diff --git a/pdu/global.go b/pdu/global.go
index 6117068..65c7b8e 100644
--- a/pdu/global.go
+++ b/pdu/global.go
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ package pdu
 
 import "sync"
 
-var byteBufferPool = &BufferPoolManager{
+var ByteBufferPool = &BufferPoolManager{
 	pools: make(map[int]*sync.Pool),
 	mu:    sync.Mutex{},
 }
diff --git a/pdu/pdu.go b/pdu/pdu.go
index 7f47104..3928bec 100644
--- a/pdu/pdu.go
+++ b/pdu/pdu.go
@@ -26,9 +26,9 @@ type (
 	}
 )
 
-func (p *PDU_HEADER) Encode() ([]uint8, error) {
-	buf := make([]uint8, 16)
-	err := p.EncodeInto(&buf)
+func (p *PDU_HEADER) Encode() (*[]uint8, error) {
+	buf := ByteBufferPool.GetBuffer(int(p.Size()))
+	err := p.EncodeInto(buf)
 	return buf, err
 }
 func (p *PDU_HEADER) EncodeInto(buf *[]uint8) error {
diff --git a/pdu/pdu_test.go b/pdu/pdu_test.go
index 239eb88..21114dc 100644
--- a/pdu/pdu_test.go
+++ b/pdu/pdu_test.go
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@ func TestEncodeReturnsByteSliceOfLength16(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("Expected no error, got %v", err)
 	}
-	if len(result) != 16 {
-		t.Errorf("Expected byte slice of length 16, got %d", len(result))
+	if len(*result) != 16 {
+		t.Errorf("Expected byte slice of length 16, got %d", len(*result))
 	}
 }
 
@@ -38,9 +38,9 @@ func TestEncodeHandlesZeroValues(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("Expected no error, got %v", err)
 	}
 	expected := make([]uint8, 16)
-	for i, v := range result {
+	for i, v := range *result {
 		if v != expected[i] {
-			t.Errorf("Expected byte slice with zero values, got %v", result)
+			t.Errorf("Expected byte slice with zero values, got %v", *result)
 			break
 		}
 	}
@@ -60,9 +60,9 @@ func TestEncodeEncodesProperly(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	expected := []uint8{0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 2, 0, 0, 0, 3, 0, 0, 0, 4}
-	for i, v := range result {
+	for i, v := range *result {
 		if v != expected[i] {
-			t.Errorf("Expected byte slice with values %v, got %v", expected, result)
+			t.Errorf("Expected byte slice with values %v, got %v", expected, *result)
 			break
 		}
 	}
@@ -82,9 +82,9 @@ func TestEncodeEncodesProperlyComplex(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	expected := []uint8{0, 204, 224, 36, 0, 3, 225, 144, 2, 31, 188, 88, 28, 103, 122, 35}
-	for i, v := range result {
+	for i, v := range *result {
 		if v != expected[i] {
-			t.Errorf("Expected byte slice with values %v, got %v", expected, result)
+			t.Errorf("Expected byte slice with values %v, got %v", expected, *result)
 			break
 		}
 	}