diff --git a/crypto/spipe/spipe_test.go b/crypto/spipe/spipe_test.go
index ab37dec27..c4e0a0b7f 100644
--- a/crypto/spipe/spipe_test.go
+++ b/crypto/spipe/spipe_test.go
@@ -36,9 +36,11 @@ func bindDuplexNoCopy(a, b pipes.Duplex) {
 	}
 }
 
+var globuf = make([]byte, 4*1024*1024)
+
 func bindDuplexWithCopy(a, b pipes.Duplex) {
 	dup := func(byt []byte) []byte {
-		n := make([]byte, len(byt))
+		n := globuf[:len(byt)]
 		copy(n, byt)
 		return n
 	}
diff --git a/importer/chunk/splitting.go b/importer/chunk/splitting.go
index f5a6f735c..8198999a8 100644
--- a/importer/chunk/splitting.go
+++ b/importer/chunk/splitting.go
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import (
 
 var log = util.Logger("chunk")
 
-var DefaultSplitter = &SizeSplitter{Size: 1024 * 512}
+var DefaultSplitter = &SizeSplitter{Size: 1024 * 256}
 
 type BlockSplitter interface {
 	Split(r io.Reader) chan []byte
diff --git a/net/conn/conn.go b/net/conn/conn.go
index 342be71bb..272a31c3b 100644
--- a/net/conn/conn.go
+++ b/net/conn/conn.go
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ const (
 	ChanBuffer = 10
 
 	// MaxMessageSize is the size of the largest single message
-	MaxMessageSize = 1 << 21 // 4 MB
+	MaxMessageSize = 1 << 20
 
 	// HandshakeTimeout for when nodes first connect
 	HandshakeTimeout = time.Second * 5