diff --git a/frameio.go b/frameio.go
index d1e1ea8..8586697 100644
--- a/frameio.go
+++ b/frameio.go
@@ -3,12 +3,15 @@ package stario
 import (
 	"errors"
 	"io"
+	"sync"
 )
 
 // DefaultFrameReaderBufferSize is the default transport read chunk size used by
 // FrameReader.
 const DefaultFrameReaderBufferSize = 32 * 1024
 
+var framePayloadPool sync.Pool
+
 type frameReaderConnKey struct{}
 
 // FrameWriter adapts StarQueue framing helpers to an io.Writer.
@@ -56,12 +59,16 @@ func (writer *FrameWriter) WriteFramesBuffers(payloads ...[]byte) error {
 
 // FrameReader adapts StarQueue parsing helpers to an io.Reader.
 type FrameReader struct {
-	reader     io.Reader
-	queue      *StarQueue
-	connKey    interface{}
-	readSize   int
-	pending    [][]byte
-	pendingErr error
+	reader   io.Reader
+	queue    *StarQueue
+	connKey  interface{}
+	readSize int
+
+	header      [queHeaderSize]byte
+	headerRead  int
+	payload     []byte
+	payloadRead int
+	release     func()
 }
 
 // NewFrameReader creates a framing reader backed by queue. When queue is nil, a
@@ -107,44 +114,55 @@ func (reader *FrameReader) Next() ([]byte, error) {
 	if reader == nil || reader.reader == nil || reader.queue == nil {
 		return nil, io.ErrClosedPipe
 	}
-	if len(reader.pending) > 0 {
-		return reader.popPending(), nil
-	}
-	if reader.pendingErr != nil {
-		err := reader.pendingErr
-		reader.pendingErr = nil
+	payload, release, err := reader.NextPooled()
+	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	if reader.readSize <= 0 {
-		reader.readSize = DefaultFrameReaderBufferSize
-	}
-	buf := make([]byte, reader.readSize)
-	for {
-		n, readErr := reader.reader.Read(buf)
-		if n > 0 {
-			parseErr := reader.queue.ParseMessageOwned(buf[:n], reader.connKey, func(msg MsgQueue) error {
-				reader.pending = append(reader.pending, msg.Msg)
-				return nil
-			})
-			err := reader.normalizeReadErr(parseErr, readErr)
-			if len(reader.pending) > 0 {
-				reader.pendingErr = err
-				return reader.popPending(), nil
-			}
-			if err != nil {
-				return nil, err
-			}
-		}
-		if readErr != nil {
-			return nil, reader.normalizeReadErr(nil, readErr)
-		}
+	if release == nil {
+		return payload, nil
 	}
+	owned := cloneBytes(payload)
+	release()
+	return owned, nil
 }
 
-func (reader *FrameReader) popPending() []byte {
-	next := reader.pending[0]
-	reader.pending = reader.pending[1:]
-	return next
+// NextPooled returns the next frame payload. The caller must call release when
+// it is non-nil.
+func (reader *FrameReader) NextPooled() ([]byte, func(), error) {
+	if reader == nil || reader.reader == nil || reader.queue == nil {
+		return nil, nil, io.ErrClosedPipe
+	}
+	if err := reader.readHeader(); err != nil {
+		return nil, nil, err
+	}
+	if err := reader.ensurePayloadBuffer(true); err != nil {
+		return nil, nil, err
+	}
+	if len(reader.payload) > 0 {
+		if err := reader.readInto(reader.payload, &reader.payloadRead); err != nil {
+			return nil, nil, err
+		}
+	}
+	return reader.finishFrame()
+}
+
+// NextView reads the next frame and exposes its payload only for the duration
+// of fn.
+func (reader *FrameReader) NextView(fn func(FrameView) error) error {
+	if fn == nil {
+		return ErrQueueFrameHandlerNil
+	}
+	payload, release, err := reader.NextPooled()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if release != nil {
+		defer release()
+	}
+	return fn(FrameView{
+		Payload: payload,
+		Conn:    reader.connKey,
+	})
 }
 
 func joinFrameReaderError(parseErr error, readErr error) error {
@@ -167,25 +185,121 @@ func (reader *FrameReader) normalizeReadErr(parseErr error, readErr error) error
 }
 
