diff --git a/lib/writer.js b/lib/writer.js
index cd728079..a28d575b 100644
--- a/lib/writer.js
+++ b/lib/writer.js
@@ -17,9 +17,12 @@ p.addInt16 = function(val, front) {
 };
 
 p.getByteLength = function(initial) {
-  return this.buffers.reduce(function(previous, current){
-    return previous + current.length;
-  },initial || 0);
+  var totalBufferLength = 0;
+  var buffers = this.buffers;
+  for(var i = 0, len = buffers.length; i < len; i++) {
+    totalBufferLength += buffers[i].length;
+  }
+  return totalBufferLength;
 };
 
 p.addInt32 = function(val, first) {
@@ -44,10 +47,13 @@ p.addChar = function(char, first) {
 };
 
 p.join = function() {
+  var length = this.buffers.length;
+  if(length===1) {
+    return this.buffers[0]
+  }
   var result = Buffer(this.getByteLength());
   var index = 0;
   var buffers = this.buffers;
-  var length = this.buffers.length;
   for(var i = 0; i < length; i ++) {
     var buffer = buffers[i];
     buffer.copy(result, index, 0);