diff --git a/core/java/src/net/i2p/data/LeaseSet.java b/core/java/src/net/i2p/data/LeaseSet.java
index 5bcf28b215fa71a55addbe9af3d98eaf59891616..4631644d6de8f0411377105d0b6dea8bc0fd77c0 100644
--- a/core/java/src/net/i2p/data/LeaseSet.java
+++ b/core/java/src/net/i2p/data/LeaseSet.java
@@ -72,6 +72,8 @@ public class LeaseSet extends DatabaseEntry {
     private List<Lease> _decryptedLeases;
     private boolean _decrypted;
     private boolean _checked;
+    // cached byte version
+    private volatile byte _byteified[];
 
     /**
      *  Unlimited before 0.6.3;
@@ -92,7 +94,7 @@ public class LeaseSet extends DatabaseEntry {
     private static final int OLD_MAX_LEASES = 6;
 
     public LeaseSet() {
-        _leases = new ArrayList<Lease>(OLD_MAX_LEASES);
+        _leases = new ArrayList<Lease>(2);
         _firstExpiration = Long.MAX_VALUE;
     }
 
@@ -286,6 +288,7 @@ public class LeaseSet extends DatabaseEntry {
     }
 
     protected byte[] getBytes() {
+        if (_byteified != null) return _byteified;
         if ((_destination == null) || (_encryptionKey == null) || (_signingKey == null))
             return null;
         int len = _destination.size()
@@ -298,8 +301,7 @@ public class LeaseSet extends DatabaseEntry {
             _destination.writeBytes(out);
             _encryptionKey.writeBytes(out);
             _signingKey.writeBytes(out);
-            DataHelper.writeLong(out, 1, _leases.size());
-            //DataHelper.writeLong(out, 4, _version);
+            out.write((byte) _leases.size());
             for (Lease lease : _leases)
                 lease.writeBytes(out);
         } catch (IOException ioe) {
@@ -308,6 +310,9 @@ public class LeaseSet extends DatabaseEntry {
             return null;
         }
         byte rv[] = out.toByteArray();
+        // if we are floodfill and this was published to us
+        if (_receivedAsPublished)
+            _byteified = rv;
         return rv;
     }
     
@@ -348,8 +353,7 @@ public class LeaseSet extends DatabaseEntry {
         _destination.writeBytes(out);
         _encryptionKey.writeBytes(out);
         _signingKey.writeBytes(out);
-        DataHelper.writeLong(out, 1, _leases.size());
-        //DataHelper.writeLong(out, 4, _version);
+        out.write((byte) _leases.size());
         for (Lease lease : _leases)
             lease.writeBytes(out);
         _signature.writeBytes(out);