diff --git a/bench-streamer/src/main.rs b/bench-streamer/src/main.rs
index 70d8adb5d9..7aaed931f5 100644
--- a/bench-streamer/src/main.rs
+++ b/bench-streamer/src/main.rs
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
 
         let (s_reader, r_reader) = channel();
         read_channels.push(r_reader);
-        read_threads.push(receiver(Arc::new(read), &exit, s_reader, "bench-streamer"));
+        read_threads.push(receiver(Arc::new(read), &exit, s_reader));
     }
 
     let t_producer1 = producer(&addr, exit.clone());
diff --git a/core/src/fetch_stage.rs b/core/src/fetch_stage.rs
index bb7391303e..fab6152165 100644
--- a/core/src/fetch_stage.rs
+++ b/core/src/fetch_stage.rs
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ impl FetchStage {
     ) -> Self {
         let tpu_threads = sockets
             .into_iter()
-            .map(|socket| streamer::receiver(socket, &exit, sender.clone(), "fetch-stage"));
+            .map(|socket| streamer::receiver(socket, &exit, sender.clone()));
 
         let tpu_via_blobs_threads = tpu_via_blobs_sockets
             .into_iter()
diff --git a/core/src/packet.rs b/core/src/packet.rs
index 1bf6f810eb..68802f4276 100644
--- a/core/src/packet.rs
+++ b/core/src/packet.rs
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ impl fmt::Debug for Packet {
 impl Default for Packet {
     fn default() -> Packet {
         Packet {
-            data: [0u8; PACKET_DATA_SIZE],
+            data: unsafe { std::mem::uninitialized() },
             meta: Meta::default(),
         }
     }
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ pub struct Packets {
 impl Default for Packets {
     fn default() -> Packets {
         Packets {
-            packets: vec![Packet::default(); NUM_PACKETS],
+            packets: Vec::with_capacity(NUM_RCVMMSGS),
         }
     }
 }
@@ -208,8 +208,7 @@ pub enum BlobError {
 }
 
 impl Packets {
-    fn run_read_from(&mut self, socket: &UdpSocket) -> Result<usize> {
-        self.packets.resize(NUM_PACKETS, Packet::default());
+    pub fn recv_from(&mut self, socket: &UdpSocket) -> Result<usize> {
         let mut i = 0;
         //DOCUMENTED SIDE-EFFECT
         //Performance out of the IO without poll
@@ -220,11 +219,10 @@ impl Packets {
         socket.set_nonblocking(false)?;
         trace!("receiving on {}", socket.local_addr().unwrap());
         loop {
+            self.packets.resize(i + NUM_RCVMMSGS, Packet::default());
             match recv_mmsg(socket, &mut self.packets[i..]) {
                 Err(_) if i > 0 => {
-                    inc_new_counter_info!("packets-recv_count", i);
-                    debug!("got {:?} messages on {}", i, socket.local_addr().unwrap());
-                    return Ok(i);
+                    break;
                 }
                 Err(e) => {
                     trace!("recv_from err {:?}", e);
@@ -237,19 +235,16 @@ impl Packets {
                     trace!("got {} packets", npkts);
                     i += npkts;
                     if npkts != NUM_RCVMMSGS || i >= 1024 {
-                        inc_new_counter_info!("packets-recv_count", i);
-                        return Ok(i);
+                        break;
                     }
                 }
             }
         }
+        self.packets.truncate(i);
+        inc_new_counter_info!("packets-recv_count", i);
+        Ok(i)
     }
-    pub fn recv_from(&mut self, socket: &UdpSocket) -> Result<()> {
-        let sz = self.run_read_from(socket)?;
-        self.packets.resize(sz, Packet::default());
-        debug!("recv_from: {}", sz);
-        Ok(())
-    }
+
     pub fn send_to(&self, socket: &UdpSocket) -> Result<()> {
         for p in &self.packets {
             let a = p.meta.addr();
@@ -615,19 +610,26 @@ mod tests {
 
     #[test]
     pub fn packet_send_recv() {
-        let reader = UdpSocket::bind("127.0.0.1:0").expect("bind");
-        let addr = reader.local_addr().unwrap();
-        let sender = UdpSocket::bind("127.0.0.1:0").expect("bind");
-        let saddr = sender.local_addr().unwrap();
-        let p = SharedPackets::default();
-        p.write().unwrap().packets.resize(10, Packet::default());
-        for m in p.write().unwrap().packets.iter_mut() {
+        solana_logger::setup();
+        let recv_socket = UdpSocket::bind("127.0.0.1:0").expect("bind");
+        let addr = recv_socket.local_addr().unwrap();
+        let send_socket = UdpSocket::bind("127.0.0.1:0").expect("bind");
+        let saddr = send_socket.local_addr().unwrap();
+        let mut p = Packets::default();
+
+        p.packets.resize(10, Packet::default());
+
+        for m in p.packets.iter_mut() {
             m.meta.set_addr(&addr);
             m.meta.size = PACKET_DATA_SIZE;
         }
-        p.read().unwrap().send_to(&sender).unwrap();
-        p.write().unwrap().recv_from(&reader).unwrap();
-        for m in p.write().unwrap().packets.iter_mut() {
+        p.send_to(&send_socket).unwrap();
+
+        let recvd = p.recv_from(&recv_socket).unwrap();
+
+        assert_eq!(recvd, p.packets.len());
+
+        for m in p.packets {
             assert_eq!(m.meta.size, PACKET_DATA_SIZE);
             assert_eq!(m.meta.addr(), saddr);
         }
diff --git a/core/src/replicator.rs b/core/src/replicator.rs
index a065ee420e..ea65b3c117 100644
--- a/core/src/replicator.rs
+++ b/core/src/replicator.rs
@@ -129,12 +129,7 @@ fn create_request_processor(
     let (s_reader, r_reader) = channel();
     let (s_responder, r_responder) = channel();
     let storage_socket = Arc::new(socket);
-    let t_receiver = receiver(
-        storage_socket.clone(),
-        exit,
-        s_reader,
-        "replicator-receiver",
-    );
+    let t_receiver = receiver(storage_socket.clone(), exit, s_reader);
     thread_handles.push(t_receiver);
 
