diff --git a/connection.go b/connection.go
index f30d3644..4dba463d 100644
--- a/connection.go
+++ b/connection.go
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ func Connect(parameters ConnectionParameters) (c *Connection, err error) {
 }
 
 func (c *Connection) Close() (err error) {
-	return c.txMsg('X', c.getBuf(0))
+	return c.txMsg('X', c.getBuf())
 }
 
 func (c *Connection) SelectFunc(sql string, onDataRow func(*DataRowReader) error) (err error) {
@@ -212,8 +212,7 @@ func (c *Connection) SelectValues(sql string) (values []interface{}, err error)
 }
 
 func (c *Connection) sendSimpleQuery(sql string) (err error) {
-	bufSize := len(sql) + 1 // sql, null string terminator (1)
-	buf := c.getBuf(bufSize)
+	buf := c.getBuf()
 
 	_, err = buf.WriteString(sql)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -293,7 +292,7 @@ func (c *Connection) rxMsg() (t byte, r *MessageReader, err error) {
 }
 
 func (c *Connection) rxMsgHeader() (t byte, bodySize int32, err error) {
-	buf := c.getBuf(5)
+	buf := c.getBuf()
 	if _, err = io.CopyN(buf, c.conn, 5); err != nil {
 		return 0, 0, err
 	}
@@ -308,7 +307,7 @@ func (c *Connection) rxMsgHeader() (t byte, bodySize int32, err error) {
 }
 
 func (c *Connection) rxMsgBody(bodySize int32) (buf *bytes.Buffer, err error) {
-	buf = c.getBuf(int(bodySize))
+	buf = c.getBuf()
 	_, err = io.CopyN(buf, c.conn, int64(bodySize))
 	return
 }
@@ -421,8 +420,7 @@ func (c *Connection) txMsg(identifier byte, buf *bytes.Buffer) (err error) {
 }
 
 func (c *Connection) txPasswordMessage(password string) (err error) {
-	bufSize := len(password) + 1 // password, null string terminator (1)
-	buf := c.getBuf(bufSize)
+	buf := c.getBuf()
 
 	_, err = buf.WriteString(password)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -436,12 +434,13 @@ func (c *Connection) txPasswordMessage(password string) (err error) {
 	return
 }
 
-// Gets a buffer of up to n bytes. If it is a large request it will return a new buffer, if it is small enough it will return the shared connection buffer
-func (c *Connection) getBuf(n int) *bytes.Buffer {
-	if n < sharedBufferSize {
-		c.buf.Reset()
-		return c.buf
-	} else {
-		return bytes.NewBuffer(make([]byte, n))
+// Gets the shared connection buffer. Since bytes.Buffer never releases memory from
+// its internal byte array, check on the size and create a new bytes.Buffer so the
+// old one can get GC'ed
+func (c *Connection) getBuf() *bytes.Buffer {
+	c.buf.Reset()
+	if cap(c.buf.Bytes()) > sharedBufferSize {
+		c.buf = bytes.NewBuffer(make([]byte, sharedBufferSize))
 	}
+	return c.buf
 }