diff --git a/pgconn/benchmark_test.go b/pgconn/benchmark_test.go
index aff21216..bdc550cb 100644
--- a/pgconn/benchmark_test.go
+++ b/pgconn/benchmark_test.go
@@ -36,6 +36,19 @@ func BenchmarkConnect(b *testing.B) {
 	}
 }
 
+func BenchmarkExec(b *testing.B) {
+	conn, err := pgconn.Connect(context.Background(), os.Getenv("PGX_TEST_DATABASE"))
+	require.Nil(b, err)
+	defer closeConn(b, conn)
+
+	b.ResetTimer()
+
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		_, err := conn.Exec(context.Background(), "select 'hello'::text as a, 42::int4 as b, '2019-01-01'::date")
+		require.Nil(b, err)
+	}
+}
+
 func BenchmarkExecPrepared(b *testing.B) {
 	conn, err := pgconn.Connect(context.Background(), os.Getenv("PGX_TEST_DATABASE"))
 	require.Nil(b, err)
diff --git a/pgconn/pgconn.go b/pgconn/pgconn.go
index 8511d5b9..d7a99676 100644
--- a/pgconn/pgconn.go
+++ b/pgconn/pgconn.go
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/jackc/pgx/pgio"
 	"github.com/jackc/pgx/pgproto3"
 )
 
@@ -354,127 +353,10 @@ func (ct CommandTag) String() string {
 // Execution is implicitly wrapped in a transactions unless a transaction is already in progress or sql contains
 // transaction control statements. It is only sent to the PostgreSQL server when Flush is called.
 func (pgConn *PgConn) SendExec(sql string) {
-	pgConn.batchBuf = appendQuery(pgConn.batchBuf, sql)
+	pgConn.batchBuf = (&pgproto3.Query{String: sql}).Encode(pgConn.batchBuf)
 	pgConn.batchCount += 1
 }
 
-// appendQuery appends a PostgreSQL wire protocol query message to buf and returns it.
-func appendQuery(buf []byte, query string) []byte {
-	buf = append(buf, 'Q')
-	buf = pgio.AppendInt32(buf, int32(len(query)+5))
-	buf = append(buf, query...)
-	buf = append(buf, 0)
-	return buf
-}
-
-// appendParse appends a PostgreSQL wire protocol parse message to buf and returns it.
-func appendParse(buf []byte, name string, query string, paramOIDs []uint32) []byte {
-	if len(paramOIDs) > 65535 {
-		panic(fmt.Sprintf("len(paramOIDs) must be between 0 and 65535, received %d", len(paramOIDs)))
-	}
-
-	buf = append(buf, 'P')
-	sp := len(buf)
-	buf = pgio.AppendInt32(buf, -1)
-	buf = append(buf, name...)
-	buf = append(buf, 0)
-	buf = append(buf, query...)
-	buf = append(buf, 0)
-
-	buf = pgio.AppendInt16(buf, int16(len(paramOIDs)))
-	for _, oid := range paramOIDs {
-		buf = pgio.AppendUint32(buf, oid)
-	}
-	pgio.SetInt32(buf[sp:], int32(len(buf[sp:])))
-
-	return buf
-}
-
-// appendDescribe appends a PostgreSQL wire protocol describe message to buf and returns it.
-func appendDescribe(buf []byte, objectType byte, name string) []byte {
-	buf = append(buf, 'D')
-	sp := len(buf)
-	buf = pgio.AppendInt32(buf, -1)
-	buf = append(buf, objectType)
-	buf = append(buf, name...)
-	buf = append(buf, 0)
-	pgio.SetInt32(buf[sp:], int32(len(buf[sp:])))
-
-	return buf
-}
-
-// appendSync appends a PostgreSQL wire protocol sync message to buf and returns it.
-func appendSync(buf []byte) []byte {
-	buf = append(buf, 'S')
-	buf = pgio.AppendInt32(buf, 4)
-
-	return buf
-}
-
-// appendBind appends a PostgreSQL wire protocol bind message to buf and returns it.
-func appendBind(
-	buf []byte,
-	destinationPortal,
-	preparedStatement string,
-	paramFormats []int16,
-	paramValues [][]byte,
-	resultFormatCodes []int16,
-) []byte {
-	if len(paramFormats) != 0 && len(paramFormats) != len(paramValues) && len(paramFormats) != len(paramValues) {
-		panic(fmt.Sprintf("len(paramFormats) must be 0, 1, or len(paramValues), received %d", len(paramFormats)))
-	}
-	if len(paramValues) > 65535 {
-		panic(fmt.Sprintf("len(paramValues) must be between 0 and 65535, received %d", len(paramValues)))
-	}
-
-	buf = append(buf, 'B')
-	sp := len(buf)
-	buf = pgio.AppendInt32(buf, -1)
-	buf = append(buf, destinationPortal...)
-	buf = append(buf, 0)
-	buf = append(buf, preparedStatement...)
-	buf = append(buf, 0)
-
-	buf = pgio.AppendInt16(buf, int16(len(paramFormats)))
-	for _, f := range paramFormats {
-		buf = pgio.AppendInt16(buf, f)
-	}
-
-	buf = pgio.AppendInt16(buf, int16(len(paramValues)))
-	for _, p := range paramValues {
-		if p == nil {
-			buf = pgio.AppendInt32(buf, -1)
-			continue
-		}
-
-		buf = pgio.AppendInt32(buf, int32(len(p)))
-		buf = append(buf, p...)
-	}
-
-	buf = pgio.AppendInt16(buf, int16(len(resultFormatCodes)))
-	for _, fc := range resultFormatCodes {
-		buf = pgio.AppendInt16(buf, fc)
-	}
-	pgio.SetInt32(buf[sp:], int32(len(buf[sp:])))
-
-	return buf
-}
-
-// appendExecute appends a PostgreSQL wire protocol execute message to buf and returns it.
-func appendExecute(buf []byte, portal string, maxRows uint32) []byte {
-	buf = append(buf, 'E')
-	sp := len(buf)
-	buf = pgio.AppendInt32(buf, -1)
-
-	buf = append(buf, portal...)
-	buf = append(buf, 0)
-	buf = pgio.AppendUint32(buf, maxRows)
-
-	pgio.SetInt32(buf[sp:], int32(len(buf[sp:])))
-
-	return buf
-}
-
 // SendExecParams enqueues the execution of sql via the PostgreSQL extended query protocol.
 //
 // sql is a SQL command string. It may only contain one query. Parameter substitution is position using $1, $2, $3, etc.
@@ -498,11 +380,8 @@ func (pgConn *PgConn) SendExecParams(sql string, paramValues [][]byte, paramOIDs
 		panic(fmt.Sprintf("len(paramOIDs) must be 0, 1, or len(paramValues), received %d", len(paramOIDs)))
 	}
 
