diff --git a/include/villas/nodes/socket.h b/include/villas/nodes/socket.h
index f877c9170..6dd26b9b3 100644
--- a/include/villas/nodes/socket.h
+++ b/include/villas/nodes/socket.h
@@ -104,6 +104,11 @@ struct socket {
 	struct rtnl_qdisc *tc_qdisc;	/**< libnl3: Network emulator queuing discipline */
 	struct rtnl_cls *tc_classifier;	/**< libnl3: Firewall mark classifier */
 #endif /* WITH_NETEM */
+
+	struct {
+		char *buf;		/**< Buffer for receiving messages */
+		size_t buflen;
+	} in, out;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/lib/nodes/socket.c b/lib/nodes/socket.c
index 457eb77ad..e6c541735 100644
--- a/lib/nodes/socket.c
+++ b/lib/nodes/socket.c
@@ -338,6 +338,17 @@ int socket_start(struct node *n)
 #endif /* __linux__ */
 	}
 
+	s->out.buflen = SOCKET_INITIAL_BUFFER_LEN;
+	s->out.buf = alloc(s->out.buflen);
+	if (!s->out.buf)
+		return -1;
+
+	s->in.buflen = SOCKET_INITIAL_BUFFER_LEN;
+	s->in.buf = alloc(s->in.buflen);
+	if (!s->in.buf)
+		return -1;
+
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -374,6 +385,9 @@ int socket_stop(struct node *n)
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
 
+	free(s->in.buf);
+	free(s->out.buf);
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -394,29 +408,21 @@ int socket_read(struct node *n, struct sample *smps[], unsigned cnt, unsigned *r
 	int ret;
 	struct socket *s = (struct socket *) n->_vd;
 
-	char *buf, *ptr;
-	ssize_t buflen;
+	char *ptr;
 	ssize_t bytes;
 	size_t rbytes;
 
 	union sockaddr_union src;
 	socklen_t srclen = sizeof(src);
 
-	/* Get size of next packet */
-	buflen = recvfrom(s->sd, NULL, 0, MSG_TRUNC | MSG_PEEK, &src.sa, &srclen);
-	if (buflen < 0)
-		return -1;
-
-	buf = alloc(buflen);
-	if (!buf)
-		return -1;
-
 	/* Receive next sample */
-	bytes = recvfrom(s->sd, buf, buflen, 0, &src.sa, &srclen);
+	bytes = recvfrom(s->sd, s->in.buf, s->in.buflen, 0, &src.sa, &srclen);
 	if (bytes < 0)
 		serror("Failed recv from node %s", node_name(n));
+	else if (bytes == 0)
+		return 0;
 
-	ptr = buf;
+	ptr = s->in.buf;
 
 	/* Strip IP header from packet */
 	if (s->layer == SOCKET_LAYER_IP) {
@@ -445,8 +451,7 @@ int socket_read(struct node *n, struct sample *smps[], unsigned cnt, unsigned *r
 		warn("Received packet from unauthorized source: %s", buf);
 		free(buf);
 
-		ret = 0;
-		goto out;
+		return 0;
 	}
 
 	ret = io_sscan(&s->io, ptr, bytes, &rbytes, smps, cnt);
@@ -454,8 +459,6 @@ int socket_read(struct node *n, struct sample *smps[], unsigned cnt, unsigned *r
 	if (ret < 0 || bytes != rbytes)
 		warn("Received invalid packet from node: %s ret=%d, bytes=%zu, rbytes=%zu", node_name(n), ret, bytes, rbytes);
 
-out:	free(buf);
-
 	return ret;
 }
 
@@ -464,26 +467,23 @@ int socket_write(struct node *n, struct sample *smps[], unsigned cnt, unsigned *
 	struct socket *s = (struct socket *) n->_vd;
 
 	int ret;
-	char *buf;
-	size_t buflen;
 	ssize_t bytes;
 	size_t wbytes;
 
-	buflen = SOCKET_INITIAL_BUFFER_LEN;
-	buf = alloc(buflen);
-	if (!buf)
+retry:	ret = io_sprint(&s->io, s->out.buf, s->out.buflen, &wbytes, smps, cnt);
+	if (ret < 0) {
+		warning("Failed to format payload: reason=%d", ret);
+		return ret;
+	}
+
+	if (wbytes == 0) {
+		warning("Failed to format payload: wbytes=%zu", wbytes);
 		return -1;
+	}
 
-retry:	ret = io_sprint(&s->io, buf, buflen, &wbytes, smps, cnt);
-	if (ret < 0)
-		goto out;
-
-	if (wbytes <= 0)
-		goto out;
-
-	if (wbytes > buflen) {
-		buflen = wbytes;
-		buf = realloc(buf, buflen);
+	if (wbytes > s->out.buflen) {
+		s->out.buflen = wbytes;
+		s->out.buf = realloc(s->out.buf, s->out.buflen);
 		goto retry;
 	}
 
@@ -511,7 +511,7 @@ retry:	ret = io_sprint(&s->io, buf, buflen, &wbytes, smps, cnt);
 			addrlen = sizeof(s->local);
 	}
 
-retry2:	bytes = sendto(s->sd, buf, wbytes, 0, (struct sockaddr *) &s->remote, addrlen);
+retry2:	bytes = sendto(s->sd, s->out.buf, wbytes, 0, (struct sockaddr *) &s->remote, addrlen);
 	if (bytes < 0) {
 		if ((errno == EPERM) ||
 		    (errno == ENOENT && s->layer == SOCKET_LAYER_UNIX))
@@ -521,15 +521,13 @@ retry2:	bytes = sendto(s->sd, buf, wbytes, 0, (struct sockaddr *) &s->remote, ad
 			goto retry2;
 		}
 		else
-			serror("Failed send to node %s", node_name(n));
+			warning("Failed sendto() to node %s", node_name(n));
 	}
 
 	if (bytes != wbytes)
-		warn("Partial send to node %s", node_name(n));
+		warning("Partial sendto() to node %s", node_name(n));
 
-out:	free(buf);
-
-	return ret;
+	return cnt;
 }
 
 int socket_parse(struct node *n, json_t *cfg)