 func (reader *FrameReader) hasBufferedState() bool {
-	if reader == nil || reader.queue == nil {
+	if reader == nil {
 		return false
 	}
-	stateAny, ok := reader.queue.states.Load(reader.connKey)
-	if !ok {
-		return false
-	}
-	state, ok := stateAny.(*queConnState)
-	if !ok {
-		return false
-	}
-	state.mu.Lock()
-	defer state.mu.Unlock()
-	return len(state.buf) > 0
+	return reader.headerRead > 0 || reader.payloadRead > 0 || len(reader.payload) > 0
 }
 
 func (reader *FrameReader) clearBufferedState() {
-	if reader == nil || reader.queue == nil {
+	if reader == nil {
 		return
 	}
-	reader.queue.states.Delete(reader.connKey)
+	reader.headerRead = 0
+	reader.payloadRead = 0
+	if reader.release != nil {
+		reader.release()
+	}
+	reader.release = nil
+	reader.payload = nil
+}
+
+func (reader *FrameReader) readHeader() error {
+	if reader.headerRead == queHeaderSize {
+		return nil
+	}
+	return reader.readInto(reader.header[:], &reader.headerRead)
+}
+
+func (reader *FrameReader) ensurePayloadBuffer(pooled bool) error {
+	if reader.payload != nil || reader.headerRead < queHeaderSize {
+		return nil
+	}
+	header, err := parseHeaderBytes(reader.header[:], reader.queue.maxLength)
+	if err != nil {
+		reader.clearBufferedState()
+		return err
+	}
+	if header.Length == 0 {
+		reader.payload = []byte{}
+		reader.release = nil
+		return nil
+	}
+	payloadLen := int(header.Length)
+	switch {
+	case reader.queue.Encode && reader.queue.DecodeFunc != nil:
+		reader.payload = make([]byte, payloadLen)
+	case pooled:
+		buf := getFramePayloadBuffer(payloadLen)
+		reader.payload = buf
+		reader.release = func() {
+			putFramePayloadBuffer(buf)
+		}
+	default:
+		reader.payload = make([]byte, payloadLen)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (reader *FrameReader) finishFrame() ([]byte, func(), error) {
+	payload := reader.payload
+	release := reader.release
+	reader.payload = nil
+	reader.payloadRead = 0
+	reader.release = nil
+	reader.headerRead = 0
+	if reader.queue.Encode && reader.queue.DecodeFunc != nil {
+		decoded := reader.queue.DecodeFunc(payload)
+		if release != nil {
+			release()
+			release = nil
+		}
+		payload = decoded
+	}
+	return payload, release, nil
+}
+
+func (reader *FrameReader) readInto(dst []byte, offset *int) error {
+	for *offset < len(dst) {
+		maxRead := len(dst) - *offset
+		if reader.readSize > 0 && maxRead > reader.readSize {
+			maxRead = reader.readSize
+		}
+		n, err := reader.reader.Read(dst[*offset : *offset+maxRead])
+		if n > 0 {
+			*offset += n
+		}
+		if err != nil {
+			if errors.Is(err, io.EOF) {
+				if *offset == 0 {
+					return io.EOF
+				}
+				if *offset < len(dst) {
+					return io.ErrUnexpectedEOF
+				}
+			}
+			return err
+		}
+		if n == 0 {
+			return io.ErrNoProgress
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func getFramePayloadBuffer(size int) []byte {
+	if size <= 0 {
+		return nil
+	}
+	if pooled, ok := framePayloadPool.Get().([]byte); ok && cap(pooled) >= size {
+		return pooled[:size]
+	}
+	return make([]byte, size)
+}
+
+func putFramePayloadBuffer(buf []byte) {
+	if cap(buf) == 0 || cap(buf) > 32*1024*1024 {
+		return
+	}
+	framePayloadPool.Put(buf[:0])
 }
diff --git a/frameio_test.go b/frameio_test.go
index e08a0f0..ed02cd1 100644
--- a/frameio_test.go
+++ b/frameio_test.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"errors"
 	"io"
+	"os"
 	"testing"
 )
 
