diff --git a/app/handle-auth.go b/app/handle-auth.go
index dc1362e..a835de1 100644
--- a/app/handle-auth.go
+++ b/app/handle-auth.go
@@ -14,6 +14,11 @@ func (l *Listener) HandleAuth(b []byte) (err error) {
 	if rem, err = env.Unmarshal(b); chk.E(err) {
 		return
 	}
+	defer func() {
+		if env != nil && env.Event != nil {
+			env.Event.Free()
+		}
+	}()
 	if len(rem) > 0 {
 		log.I.F("extra '%s'", rem)
 	}
diff --git a/app/handle-event.go b/app/handle-event.go
index 50f5d73..3a69ebf 100644
--- a/app/handle-event.go
+++ b/app/handle-event.go
@@ -21,6 +21,11 @@ func (l *Listener) HandleEvent(msg []byte) (err error) {
 	if msg, err = env.Unmarshal(msg); chk.E(err) {
 		return
 	}
+	defer func() {
+		if env != nil && env.E != nil {
+			env.E.Free()
+		}
+	}()
 	if len(msg) > 0 {
 		log.I.F("extra '%s'", msg)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/database/export.go b/pkg/database/export.go
index 4339e99..c2576b8 100644
--- a/pkg/database/export.go
+++ b/pkg/database/export.go
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ func (d *D) Export(c context.Context, w io.Writer, pubkeys ...[]byte) {
 					if _, err = w.Write([]byte{'\n'}); chk.E(err) {
 						return
 					}
+					ev.Free()
 					evBuf.Reset()
 				}
 				return
@@ -86,14 +87,15 @@ func (d *D) Export(c context.Context, w io.Writer, pubkeys ...[]byte) {
 						if err = ev.UnmarshalBinary(evBuf); chk.E(err) {
 							continue
 						}
-						// Serialize the event to JSON and write it to the output
-						if _, err = w.Write(ev.Serialize()); chk.E(err) {
-							continue
-						}
-						if _, err = w.Write([]byte{'\n'}); chk.E(err) {
-							continue
-						}
-						evBuf.Reset()
+ 					// Serialize the event to JSON and write it to the output
+ 					if _, err = w.Write(ev.Serialize()); chk.E(err) {
+ 						continue
+ 					}
+ 					if _, err = w.Write([]byte{'\n'}); chk.E(err) {
+ 						continue
+ 					}
+ 					ev.Free()
+ 					evBuf.Reset()
 					}
 					return
 				},
diff --git a/pkg/database/import.go b/pkg/database/import.go
index 3008733..6e30586 100644
--- a/pkg/database/import.go
+++ b/pkg/database/import.go
@@ -52,17 +52,22 @@ func (d *D) Import(rr io.Reader) {
 				continue
 			}
 
-			ev := &event.E{}
+			ev := event.New()
 			if _, err = ev.Unmarshal(b); err != nil {
+				// return the pooled buffer on error
+				ev.Free()
 				continue
 			}
 
 			if _, _, err = d.SaveEvent(d.ctx, ev); err != nil {
+				// return the pooled buffer on error paths too
+				ev.Free()
 				continue
 			}
 
+			// return the pooled buffer after successful save
+			ev.Free()
 			b = nil
-			ev = nil
 			count++
 			if count%100 == 0 {
 				log.I.F("received %d events", count)