diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index c31fbcab..41d9837e 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ byteorder = "0.5"
 hex = "0.2"
 log = "0.3"
 phf = "=0.7.15"
+postgres-protocol = { git = "https://github.com/sfackler/rust-postgres-protocol" }
 bit-vec = { version = "0.4", optional = true }
 chrono = { version = "0.2.14", optional = true }
 eui48 = { version = "0.1", optional = true }
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 6de081d3..f7c6ba60 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ extern crate hex;
 #[macro_use]
 extern crate log;
 extern crate phf;
+extern crate postgres_protocol;
 
 use bufstream::BufStream;
 use md5::Md5;
@@ -60,6 +61,7 @@ use std::mem;
 use std::result;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 use std::time::Duration;
+use postgres_protocol::message::frontend;
 
 use error::{Error, ConnectError, SqlState, DbError};
 use io::{TlsStream, TlsHandshake};
@@ -205,6 +207,7 @@ struct StatementInfo {
 
 struct InnerConnection {
     stream: BufStream<Box<TlsStream>>,
+    io_buf: Vec<u8>,
     notice_handler: Box<HandleNotice>,
     notifications: VecDeque<Notification>,
     cancel_data: CancelData,
@@ -246,6 +249,7 @@ impl InnerConnection {
 
         let mut conn = InnerConnection {
             stream: BufStream::new(stream),
+            io_buf: vec![],
             next_stmt_id: 0,
             notice_handler: Box::new(LoggingNoticeHandler),
             notifications: VecDeque::new(),
@@ -274,10 +278,10 @@ impl InnerConnection {
             options.push(("database".to_owned(), database));
         }
 
-        try!(conn.write_messages(&[Frontend::StartupMessage {
-                                       version: message::PROTOCOL_VERSION,
-                                       parameters: &options,
-                                   }]));
+        try!(conn.write_message(&frontend::StartupMessage {
+            parameters: &options,
+        }));
+        try!(conn.stream.flush());
 
         try!(conn.handle_auth(user));
 
@@ -296,6 +300,14 @@ impl InnerConnection {
         Ok(conn)
     }
 
+    fn write_message<M>(&mut self, message: &M) -> std_io::Result<()>
+        where M: frontend::Message
+    {
+        self.io_buf.clear();
+        try!(message.write(&mut self.io_buf));
+        self.stream.write_all(&self.io_buf)
+    }
+
     fn write_messages(&mut self, messages: &[Frontend]) -> std_io::Result<()> {
         debug_assert!(!self.desynchronized);
         for message in messages {
@@ -380,7 +392,8 @@ impl InnerConnection {
                 let pass = try!(user.password.ok_or_else(|| {
                     ConnectError::ConnectParams("a password was requested but not provided".into())
                 }));
-                try!(self.write_messages(&[Frontend::PasswordMessage { password: &pass }]));
+                try!(self.write_message(&frontend::PasswordMessage { password: &pass }));
+                try!(self.stream.flush());
             }
             Backend::AuthenticationMD5Password { salt } => {
                 let pass = try!(user.password.ok_or_else(|| {
@@ -394,7 +407,8 @@ impl InnerConnection {
                 hasher.input(output.as_bytes());
                 hasher.input(&salt);
                 let output = format!("md5{}", hasher.result_str());
-                try!(self.write_messages(&[Frontend::PasswordMessage { password: &output }]));
+                try!(self.write_message(&frontend::PasswordMessage { password: &output }));
+                try!(self.stream.flush());
             }
             Backend::AuthenticationKerberosV5 |
             Backend::AuthenticationSCMCredential |
diff --git a/src/message.rs b/src/message.rs
index 67576cfa..b46c66b3 100644
--- a/src/message.rs
+++ b/src/message.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ use byteorder::{BigEndian, ReadBytesExt, WriteBytesExt};
 use types::Oid;
 use priv_io::StreamOptions;
 
-pub const PROTOCOL_VERSION: u32 = 0x0003_0000;
 pub const CANCEL_CODE: u32 = 80877102;
 pub const SSL_CODE: u32 = 80877103;
 
@@ -122,19 +121,12 @@ pub enum Frontend<'a> {
         query: &'a str,
         param_types: &'a [Oid],
     },
-    PasswordMessage {
-        password: &'a str,
-    },
     Query {
         query: &'a str,
     },
     SslRequest {
         code: u32,
     },
-    StartupMessage {
-        version: u32,
-        parameters: &'a [(String, String)],
-    },
     Sync,
     Terminate,
 }
@@ -227,22 +219,10 @@ impl<W: Write> WriteMessage for W {
                     try!(buf.write_u32::<BigEndian>(ty));
                 }
             }
-            Frontend::PasswordMessage { password } => {
-                ident = Some(b'p');
-                try!(buf.write_cstr(password));
-            }
             Frontend::Query { query } => {
                 ident = Some(b'Q');
                 try!(buf.write_cstr(query));
             }
-            Frontend::StartupMessage { version, parameters } => {
-                try!(buf.write_u32::<BigEndian>(version));
-                for &(ref k, ref v) in parameters {
-                    try!(buf.write_cstr(&**k));
-                    try!(buf.write_cstr(&**v));
-                }
-                try!(buf.write_u8(0));
-            }
             Frontend::SslRequest { code } => try!(buf.write_u32::<BigEndian>(code)),
             Frontend::Sync => ident = Some(b'S'),
             Frontend::Terminate => ident = Some(b'X'),