diff --git a/src/subprocess.zig b/src/subprocess.zig
index 489297a..ce3e2fb 100644
--- a/src/subprocess.zig
+++ b/src/subprocess.zig
@@ -4,10 +4,11 @@ const tp = @import("thespian.zig");
 
 pid: ?tp.pid,
 stdin_behavior: std.process.Child.StdIo,
-write_buf: [max_chunk_size]u8 = undefined,
 
 const Self = @This();
 pub const max_chunk_size = 4096 - 32;
+pub const Writer = std.io.Writer(*Self, error{Exit}, write);
+pub const BufferedWriter = std.io.BufferedWriter(max_chunk_size, Writer);
 
 pub fn init(a: std.mem.Allocator, argv: tp.message, tag: [:0]const u8, stdin_behavior: std.process.Child.StdIo) !Self {
     return .{
@@ -23,48 +24,11 @@ pub fn deinit(self: *Self) void {
     }
 }
 
-pub fn write(self: *Self, bytes: []const u8) error{WriteFailed}!usize {
-    self.send(bytes) catch return error.WriteFailed;
+pub fn write(self: *Self, bytes: []const u8) error{Exit}!usize {
+    try self.send(bytes);
     return bytes.len;
 }
 
-pub const Writer = struct {
-    subprocess: *Self,
-    interface: std.Io.Writer,
-};
-
-pub fn writer(self: *Self, buffer: []u8) Writer {
-    return .{
-        .subprocess = self,
-        .interface = .{
-            .vtable = &.{
-                .drain = drain,
-                .flush = std.Io.Writer.noopFlush,
-                .rebase = std.Io.Writer.failingRebase,
-            },
-            .buffer = buffer,
-        },
-    };
-}
-
-fn drain(w: *std.Io.Writer, data_: []const []const u8, splat: usize) std.Io.Writer.Error!usize {
-    const writer_: *Self.Writer = @alignCast(@fieldParentPtr("interface", w));
-    std.debug.assert(splat == 0);
-    if (data_.len == 0) return 0;
-    var written: usize = 0;
-    for (data_[0 .. data_.len - 1]) |bytes| {
-        written += try writer_.subprocess.write(bytes);
-    }
-    const pattern_ = data_[data_.len - 1];
-    switch (pattern_.len) {
-        0 => return written,
-        else => for (0..splat) |_| {
-            written += try writer_.subprocess.write(pattern_);
-        },
-    }
-    return written;
-}
-
 pub fn send(self: *const Self, bytes_: []const u8) tp.result {
     if (self.stdin_behavior != .Pipe) return tp.exit("cannot send to closed stdin");
     const pid = if (self.pid) |pid| pid else return tp.exit_error(error.Closed, null);
@@ -92,6 +56,14 @@ pub fn term(self: *Self) tp.result {
     if (self.pid) |pid| if (!pid.expired()) try pid.send(.{"term"});
 }
 
+pub fn writer(self: *Self) Writer {
+    return .{ .context = self };
+}
+
+pub fn bufferedWriter(self: *Self) BufferedWriter {
+    return .{ .unbuffered_writer = self.writer() };
+}
+
 const Proc = struct {
     a: std.mem.Allocator,
     receiver: Receiver,
diff --git a/src/thespian.zig b/src/thespian.zig
index 70d4760..3b50feb 100644
--- a/src/thespian.zig
+++ b/src/thespian.zig
@@ -183,11 +183,9 @@ pub const message = struct {
         return fmtbuf_internal(buf, .{value});
     }
 
-    fn fmtbuf_internal(buf: []u8, value: anytype) error{NoSpaceLeft}!Self {
+    fn fmtbuf_internal(buf: []u8, value: anytype) !Self {
         var stream: std.Io.Writer = .fixed(buf);
-        cbor.writeValue(&stream, value) catch |e| return switch (e) {
-            error.WriteFailed => error.NoSpaceLeft,
-        };
+        try cbor.writeValue(&stream, value);
         return .{ .buf = stream.buffered() };
     }
 
@@ -223,7 +221,7 @@ pub const message = struct {
     }
 
     pub fn format(self: @This(), writer: anytype) std.Io.Writer.Error!void {
-        return cbor.toJsonWriter(self.buf, writer, .{}) catch error.WriteFailed;
+        return cbor.toJsonWriter(self.buf, writer, .{});
     }
 };