diff --git a/wal/block.go b/wal/block.go
index 1ef76f3ec..bc053bbbf 100644
--- a/wal/block.go
+++ b/wal/block.go
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import (
 
 type block struct {
 	t int64
-	l int64
 	d []byte
 }
 
@@ -22,22 +21,24 @@ func writeBlock(w io.Writer, t int64, d []byte) error {
 	return err
 }
 
-func readBlock(r io.Reader) (*block, error) {
+func readBlock(r io.Reader, b *block) error {
 	t, err := readInt64(r)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return err
 	}
 	l, err := readInt64(r)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, unexpectedEOF(err)
+		return unexpectedEOF(err)
 	}
 	d := make([]byte, l)
 	n, err := r.Read(d)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, unexpectedEOF(err)
+		return unexpectedEOF(err)
 	}
 	if n != int(l) {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("len(data) = %d, want %d", n, l)
+		return fmt.Errorf("len(data) = %d, want %d", n, l)
 	}
-	return &block{t, l, d}, nil
+	b.t = t
+	b.d = d
+	return nil
 }
diff --git a/wal/block_test.go b/wal/block_test.go
index 01a297c67..1bf73fc75 100644
--- a/wal/block_test.go
+++ b/wal/block_test.go
@@ -13,31 +13,34 @@ func TestReadBlock(t *testing.T) {
 		wb   *block
 		we   error
 	}{
-		{infoBlock, &block{1, 8, infoData}, nil},
-		{[]byte(""), nil, io.EOF},
-		{infoBlock[:len(infoBlock)-len(infoData)-8], nil, io.ErrUnexpectedEOF},
-		{infoBlock[:len(infoBlock)-len(infoData)], nil, io.ErrUnexpectedEOF},
-		{infoBlock[:len(infoBlock)-8], nil, io.ErrUnexpectedEOF},
+		{infoBlock, &block{1, infoData}, nil},
+		{[]byte(""), &block{}, io.EOF},
+		{infoBlock[:len(infoBlock)-len(infoData)-8], &block{}, io.ErrUnexpectedEOF},
+		{infoBlock[:len(infoBlock)-len(infoData)], &block{}, io.ErrUnexpectedEOF},
+		{infoBlock[:len(infoBlock)-8], &block{}, io.ErrUnexpectedEOF},
 	}
 
+	b := &block{}
 	for i, tt := range tests {
 		buf := bytes.NewBuffer(tt.data)
-		b, e := readBlock(buf)
+		e := readBlock(buf, b)
 		if !reflect.DeepEqual(b, tt.wb) {
 			t.Errorf("#%d: block = %v, want %v", i, b, tt.wb)
 		}
 		if !reflect.DeepEqual(e, tt.we) {
 			t.Errorf("#%d: err = %v, want %v", i, e, tt.we)
 		}
+		b = &block{}
 	}
 }
 
 func TestWriteBlock(t *testing.T) {
+	b := &block{}
 	typ := int64(0xABCD)
 	d := []byte("Hello world!")
 	buf := new(bytes.Buffer)
 	writeBlock(buf, typ, d)
-	b, err := readBlock(buf)
+	err := readBlock(buf, b)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("err = %v, want nil", err)
 	}
diff --git a/wal/wal.go b/wal/wal.go
index 74bec75ef..934e688c3 100644
--- a/wal/wal.go
+++ b/wal/wal.go
@@ -19,8 +19,9 @@ var (
 )
 
 type WAL struct {
-	f  *os.File
-	bw *bufio.Writer
+	f   *os.File
+	bw  *bufio.Writer
+	buf *bytes.Buffer
 }
 
 func New(path string) (*WAL, error) {
@@ -35,7 +36,8 @@ func New(path string) (*WAL, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	bw := bufio.NewWriter(f)
-	return &WAL{f, bw}, nil
+	buf := new(bytes.Buffer)
+	return &WAL{f, bw, buf}, nil
 }
 
 func Open(path string) (*WAL, error) {
@@ -44,7 +46,8 @@ func Open(path string) (*WAL, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	bw := bufio.NewWriter(f)
-	return &WAL{f, bw}, nil
+	buf := new(bytes.Buffer)
+	return &WAL{f, bw, buf}, nil
 }
 
 func (w *WAL) Close() {
@@ -58,13 +61,12 @@ func (w *WAL) SaveInfo(id int64) error {
 	if err := w.checkAtHead(); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	// cache the buffer?
-	buf := new(bytes.Buffer)
-	err := binary.Write(buf, binary.LittleEndian, id)
+	w.buf.Reset()
+	err := binary.Write(w.buf, binary.LittleEndian, id)
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
-	return writeBlock(w.bw, infoType, buf.Bytes())
+	return writeBlock(w.bw, infoType, w.buf.Bytes())
 }
 
 func (w *WAL) SaveEntry(e *raft.Entry) error {
@@ -77,13 +79,12 @@ func (w *WAL) SaveEntry(e *raft.Entry) error {
 }
 
 func (w *WAL) SaveState(s *raft.State) error {
-	// cache the buffer?
-	buf := new(bytes.Buffer)
-	err := binary.Write(buf, binary.LittleEndian, s)
+	w.buf.Reset()
+	err := binary.Write(w.buf, binary.LittleEndian, s)
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
-	return writeBlock(w.bw, stateType, buf.Bytes())
+	return writeBlock(w.bw, stateType, w.buf.Bytes())
 }
 
 func (w *WAL) Flush() error {
@@ -112,8 +113,9 @@ func (w *WAL) LoadNode() (*Node, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	br := bufio.NewReader(w.f)
+	b := &block{}
 
-	b, err := readBlock(br)
+	err := readBlock(br, b)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -127,7 +129,7 @@ func (w *WAL) LoadNode() (*Node, error) {
 
 	ents := make([]raft.Entry, 0)
 	var state raft.State
-	for b, err = readBlock(br); err == nil; b, err = readBlock(br) {
+	for err = readBlock(br, b); err == nil; err = readBlock(br, b) {
 		switch b.t {
 		case entryType:
 			e, err := loadEntry(b.d)