diff --git a/src/buffer.c b/src/buffer.c
index 9e7d267e..8cc01c74 100644
--- a/src/buffer.c
+++ b/src/buffer.c
@@ -786,6 +786,122 @@ struct ssh_string_struct *ssh_buffer_get_ssh_string(struct ssh_buffer_struct *bu
   return str;
 }
 
+/**
+ * @brief Pre-calculate the size we need for packing the buffer.
+ *
+ * This makes sure that enough memory is allocated for packing the buffer and
+ * we only have to do one memory allocation.
+ *
+ * @param[in]  buffer    The buffer to allocate
+ *
+ * @param[in]  format    A format string of arguments.
+ *
+ * @param[in]  argc      The number of arguments.
+ *
+ * @param[in]  ap        The va_list of arguments.
+ *
+ * @return SSH_OK on success, SSH_ERROR on error.
+ */
+static int ssh_buffer_pack_allocate_va(struct ssh_buffer_struct *buffer,
+                                       const char *format,
+                                       int argc,
+                                       va_list ap)
+{
+    const char *p = NULL;
+    ssh_string string = NULL;
+    char *cstring = NULL;
+    size_t needed_size = 0;
+    size_t count;
+    size_t len;
+    int rc = SSH_OK;
+
+    for (p = format, count = 0; *p != '\0'; p++, count++) {
+        /* Invalid number of arguments passed */
+        if (argc != -1 && count > argc) {
+            return SSH_ERROR;
+        }
+
+        switch(*p) {
+        case 'b':
+            va_arg(ap, unsigned int);
+            needed_size += sizeof(uint8_t);
+            break;
+        case 'w':
+            va_arg(ap, unsigned int);
+            needed_size += sizeof(uint16_t);
+            break;
+        case 'd':
+            va_arg(ap, uint32_t);
+            needed_size += sizeof(uint32_t);
+            break;
+        case 'q':
+            va_arg(ap, uint64_t);
+            needed_size += sizeof(uint64_t);
+            break;
+        case 'S':
+            string = va_arg(ap, ssh_string);
+            needed_size += 4 + ssh_string_len(string);
+            string = NULL;
+            break;
+        case 's':
+            cstring = va_arg(ap, char *);
+            needed_size += sizeof(uint32_t) + strlen(cstring);
+            cstring = NULL;
+            break;
+        case 'P':
+            len = va_arg(ap, size_t);
+            needed_size += len;
+            va_arg(ap, void *);
+            count++; /* increase argument count */
+            break;
+        case 'B':
+            va_arg(ap, bignum);
+            /*
+             * Use a fixed size for a bignum
+             * (they should normaly be around 32)
+             */
+            needed_size += 64;
+            break;
+        case 't':
+            cstring = va_arg(ap, char *);
+            needed_size += strlen(cstring);
+            cstring = NULL;
+            break;
+        default:
+            SSH_LOG(SSH_LOG_WARN, "Invalid buffer format %c", *p);
+            rc = SSH_ERROR;
+        }
+        if (rc != SSH_OK){
+            break;
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (argc != -1 && argc != count) {
+        return SSH_ERROR;
+    }
+
+    if (rc != SSH_ERROR){
+        /*
+         * Check if our canary is intact, if not, something really bad happened.
+         */
+        uint32_t canary = va_arg(ap, uint32_t);
+        if (canary != SSH_BUFFER_PACK_END) {
+            if (argc == -1){
+                return SSH_ERROR;
+            } else {
+                abort();
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    rc = ssh_buffer_allocate_size(buffer, needed_size);
+    if (rc != 0) {
+        return SSH_ERROR;
+    }
+
+    return SSH_OK;
+}
+
 /** @internal
  * @brief Add multiple values in a buffer on a single function call
  * @param[in] buffer    The buffer to add to
@@ -935,9 +1051,18 @@ int _ssh_buffer_pack(struct ssh_buffer_struct *buffer,
     va_list ap;
     int rc;
 
+    va_start(ap, argc);
+    rc = ssh_buffer_pack_allocate_va(buffer, format, argc, ap);
+    va_end(ap);
+
+    if (rc != SSH_OK) {
+        return rc;
+    }
+
     va_start(ap, argc);
     rc = ssh_buffer_pack_va(buffer, format, argc, ap);
     va_end(ap);
+
     return rc;
 }