diff --git a/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/network/BackendChannelInitializer.java b/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/network/BackendChannelInitializer.java
index 6173bd78ab..d60c64775b 100644
--- a/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/network/BackendChannelInitializer.java
+++ b/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/network/BackendChannelInitializer.java
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 import com.velocitypowered.proxy.protocol.netty.MinecraftDecoder;
 import com.velocitypowered.proxy.protocol.netty.MinecraftEncoder;
 import com.velocitypowered.proxy.protocol.netty.MinecraftVarintFrameDecoder;
-import com.velocitypowered.proxy.protocol.netty.MinecraftVarintLengthCompositeEncoder;
+import com.velocitypowered.proxy.protocol.netty.MinecraftVarintLengthEncoder;
 import io.netty.channel.Channel;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelInitializer;
 import io.netty.handler.timeout.ReadTimeoutHandler;
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ protected void initChannel(Channel ch) {
         .addLast(READ_TIMEOUT,
             new ReadTimeoutHandler(server.getConfiguration().getReadTimeout(),
                 TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS))
-        .addLast(FRAME_ENCODER, MinecraftVarintLengthCompositeEncoder.INSTANCE)
+        .addLast(FRAME_ENCODER, MinecraftVarintLengthEncoder.INSTANCE)
         .addLast(MINECRAFT_DECODER,
             new MinecraftDecoder(ProtocolUtils.Direction.CLIENTBOUND))
         .addLast(FLOW_HANDLER, new AutoReadHolderHandler())
diff --git a/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/protocol/netty/MinecraftVarintLengthCompositeEncoder.java b/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/protocol/netty/MinecraftVarintLengthCompositeEncoder.java
deleted file mode 100644
index 18679b161e..0000000000
--- a/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/protocol/netty/MinecraftVarintLengthCompositeEncoder.java
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,46 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Copyright (C) 2018-2023 Velocity Contributors
- *
- * This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
- * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
- * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
- * (at your option) any later version.
- *
- * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
- * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
- * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
- * GNU General Public License for more details.
- *
- * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
- * along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
- */
-
-package com.velocitypowered.proxy.protocol.netty;
-
-import com.velocitypowered.proxy.protocol.ProtocolUtils;
-import io.netty.buffer.ByteBuf;
-import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandler;
-import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerContext;
-import io.netty.handler.codec.MessageToMessageEncoder;
-import java.util.List;
-
-/**
- * Handler for appending a length for Minecraft packets using composite buffers.
- */
-@ChannelHandler.Sharable
-public class MinecraftVarintLengthCompositeEncoder extends MessageToMessageEncoder<ByteBuf> {
-
-  public static final MinecraftVarintLengthCompositeEncoder INSTANCE = new MinecraftVarintLengthCompositeEncoder();
-
-  private MinecraftVarintLengthCompositeEncoder() {
-  }
-
-  @Override
-  protected void encode(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, ByteBuf buf,
-      List<Object> list) throws Exception {
-    ByteBuf varIntBuffer = ctx.alloc().ioBuffer(ProtocolUtils.varIntBytes(buf.readableBytes()));
-    ProtocolUtils.writeVarInt(varIntBuffer, buf.readableBytes());
-    list.add(varIntBuffer);
-    list.add(buf.retain());
-  }
-}
diff --git a/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/protocol/netty/MinecraftVarintLengthEncoder.java b/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/protocol/netty/MinecraftVarintLengthEncoder.java
index e3acecfdc2..115d8b4722 100644
--- a/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/protocol/netty/MinecraftVarintLengthEncoder.java
+++ b/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/protocol/netty/MinecraftVarintLengthEncoder.java
@@ -23,32 +23,34 @@
 import io.netty.buffer.ByteBuf;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandler;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerContext;
-import io.netty.handler.codec.MessageToByteEncoder;
+import io.netty.handler.codec.MessageToMessageEncoder;
+import java.util.List;
 
 /**
  * Handler for appending a length for Minecraft packets.
  */
 @ChannelHandler.Sharable
-public class MinecraftVarintLengthEncoder extends MessageToByteEncoder<ByteBuf> {
+public class MinecraftVarintLengthEncoder extends MessageToMessageEncoder<ByteBuf> {
 
   public static final MinecraftVarintLengthEncoder INSTANCE = new MinecraftVarintLengthEncoder();
-  public static final boolean IS_JAVA_CIPHER = Natives.cipher.get() == JavaVelocityCipher.FACTORY;
+
+  static final boolean IS_JAVA_CIPHER = Natives.cipher.get() == JavaVelocityCipher.FACTORY;
 
   private MinecraftVarintLengthEncoder() {
   }
 
   @Override
-  protected void encode(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, ByteBuf msg, ByteBuf out) throws Exception {
-    ProtocolUtils.writeVarInt(out, msg.readableBytes());
-    out.writeBytes(msg);
-  }
+  protected void encode(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, ByteBuf buf,
+      List<Object> list) throws Exception {
+    final int length = buf.readableBytes();
+    final int varintLength = ProtocolUtils.varIntBytes(length);
 
-  @Override
-  protected ByteBuf allocateBuffer(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, ByteBuf msg, boolean preferDirect) {
-    int anticipatedRequiredCapacity = ProtocolUtils.varIntBytes(msg.readableBytes())
-        + msg.readableBytes();
-    return IS_JAVA_CIPHER
-        ? ctx.alloc().heapBuffer(anticipatedRequiredCapacity)
-        : ctx.alloc().directBuffer(anticipatedRequiredCapacity);
+    final ByteBuf lenBuf = IS_JAVA_CIPHER
+        ? ctx.alloc().heapBuffer(varintLength)
+        : ctx.alloc().directBuffer(varintLength);
+
+    ProtocolUtils.writeVarInt(lenBuf, length);
+    list.add(lenBuf);
+    list.add(buf.retain());
   }
 }