diff --git a/messages.go b/messages.go
index c2964b82..2320bf7f 100644
--- a/messages.go
+++ b/messages.go
@@ -130,10 +130,11 @@ func (wb *WriteBuf) WriteInt16(n int16) {
 	wb.buf = append(wb.buf, b...)
 }
 
-func (wb *WriteBuf) WriteUint16(n uint16) {
+func (wb *WriteBuf) WriteUint16(n uint16) (int, error) {
 	b := make([]byte, 2)
 	binary.BigEndian.PutUint16(b, n)
 	wb.buf = append(wb.buf, b...)
+	return 2, nil
 }
 
 func (wb *WriteBuf) WriteInt32(n int32) {
@@ -142,10 +143,11 @@ func (wb *WriteBuf) WriteInt32(n int32) {
 	wb.buf = append(wb.buf, b...)
 }
 
-func (wb *WriteBuf) WriteUint32(n uint32) {
+func (wb *WriteBuf) WriteUint32(n uint32) (int, error) {
 	b := make([]byte, 4)
 	binary.BigEndian.PutUint32(b, n)
 	wb.buf = append(wb.buf, b...)
+	return 4, nil
 }
 
 func (wb *WriteBuf) WriteInt64(n int64) {
@@ -154,6 +156,18 @@ func (wb *WriteBuf) WriteInt64(n int64) {
 	wb.buf = append(wb.buf, b...)
 }
 
+func (wb *WriteBuf) WriteUint64(n uint64) (int, error) {
+	b := make([]byte, 8)
+	binary.BigEndian.PutUint64(b, n)
+	wb.buf = append(wb.buf, b...)
+	return 8, nil
+}
+
 func (wb *WriteBuf) WriteBytes(b []byte) {
 	wb.buf = append(wb.buf, b...)
 }
+
+func (wb *WriteBuf) Write(b []byte) (int, error) {
+	wb.buf = append(wb.buf, b...)
+	return len(b), nil
+}
diff --git a/pgtype/int4.go b/pgtype/int4.go
index cd0f1ed2..ab993476 100644
--- a/pgtype/int4.go
+++ b/pgtype/int4.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package pgtype
 import (
 	"encoding/binary"
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"strconv"
 )
 
@@ -27,12 +28,22 @@ func (i *Int4) ParseBinary(src []byte) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (i Int4) FormatText() (string, error) {
-	return strconv.FormatInt(int64(i), 10), nil
+func (i Int4) EncodeText(w io.Writer) error {
+	s := strconv.FormatInt(int64(i), 10)
+	_, err := WriteInt32(w, int32(len(s)))
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	_, err = w.Write([]byte(s))
+	return err
 }
 
-func (i Int4) FormatBinary() ([]byte, error) {
-	buf := make([]byte, 4)
-	binary.BigEndian.PutUint32(buf, uint32(i))
-	return buf, nil
+func (i Int4) EncodeBinary(w io.Writer) error {
+	_, err := WriteInt32(w, 4)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	_, err = WriteInt32(w, int32(i))
+	return err
 }
diff --git a/pgtype/typed_writer.go b/pgtype/typed_writer.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3f175343
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pgtype/typed_writer.go
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+package pgtype
+
+import (
+	"encoding/binary"
+	"io"
+)
+
+type uint16Writer interface {
+	WriteUint16(uint16) (n int, err error)
+}
+
+type uint32Writer interface {
+	WriteUint32(uint32) (n int, err error)
+}
+
+type uint64Writer interface {
+	WriteUint64(uint64) (n int, err error)
+}
+
+// WriteByte writes b to w.
+func WriteByte(w io.Writer, b byte) error {
+	if w, ok := w.(io.ByteWriter); ok {
+		return w.WriteByte(b)
+	}
+	_, err := w.Write([]byte{b})
+	return err
+}
+
+// WriteUint16 writes n to w in PostgreSQL wire format (network byte order). This
+// may be more efficient than directly using Write if w provides a WriteUint16
+// method.
+func WriteUint16(w io.Writer, n uint16) (int, error) {
+	if w, ok := w.(uint16Writer); ok {
+		return w.WriteUint16(n)
+	}
+	b := make([]byte, 2)
+	binary.BigEndian.PutUint16(b, n)
+	return w.Write(b)
+}
+
+// WriteInt16 writes n to w in PostgreSQL wire format (network byte order). This
+// may be more efficient than directly using Write if w provides a WriteUint16
+// method.
+func WriteInt16(w io.Writer, n int16) (int, error) {
+	return WriteUint16(w, uint16(n))
+}
+
+// WriteUint32 writes n to w in PostgreSQL wire format (network byte order). This
+// may be more efficient than directly using Write if w provides a WriteUint32
+// method.
+func WriteUint32(w io.Writer, n uint32) (int, error) {
+	if w, ok := w.(uint32Writer); ok {
+		return w.WriteUint32(n)
+	}
+	b := make([]byte, 4)
+	binary.BigEndian.PutUint32(b, n)
+	return w.Write(b)
+}
+
+// WriteInt32 writes n to w in PostgreSQL wire format (network byte order). This
+// may be more efficient than directly using Write if w provides a WriteUint32
+// method.
+func WriteInt32(w io.Writer, n int32) (int, error) {
+	return WriteUint32(w, uint32(n))
+}
+
+// WriteUint64 writes n to w in PostgreSQL wire format (network byte order). This
+// may be more efficient than directly using Write if w provides a WriteUint64
+// method.
+func WriteUint64(w io.Writer, n uint64) (int, error) {
+	if w, ok := w.(uint64Writer); ok {
+		return w.WriteUint64(n)
+	}
+	b := make([]byte, 8)
+	binary.BigEndian.PutUint64(b, n)
+	return w.Write(b)
+}
+
+// WriteInt64 writes n to w in PostgreSQL wire format (network byte order). This
+// may be more efficient than directly using Write if w provides a WriteUint64
+// method.
+func WriteInt64(w io.Writer, n int64) (int, error) {
+	return WriteUint64(w, uint64(n))
+}
+
+// WriteCString writes s to w followed by a null byte.
+func WriteCString(w io.Writer, s string) (int, error) {
+	n, err := io.WriteString(w, s)
+	if err != nil {
+		return n, err
+	}
+	err = WriteByte(w, 0)
+	if err != nil {
+		return n, err
+	}
+	return n + 1, nil
+}
diff --git a/values.go b/values.go
index 8650c2da..ee53edfc 100644
--- a/values.go
+++ b/values.go
@@ -1681,12 +1681,10 @@ func encodeInt32(w *WriteBuf, oid OID, value int32) error {
 			return fmt.Errorf("%d is greater than max int16 %d", value, math.MaxInt16)
 		}
 	case Int4OID:
-		w.WriteInt32(4)
-		buf, err := pgtype.Int4(value).FormatBinary()
+		err := pgtype.Int4(value).EncodeBinary(w)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		w.WriteBytes(buf)
 	case Int8OID:
 		w.WriteInt32(8)
 		w.WriteInt64(int64(value))