diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/BytesStreamOutput.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/BytesStreamOutput.java
index 378a5fecb7ac8..52756377b5a3e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/BytesStreamOutput.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/BytesStreamOutput.java
@@ -31,7 +31,9 @@
  */
 public class BytesStreamOutput extends StreamOutput implements BytesStream {
 
-    public static final int DEFAULT_SIZE = 32 * 1024;
+    public static final int DEFAULT_SIZE = 2 * 1024;
+
+    public static final int OVERSIZE_LIMIT = 256 * 1024;
 
     /**
      * The buffer where data is stored.
@@ -73,7 +75,7 @@ public void seek(long position) throws IOException {
     public void writeByte(byte b) throws IOException {
         int newcount = count + 1;
         if (newcount > buf.length) {
-            buf = ArrayUtil.grow(buf, newcount);
+            buf = grow(newcount);
         }
         buf[count] = b;
         count = newcount;
@@ -82,7 +84,7 @@ public void writeByte(byte b) throws IOException {
     public void skip(int length) {
         int newcount = count + length;
         if (newcount > buf.length) {
-            buf = ArrayUtil.grow(buf, newcount);
+            buf = grow(newcount);
         }
         count = newcount;
     }
@@ -94,12 +96,20 @@ public void writeBytes(byte[] b, int offset, int length) throws IOException {
         }
         int newcount = count + length;
         if (newcount > buf.length) {
-            buf = ArrayUtil.grow(buf, newcount);
+            buf = grow(newcount);
         }
         System.arraycopy(b, offset, buf, count, length);
         count = newcount;
     }
 
+    private byte[] grow(int newCount) {
+        // try and grow faster while we are small...
+        if (newCount < OVERSIZE_LIMIT) {
+            newCount = Math.max(buf.length << 1, newCount);
+        }
+        return ArrayUtil.grow(buf, newCount);
+    }
+
     public void seek(int seekTo) {
         count = seekTo;
     }
@@ -108,6 +118,10 @@ public void reset() {
         count = 0;
     }
 
+    public int bufferSize() {
+        return buf.length;
+    }
+
     @Override
     public void flush() throws IOException {
         // nothing to do there
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/unit/common/io/streams/BytesStreamsTests.java b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/unit/common/io/streams/BytesStreamsTests.java
index c1f4dc450e30c..d4ee4fff5351f 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/unit/common/io/streams/BytesStreamsTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/unit/common/io/streams/BytesStreamsTests.java
@@ -60,4 +60,17 @@ public void testSimpleStreams() throws Exception {
         assertThat(in.readString(), equalTo("hello"));
         assertThat(in.readString(), equalTo("goodbye"));
     }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testGrowLogic() throws Exception {
+        BytesStreamOutput out = new BytesStreamOutput();
+        out.writeBytes(new byte[BytesStreamOutput.DEFAULT_SIZE - 5]);
+        assertThat(out.bufferSize(), equalTo(2048)); // remains the default
+        out.writeBytes(new byte[1 * 1024]);
+        assertThat(out.bufferSize(), equalTo(4608));
+        out.writeBytes(new byte[32 * 1024]);
+        assertThat(out.bufferSize(), equalTo(40320));
+        out.writeBytes(new byte[32 * 1024]);
+        assertThat(out.bufferSize(), equalTo(90720));
+    }
 }