-	pgConn.batchBuf = appendParse(pgConn.batchBuf, "", sql, paramOIDs)
-	pgConn.batchBuf = appendDescribe(pgConn.batchBuf, 'S', "")
-	pgConn.batchBuf = appendBind(pgConn.batchBuf, "", "", paramFormats, paramValues, resultFormats)
-	pgConn.batchBuf = appendExecute(pgConn.batchBuf, "", 0)
-	pgConn.batchBuf = appendSync(pgConn.batchBuf)
+	pgConn.batchBuf = (&pgproto3.Parse{Query: sql, ParameterOIDs: paramOIDs}).Encode(pgConn.batchBuf)
+	pgConn.SendExecPrepared("", paramValues, paramFormats, resultFormats)
 	pgConn.batchCount += 1
 }
 
@@ -519,10 +398,10 @@ func (pgConn *PgConn) SendExecParams(sql string, paramValues [][]byte, paramOIDs
 //
 // Query is only sent to the PostgreSQL server when Flush is called.
 func (pgConn *PgConn) SendExecPrepared(stmtName string, paramValues [][]byte, paramFormats []int16, resultFormats []int16) {
-	pgConn.batchBuf = appendDescribe(pgConn.batchBuf, 'S', stmtName)
-	pgConn.batchBuf = appendBind(pgConn.batchBuf, "", stmtName, paramFormats, paramValues, resultFormats)
-	pgConn.batchBuf = appendExecute(pgConn.batchBuf, "", 0)
-	pgConn.batchBuf = appendSync(pgConn.batchBuf)
+	pgConn.batchBuf = (&pgproto3.Describe{ObjectType: 'S', Name: stmtName}).Encode(pgConn.batchBuf)
+	pgConn.batchBuf = (&pgproto3.Bind{PreparedStatement: stmtName, ParameterFormatCodes: paramFormats, Parameters: paramValues, ResultFormatCodes: resultFormats}).Encode(pgConn.batchBuf)
+	pgConn.batchBuf = (&pgproto3.Execute{}).Encode(pgConn.batchBuf)
+	pgConn.batchBuf = (&pgproto3.Sync{}).Encode(pgConn.batchBuf)
 	pgConn.batchCount += 1
 }
 
@@ -890,9 +769,9 @@ func (pgConn *PgConn) Prepare(ctx context.Context, name, sql string, paramOIDs [
 	cleanupContext := contextDoneToConnDeadline(ctx, pgConn.conn)
 	defer cleanupContext()
 
-	pgConn.batchBuf = appendParse(pgConn.batchBuf, name, sql, paramOIDs)
-	pgConn.batchBuf = appendDescribe(pgConn.batchBuf, 'S', name)
-	pgConn.batchBuf = appendSync(pgConn.batchBuf)
+	pgConn.batchBuf = (&pgproto3.Parse{Name: name, Query: sql, ParameterOIDs: paramOIDs}).Encode(pgConn.batchBuf)
+	pgConn.batchBuf = (&pgproto3.Describe{ObjectType: 'S', Name: name}).Encode(pgConn.batchBuf)
+	pgConn.batchBuf = (&pgproto3.Sync{}).Encode(pgConn.batchBuf)
 	pgConn.batchCount += 1
 	err := pgConn.Flush(context.Background())
 	if err != nil {