     let t_responder = responder("replicator-responder", storage_socket.clone(), r_responder);
diff --git a/core/src/streamer.rs b/core/src/streamer.rs
index fd30dc7471..e98cba0b35 100644
--- a/core/src/streamer.rs
+++ b/core/src/streamer.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ use crate::packet::{
 };
 use crate::result::{Error, Result};
 use bincode;
-use solana_metrics::{influxdb, submit};
 use solana_sdk::timing::duration_as_ms;
 use std::net::UdpSocket;
 use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering};
@@ -20,28 +19,17 @@ pub type PacketSender = Sender<SharedPackets>;
 pub type BlobSender = Sender<SharedBlobs>;
 pub type BlobReceiver = Receiver<SharedBlobs>;
 
-fn recv_loop(
-    sock: &UdpSocket,
-    exit: Arc<AtomicBool>,
-    channel: &PacketSender,
-    channel_tag: &'static str,
-) -> Result<()> {
+fn recv_loop(sock: &UdpSocket, exit: Arc<AtomicBool>, channel: &PacketSender) -> Result<()> {
     loop {
-        let msgs = SharedPackets::default();
+        let mut msgs = Packets::default();
         loop {
             // Check for exit signal, even if socket is busy
             // (for instance the leader trasaction socket)
             if exit.load(Ordering::Relaxed) {
                 return Ok(());
             }
-            if msgs.write().unwrap().recv_from(sock).is_ok() {
-                let len = msgs.read().unwrap().packets.len();
-                submit(
-                    influxdb::Point::new(channel_tag)
-                        .add_field("count", influxdb::Value::Integer(len as i64))
-                        .to_owned(),
-                );
-                channel.send(msgs)?;
+            if let Ok(_len) = msgs.recv_from(sock) {
+                channel.send(Arc::new(RwLock::new(msgs)))?;
                 break;
             }
         }
@@ -52,7 +40,6 @@ pub fn receiver(
     sock: Arc<UdpSocket>,
     exit: &Arc<AtomicBool>,
     packet_sender: PacketSender,
-    sender_tag: &'static str,
 ) -> JoinHandle<()> {
     let res = sock.set_read_timeout(Some(Duration::new(1, 0)));
     if res.is_err() {
@@ -62,7 +49,7 @@ pub fn receiver(
     Builder::new()
         .name("solana-receiver".to_string())
         .spawn(move || {
-            let _ = recv_loop(&sock, exit, &packet_sender, sender_tag);
+            let _ = recv_loop(&sock, exit, &packet_sender);
         })
         .unwrap()
 }
@@ -236,7 +223,7 @@ mod test {
         let send = UdpSocket::bind("127.0.0.1:0").expect("bind");
         let exit = Arc::new(AtomicBool::new(false));
         let (s_reader, r_reader) = channel();
-        let t_receiver = receiver(Arc::new(read), &exit, s_reader, "streamer-test");
+        let t_receiver = receiver(Arc::new(read), &exit, s_reader);
         let t_responder = {
             let (s_responder, r_responder) = channel();
             let t_responder = responder("streamer_send_test", Arc::new(send), r_responder);
diff --git a/metrics/src/counter.rs b/metrics/src/counter.rs
index 2002a5a3fc..eb2e036c9e 100644
--- a/metrics/src/counter.rs
+++ b/metrics/src/counter.rs
@@ -38,6 +38,13 @@ macro_rules! inc_counter {
     };
 }
 
+#[macro_export]
+macro_rules! inc_counter_info {
+    ($name:expr, $count:expr) => {
+        unsafe { $name.inc(log::Level::Info, $count) };
+    };
+}
+
 #[macro_export]
 macro_rules! inc_new_counter {
     ($name:expr, $count:expr, $level:expr, $lograte:expr) => {{
@@ -89,7 +96,7 @@ impl Counter {
             self.lograte.store(lograte, Ordering::Relaxed);
         }
         if times % lograte == 0 && times > 0 && log_enabled!(level) {
-            info!(
+            log!(level,
                 "COUNTER:{{\"name\": \"{}\", \"counts\": {}, \"samples\": {},  \"now\": {}, \"events\": {}}}",
                 self.name,
                 counts + events,