diff --git a/lib/internal/child_process/serialization.js b/lib/internal/child_process/serialization.js
index ec858f401bea9e..497bf233d77897 100644
--- a/lib/internal/child_process/serialization.js
+++ b/lib/internal/child_process/serialization.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ const {
   JSONParse,
   JSONStringify,
   StringPrototypeSplit,
+  ArrayPrototypePush,
   Symbol,
   TypedArrayPrototypeSubarray,
 } = primordials;
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@ const assert = require('internal/assert');
 const { streamBaseState, kLastWriteWasAsync } = internalBinding('stream_wrap');
 
 const kMessageBuffer = Symbol('kMessageBuffer');
+const kMessageBufferSize = Symbol('kMessageBufferSize');
 const kJSONBuffer = Symbol('kJSONBuffer');
 const kStringDecoder = Symbol('kStringDecoder');
 
@@ -51,47 +53,77 @@ class ChildProcessDeserializer extends v8.DefaultDeserializer {
 //   (aka 'advanced')
 const advanced = {
   initMessageChannel(channel) {
-    channel[kMessageBuffer] = Buffer.alloc(0);
+    channel[kMessageBuffer] = [];
+    channel[kMessageBufferSize] = 0;
     channel.buffering = false;
   },
 
   *parseChannelMessages(channel, readData) {
     if (readData.length === 0) return;
 
-    let messageBuffer = Buffer.concat([channel[kMessageBuffer], readData]);
-    while (messageBuffer.length > 4) {
-      const size = messageBuffer.readUInt32BE();
-      if (messageBuffer.length < 4 + size) {
-        break;
-      }
+    ArrayPrototypePush(channel[kMessageBuffer], readData);
+    channel[kMessageBufferSize] += readData.length;
+
+    // Index 0 should always be present because we just pushed data into it.
+    let messageBufferHead = channel[kMessageBuffer][0];
+    while (messageBufferHead.length >= 4) {
+      // We call `readUInt32BE` manually here, because this is faster than first converting
+      // it to a buffer and using `readUInt32BE` on that.
+      const fullMessageSize = (
+        messageBufferHead[0] << 24 |
+        messageBufferHead[1] << 16 |
+        messageBufferHead[2] << 8 |
+        messageBufferHead[3]
+      ) + 4;
+
+      if (channel[kMessageBufferSize] < fullMessageSize) break;
+
+      const concatenatedBuffer = channel[kMessageBuffer].length === 1 ?
+        channel[kMessageBuffer][0] :
+        Buffer.concat(
+          channel[kMessageBuffer],
+          channel[kMessageBufferSize]
+        );
 
       const deserializer = new ChildProcessDeserializer(
-        TypedArrayPrototypeSubarray(messageBuffer, 4, 4 + size));
-      messageBuffer = TypedArrayPrototypeSubarray(messageBuffer, 4 + size);
+        TypedArrayPrototypeSubarray(concatenatedBuffer, 4, fullMessageSize)
+      );
+
+      messageBufferHead = TypedArrayPrototypeSubarray(concatenatedBuffer, fullMessageSize);
+      channel[kMessageBufferSize] = messageBufferHead.length;
+      channel[kMessageBuffer] =
+        channel[kMessageBufferSize] !== 0 ? [messageBufferHead] : [];
 
       deserializer.readHeader();
       yield deserializer.readValue();
     }
-    channel[kMessageBuffer] = messageBuffer;
-    channel.buffering = messageBuffer.length > 0;
+
+    channel.buffering = channel[kMessageBufferSize] > 0;
   },
 
   writeChannelMessage(channel, req, message, handle) {
     const ser = new ChildProcessSerializer();
+    // Add 4 bytes, to later populate with message length
+    ser.writeRawBytes(Buffer.allocUnsafe(4));
     ser.writeHeader();
     ser.writeValue(message);
+
     const serializedMessage = ser.releaseBuffer();
-    const sizeBuffer = Buffer.allocUnsafe(4);
-    sizeBuffer.writeUInt32BE(serializedMessage.length);
-
-    const buffer = Buffer.concat([
-      sizeBuffer,
-      serializedMessage,
-    ]);
-    const result = channel.writeBuffer(req, buffer, handle);
+    const serializedMessageLength = serializedMessage.length - 4;
+
+    serializedMessage.set([
+      serializedMessageLength >> 24 & 0xFF,
+      serializedMessageLength >> 16 & 0xFF,
+      serializedMessageLength >> 8 & 0xFF,
+      serializedMessageLength & 0xFF,
+    ], 0);
+
+    const result = channel.writeBuffer(req, serializedMessage, handle);
+
     // Mirror what stream_base_commons.js does for Buffer retention.
     if (streamBaseState[kLastWriteWasAsync])
-      req.buffer = buffer;
+      req.buffer = serializedMessage;
+
     return result;
   },
 };