diff --git a/types/reflect.go b/types/reflect.go
index 90a348a..67d8752 100644
--- a/types/reflect.go
+++ b/types/reflect.go
@@ -400,9 +400,16 @@ func serializePointedAt(s *Serializer, t reflect.Type, p unsafe.Pointer) {
 	}
 	s.regions = append(s.regions, region)
 
-	regionSer := s.fork()
-	serializeAny(regionSer, r.typ, r.addr)
-	region.Data = regionSer.b
+	if r.typ.Kind() == reflect.Array && r.typ.Elem().Kind() == reflect.Uint8 {
+		// Fast path for byte arrays.
+		if n := r.typ.Len(); n > 0 {
+			region.Data = unsafe.Slice((*byte)(r.addr), n)
+		}
+	} else {
+		regionSer := s.fork()
+		serializeAny(regionSer, r.typ, r.addr)
+		region.Data = regionSer.b
+	}
 }
 
 func deserializePointedAt(d *Deserializer, t reflect.Type) reflect.Value {
@@ -441,11 +448,19 @@ func deserializePointedAt(d *Deserializer, t reflect.Type) reflect.Value {
 
 		regionType := d.types.ToReflect(typeid(region.Type))
 
-		regionDeser := d.fork(region.Data)
 		container := reflect.New(regionType)
 		p = container.UnsafePointer()
 		d.store(sID(id), p)
-		deserializeAny(regionDeser, regionType, p)
+
+		if regionType.Kind() == reflect.Array && regionType.Elem().Kind() == reflect.Uint8 {
+			// Fast path for byte arrays.
+			if n := regionType.Len(); n > 0 {
+				copy(unsafe.Slice((*byte)(p), n), region.Data)
+			}
+		} else {
+			regionDeser := d.fork(region.Data)
+			deserializeAny(regionDeser, regionType, p)
+		}
 	}
 
 	// Create the pointer with an offset into the container.
diff --git a/types/serde_test.go b/types/serde_test.go
index f97efaf..6b72edd 100644
--- a/types/serde_test.go
+++ b/types/serde_test.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"reflect"
 	"strconv"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 	"unsafe"
@@ -915,3 +916,21 @@ func testReflect(t *testing.T, name string, f func(t *testing.T)) {
 	t.Helper()
 	t.Run(name, f)
 }
+
+func BenchmarkRoundtripString(b *testing.B) {
+	s := strings.Repeat("x", 1000)
+
+	b.ResetTimer()
+	b.ReportAllocs()
+
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		buf, err := Serialize(s)
+		if err != nil {
+			b.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		_, err = Deserialize(buf)
+		if err != nil {
+			b.Fatal(err)
+		}
+	}
+}