
    *
    * @throws RuntimeException on IOE getting the data
    */
-  public byte[] gotRequest(Peer peer, int piece, int off, int len)
+  public ByteArray gotRequest(Peer peer, int piece, int off, int len)
   {
     if (halted)
       return null;
diff --git a/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/PeerListener.java b/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/PeerListener.java
index 892ba4ff3..ee6801167 100644
--- a/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/PeerListener.java
+++ b/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/PeerListener.java
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ package org.klomp.snark;
 
 import java.util.List;
 
+import net.i2p.data.ByteArray;
+
 /**
  * Listener for Peer events.
  */
@@ -114,7 +116,7 @@ interface PeerListener
    * @return a byte array containing the piece or null when the piece
    * is not available (which is a protocol error).
    */
-  byte[] gotRequest(Peer peer, int piece, int off, int len);
+  ByteArray gotRequest(Peer peer, int piece, int off, int len);
 
   /**
    * Called when a (partial) piece has been downloaded from the peer.
diff --git a/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/PeerState.java b/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/PeerState.java
index 8433242ff..8f80d4496 100644
--- a/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/PeerState.java
+++ b/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/PeerState.java
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Set;
 
 import net.i2p.I2PAppContext;
+import net.i2p.data.ByteArray;
 import net.i2p.util.Log;
 
 class PeerState implements DataLoader
@@ -245,8 +246,8 @@ class PeerState implements DataLoader
    *  @return bytes or null for errors
    *  @since 0.8.2
    */
-  public byte[] loadData(int piece, int begin, int length) {
-    byte[] pieceBytes = listener.gotRequest(peer, piece, begin, length);
+  public ByteArray loadData(int piece, int begin, int length) {
+    ByteArray pieceBytes = listener.gotRequest(peer, piece, begin, length);
     if (pieceBytes == null)
       {
         // XXX - Protocol error-> diconnect?
@@ -256,7 +257,7 @@ class PeerState implements DataLoader
       }
 
     // More sanity checks
-    if (length != pieceBytes.length)
+    if (length != pieceBytes.getData().length)
       {
         // XXX - Protocol error-> disconnect?
         if (_log.shouldLog(Log.WARN))
diff --git a/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/Storage.java b/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/Storage.java
index b343f3735..5ae23203a 100644
--- a/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/Storage.java
+++ b/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/Storage.java
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ import java.util.StringTokenizer;
 import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;
 
 import net.i2p.crypto.SHA1;
+import net.i2p.data.ByteArray;
+import net.i2p.util.ByteCache;
 import net.i2p.util.Log;
 import net.i2p.util.SecureFile;
 import net.i2p.util.SystemVersion;
@@ -80,6 +82,9 @@ public class Storage
 
   private static final boolean _isWindows = SystemVersion.isWindows();
 
+  private static final int BUFSIZE = PeerState.PARTSIZE;
+  private static final ByteCache _cache = ByteCache.getInstance(16, BUFSIZE);
+
   /**
    * Creates a new storage based on the supplied MetaInfo.  This will
    * try to create and/or check all needed files in the MetaInfo.
@@ -899,22 +904,28 @@ public class Storage
    * Returns a byte array containing a portion of the requested piece or null if
    * the storage doesn't contain the piece yet.
    */
-  public byte[] getPiece(int piece, int off, int len) throws IOException
+  public ByteArray getPiece(int piece, int off, int len) throws IOException
   {
     if (!bitfield.get(piece))
       return null;
 
     //Catch a common place for OOMs esp. on 1MB pieces
+    ByteArray rv;
     byte[] bs;
     try {
-      bs = new byte[len];
+        // Will be restored to cache in Message.sendMessage()
+        if (len == BUFSIZE)
+            rv = _cache.acquire();
+        else
+            rv = new ByteArray(new byte[len]);
     } catch (OutOfMemoryError oom) {
       if (_log.shouldLog(Log.WARN))
           _log.warn("Out of memory, can't honor request for piece " + piece, oom);
       return null;
     }
+    bs = rv.getData();
     getUncheckedPiece(piece, bs, off, len);
-    return bs;
+    return rv;
   }
 
   /**