diff --git a/transport/response.hh b/transport/response.hh
index 5844e1646f..7c6e7cb1f7 100644
--- a/transport/response.hh
+++ b/transport/response.hh
@@ -49,15 +49,14 @@ class cql_server::response {
     int16_t           _stream;
     cql_binary_opcode _opcode;
     uint8_t           _flags = 0; // a bitwise OR mask of zero or more cql_frame_flags values
-    std::vector<char> _body;
+    bytes_ostream _body;
 public:
     response(int16_t stream, cql_binary_opcode opcode, const tracing::trace_state_ptr& tr_state_ptr)
         : _stream{stream}
         , _opcode{opcode}
-        , _body(tracing::should_return_id_in_response(tr_state_ptr) ? utils::UUID::serialized_size() : 0)
     {
         if (tracing::should_return_id_in_response(tr_state_ptr)) {
-            auto i = _body.begin();
+            auto i = _body.write_place_holder(utils::UUID::serialized_size());
             tr_state_ptr->session_id().serialize(i);
             set_frame_flag(cql_frame_flags::tracing);
         }
@@ -92,8 +91,8 @@ public:
     }
 private:
     void compress(cql_compression compression);
-    std::vector<char> compress_lz4(const std::vector<char>& body);
-    std::vector<char> compress_snappy(const std::vector<char>& body);
+    void compress_lz4();
+    void compress_snappy();
 
     template <typename CqlFrameHeaderType>
     sstring make_frame_one(uint8_t version, size_t length) {
diff --git a/transport/server.cc b/transport/server.cc
index c44184fdb3..8cb42bc869 100644
--- a/transport/server.cc
+++ b/transport/server.cc
@@ -1521,7 +1521,9 @@ cql_server::response::output(output_stream<char>& out, uint8_t version, cql_comp
     std::copy_n(frame.begin(), frame.size(), tmp.get_write());
     auto f = out.write(tmp.get(), tmp.size());
     return f.then([this, &out, tmp = std::move(tmp)] {
-        return out.write(_body.data(), _body.size());
+        return seastar::do_for_each(_body.begin(), _body.end(), [&out] (bytes_view fragment) {
+            return out.write(reinterpret_cast<const char*>(fragment.data()), fragment.size());
+        });
     });
 }
 
@@ -1529,10 +1531,10 @@ void cql_server::response::compress(cql_compression compression)
 {
     switch (compression) {
     case cql_compression::lz4:
-        _body = compress_lz4(_body);
+        compress_lz4();
         break;
     case cql_compression::snappy:
-        _body = compress_snappy(_body);
+        compress_snappy();
         break;
     default:
         throw std::invalid_argument("Invalid CQL compression algorithm");
@@ -1540,10 +1542,11 @@ void cql_server::response::compress(cql_compression compression)
     set_frame_flag(cql_frame_flags::compression);
 }
 
-std::vector<char> cql_server::response::compress_lz4(const std::vector<char>& body)
+void cql_server::response::compress_lz4()
 {
-    const char* input = body.data();
-    size_t input_len = body.size();
+    auto view = _body.linearize();
+    const char* input = reinterpret_cast<const char*>(view.data());
+    size_t input_len = view.size();
     std::vector<char> comp;
     comp.resize(LZ4_COMPRESSBOUND(input_len) + 4);
     char *output = comp.data();
@@ -1561,13 +1564,15 @@ std::vector<char> cql_server::response::compress_lz4(const std::vector<char>& bo
     }
     size_t output_len = ret + 4;
     comp.resize(output_len);
-    return comp;
+    _body = { };
+    _body.write(comp.data(), comp.size());
 }
 