@@ -24,6 +25,48 @@ func (reader *chunkedReader) Read(p []byte) (int, error) {
 	return n, nil
 }
 
+type trackingReader struct {
+	data         []byte
+	maxRequested int
+}
+
+func (reader *trackingReader) Read(p []byte) (int, error) {
+	if len(p) > reader.maxRequested {
+		reader.maxRequested = len(p)
+	}
+	if len(reader.data) == 0 {
+		return 0, io.EOF
+	}
+	n := copy(p, reader.data)
+	reader.data = reader.data[n:]
+	return n, nil
+}
+
+type stagedReaderStep struct {
+	data []byte
+	err  error
+}
+
+type stagedReader struct {
+	steps []stagedReaderStep
+	index int
+}
+
+func (reader *stagedReader) Read(p []byte) (int, error) {
+	if reader.index >= len(reader.steps) {
+		return 0, io.EOF
+	}
+	step := &reader.steps[reader.index]
+	n := copy(p, step.data)
+	step.data = step.data[n:]
+	if len(step.data) == 0 {
+		err := step.err
+		reader.index++
+		return n, err
+	}
+	return n, nil
+}
+
 func TestFrameWriterReaderRoundTrip(t *testing.T) {
 	var wire bytes.Buffer
 	writer := NewFrameWriter(&wire, nil)
@@ -68,6 +111,83 @@ func TestFrameReaderHandlesPartialTransportReads(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestFrameReaderSetReadBufferSizeLimitsUnderlyingReadSize(t *testing.T) {
+	var wire bytes.Buffer
+	writer := NewFrameWriter(&wire, nil)
+	if err := writer.WriteFrame([]byte("hello")); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("WriteFrame failed: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	source := &trackingReader{data: wire.Bytes()}
+	reader := NewFrameReader(source, nil)
+	reader.SetReadBufferSize(3)
+
+	got, err := reader.Next()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Next returned error: %v", err)
+	}
+	if string(got) != "hello" {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected frame: %q", got)
+	}
+	if got, want := source.maxRequested, 3; got != want {
+		t.Fatalf("max requested read size = %d, want %d", got, want)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestFrameReaderNextPooledAndNextView(t *testing.T) {
+	queue := NewQueue()
+	wire := append(queue.BuildMessage([]byte("alpha")), queue.BuildMessage([]byte("beta"))...)
+	reader := NewFrameReader(bytes.NewReader(wire), queue)
+
+	first, release, err := reader.NextPooled()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("NextPooled returned error: %v", err)
+	}
+	if string(first) != "alpha" {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected pooled frame: %q", first)
+	}
+	if release == nil {
+		t.Fatal("NextPooled should return a release func")
+	}
+	release()
+
+	var second string
+	if err := reader.NextView(func(view FrameView) error {
+		second = string(view.Payload)
+		return nil
+	}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("NextView returned error: %v", err)
+	}
+	if second != "beta" {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected view frame: %q", second)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestFrameReaderPreservesPartialFrameAcrossDeadline(t *testing.T) {
+	queue := NewQueue()
+	frame := queue.BuildMessage([]byte("hello"))
+	reader := NewFrameReader(&stagedReader{
+		steps: []stagedReaderStep{
+			{data: append([]byte(nil), frame[:5]...), err: os.ErrDeadlineExceeded},
+			{data: append([]byte(nil), frame[5:]...), err: nil},
+		},
+	}, queue)
+
+	if _, _, err := reader.NextPooled(); !errors.Is(err, os.ErrDeadlineExceeded) {
+		t.Fatalf("expected deadline exceeded on partial frame, got %v", err)
+	}
+	got, release, err := reader.NextPooled()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("NextPooled after deadline returned error: %v", err)
+	}
+	if string(got) != "hello" {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected frame after deadline: %q", got)
+	}
+	if release != nil {
+		release()
+	}
+}
+
 func TestFrameWriterNilWriterFails(t *testing.T) {
 	writer := NewFrameWriter(nil, nil)
 	if err := writer.WriteFrame([]byte("hello")); !errors.Is(err, io.ErrClosedPipe) {
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index fadce3f..34aceab 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 module b612.me/stario
 
-go 1.20
+go 1.18
 
 require golang.org/x/term v0.23.0