-std::vector<char> cql_server::response::compress_snappy(const std::vector<char>& body)
+void cql_server::response::compress_snappy()
 {
-    const char* input = body.data();
-    size_t input_len = body.size();
+    auto view = _body.linearize();
+    const char* input = reinterpret_cast<const char*>(view.data());
+    size_t input_len = view.size();
     std::vector<char> comp;
     size_t output_len = snappy_max_compressed_length(input_len);
     comp.resize(output_len);
@@ -1576,7 +1581,8 @@ std::vector<char> cql_server::response::compress_snappy(const std::vector<char>&
         throw std::runtime_error("CQL frame Snappy compression failure");
     }
     comp.resize(output_len);
-    return comp;
+    _body = { };
+    _body.write(comp.data(), comp.size());
 }
 
 void cql_server::response::serialize(const event::schema_change& event, uint8_t version)
@@ -1609,28 +1615,29 @@ void cql_server::response::serialize(const event::schema_change& event, uint8_t
 
 void cql_server::response::write_byte(uint8_t b)
 {
-    _body.insert(_body.end(), b);
+    auto s = reinterpret_cast<const int8_t*>(&b);
+    _body.write(bytes_view(s, sizeof(b)));
 }
 
 void cql_server::response::write_int(int32_t n)
 {
     auto u = htonl(n);
-    auto *s = reinterpret_cast<const char*>(&u);
-    _body.insert(_body.end(), s, s+sizeof(u));
+    auto *s = reinterpret_cast<const int8_t*>(&u);
+    _body.write(bytes_view(s, sizeof(u)));
 }
 
 void cql_server::response::write_long(int64_t n)
 {
     auto u = htonq(n);
-    auto *s = reinterpret_cast<const char*>(&u);
-    _body.insert(_body.end(), s, s+sizeof(u));
+    auto *s = reinterpret_cast<const int8_t*>(&u);
+    _body.write(bytes_view(s, sizeof(u)));
 }
 
 void cql_server::response::write_short(uint16_t n)
 {
     auto u = htons(n);
-    auto *s = reinterpret_cast<const char*>(&u);
-    _body.insert(_body.end(), s, s+sizeof(u));
+    auto *s = reinterpret_cast<const int8_t*>(&u);
+    _body.write(bytes_view(s, sizeof(u)));
 }
 
 template<typename T>
@@ -1646,19 +1653,19 @@ T cast_if_fits(size_t v) {
 void cql_server::response::write_string(const sstring& s)
 {
     write_short(cast_if_fits<uint16_t>(s.size()));
-    _body.insert(_body.end(), s.begin(), s.end());
+    _body.write(bytes_view(reinterpret_cast<const int8_t*>(s.data()), s.size()));
 }
 
 void cql_server::response::write_bytes_as_string(bytes_view s)
 {
     write_short(cast_if_fits<uint16_t>(s.size()));
-    _body.insert(_body.end(), s.begin(), s.end());
+    _body.write(s);
 }
 
 void cql_server::response::write_long_string(const sstring& s)
 {
     write_int(cast_if_fits<int32_t>(s.size()));
-    _body.insert(_body.end(), s.begin(), s.end());
+    _body.write(bytes_view(reinterpret_cast<const int8_t*>(s.data()), s.size()));
 }
 
 void cql_server::response::write_string_list(std::vector<sstring> string_list)
@@ -1672,13 +1679,13 @@ void cql_server::response::write_string_list(std::vector<sstring> string_list)
 void cql_server::response::write_bytes(bytes b)
 {
     write_int(cast_if_fits<int32_t>(b.size()));
-    _body.insert(_body.end(), b.begin(), b.end());
+    _body.write(b);
 }
 
 void cql_server::response::write_short_bytes(bytes b)
 {
     write_short(cast_if_fits<uint16_t>(b.size()));
-    _body.insert(_body.end(), b.begin(), b.end());
+    _body.write(b);
 }
 
 void cql_server::response::write_inet(ipv4_addr inet)
@@ -1731,7 +1738,7 @@ void cql_server::response::write_value(bytes_opt value)
     }
 
     write_int(value->size());
-    _body.insert(_body.end(), value->begin(), value->end());
+    _body.write(*value);
 }
 
 class type_codec {