diff --git a/hyracks-storage-am-btree/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/btree/compressors/FieldPrefixCompressor.java b/hyracks-storage-am-btree/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/btree/compressors/FieldPrefixCompressor.java
index 4486205..f78b6e4 100644
--- a/hyracks-storage-am-btree/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/btree/compressors/FieldPrefixCompressor.java
+++ b/hyracks-storage-am-btree/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/btree/compressors/FieldPrefixCompressor.java
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@
                                 // buf.getInt(prevRec.getFieldOff()) + " " +
                                 // buf.getInt(prevRec.getFieldOff()+4));
                                 prefixFreeSpace += tupleWriter.writeTupleFields(prevTuple, 0, fieldCountToCompress,
-                                        byteBuffer, prefixFreeSpace);
+                                        byteBuffer.array(), prefixFreeSpace);
                                 // System.out.println("WRITING PREFIX RECORD " +
                                 // prefixSlotNum + " AT " + tmp + " " +
                                 // freeSpace);
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@
                                     newTupleSlots[tupleCount - 1 - currTupleIndex] = slotManager.encodeSlotFields(
                                             prefixTupleIndex, tupleFreeSpace);
                                     tupleFreeSpace += tupleWriter.writeTupleFields(tupleToWrite, fieldCountToCompress,
-                                            fieldCount - fieldCountToCompress, byteBuffer, tupleFreeSpace);
+                                            fieldCount - fieldCountToCompress, byteBuffer.array(), tupleFreeSpace);
                                 }
 
                                 prefixTupleIndex++;
diff --git a/hyracks-storage-am-btree/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/btree/frames/BTreeFieldPrefixNSMLeafFrame.java b/hyracks-storage-am-btree/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/btree/frames/BTreeFieldPrefixNSMLeafFrame.java
index 0aba70b..6e9ad81 100644
--- a/hyracks-storage-am-btree/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/btree/frames/BTreeFieldPrefixNSMLeafFrame.java
+++ b/hyracks-storage-am-btree/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/btree/frames/BTreeFieldPrefixNSMLeafFrame.java
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@
 
         int freeSpace = buf.getInt(freeSpaceOff);
         int bytesWritten = tupleWriter.writeTupleFields(tuple, numPrefixFields,
-                tuple.getFieldCount() - numPrefixFields, buf, freeSpace);
+                tuple.getFieldCount() - numPrefixFields, buf.array(), freeSpace);
 
         buf.putInt(tupleCountOff, buf.getInt(tupleCountOff) + 1);
         buf.putInt(freeSpaceOff, buf.getInt(freeSpaceOff) + bytesWritten);
@@ -315,11 +315,11 @@
         
         if (inPlace) {
             // Overwrite the old tuple suffix in place.
-            bytesWritten = tupleWriter.writeTupleFields(newTuple, numPrefixFields, fieldCount - numPrefixFields, buf, suffixTupleStartOff);
+            bytesWritten = tupleWriter.writeTupleFields(newTuple, numPrefixFields, fieldCount - numPrefixFields, buf.array(), suffixTupleStartOff);
         } else {
             // Insert the new tuple suffix at the end of the free space, and change the slot value (effectively "deleting" the old tuple).
             int newSuffixTupleStartOff = buf.getInt(freeSpaceOff);
-            bytesWritten = tupleWriter.writeTupleFields(newTuple, numPrefixFields, fieldCount - numPrefixFields, buf, newSuffixTupleStartOff);
+            bytesWritten = tupleWriter.writeTupleFields(newTuple, numPrefixFields, fieldCount - numPrefixFields, buf.array(), newSuffixTupleStartOff);
             // Update slot value using the same prefix slot num.
             slotManager.setSlot(tupleSlotOff, slotManager.encodeSlotFields(prefixSlotNum, newSuffixTupleStartOff));
             // Update contiguous free space pointer.
@@ -493,7 +493,7 @@
         }
 
         int bytesWritten = tupleWriter.writeTupleFields(tuple, fieldsToTruncate, tuple.getFieldCount()
-                - fieldsToTruncate, buf, freeSpace);
+                - fieldsToTruncate, buf.array(), freeSpace);
 
         // insert slot
         int prefixSlotNum = FieldPrefixSlotManager.TUPLE_UNCOMPRESSED;
@@ -634,7 +634,7 @@
 
         int splitKeySize = tupleWriter.bytesRequired(frameTuple, 0, cmp.getKeyFieldCount());
         splitKey.initData(splitKeySize);
-        tupleWriter.writeTupleFields(frameTuple, 0, cmp.getKeyFieldCount(), splitKey.getBuffer(), 0);
+        tupleWriter.writeTupleFields(frameTuple, 0, cmp.getKeyFieldCount(), splitKey.getBuffer().array(), 0);
         splitKey.getTuple().resetByTupleOffset(splitKey.getBuffer(), 0);
     }
 
diff --git a/hyracks-storage-am-btree/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/btree/frames/BTreeNSMInteriorFrame.java b/hyracks-storage-am-btree/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/btree/frames/BTreeNSMInteriorFrame.java
index 6173440..1836da2 100644
--- a/hyracks-storage-am-btree/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/btree/frames/BTreeNSMInteriorFrame.java
+++ b/hyracks-storage-am-btree/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/btree/frames/BTreeNSMInteriorFrame.java
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@
     public void insert(ITupleReference tuple, int tupleIndex) {
         int slotOff = slotManager.insertSlot(tupleIndex, buf.getInt(freeSpaceOff));
         int freeSpace = buf.getInt(freeSpaceOff);
-        int bytesWritten = tupleWriter.writeTupleFields(tuple, 0, tuple.getFieldCount(), buf, freeSpace);
+        int bytesWritten = tupleWriter.writeTupleFields(tuple, 0, tuple.getFieldCount(), buf.array(), freeSpace);
         System.arraycopy(tuple.getFieldData(tuple.getFieldCount() - 1), getLeftChildPageOff(tuple), buf.array(),
                 freeSpace + bytesWritten, childPtrSize);
         int tupleSize = bytesWritten + childPtrSize;
diff --git a/hyracks-storage-am-btree/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/btree/frames/BTreeNSMLeafFrame.java b/hyracks-storage-am-btree/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/btree/frames/BTreeNSMLeafFrame.java
index 82148ac..40a7670 100644
--- a/hyracks-storage-am-btree/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/btree/frames/BTreeNSMLeafFrame.java
+++ b/hyracks-storage-am-btree/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/btree/frames/BTreeNSMLeafFrame.java
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@
         frameTuple.resetByTupleOffset(buf, tupleOff);
         int splitKeySize = tupleWriter.bytesRequired(frameTuple, 0, cmp.getKeyFieldCount());
         splitKey.initData(splitKeySize);
-        tupleWriter.writeTupleFields(frameTuple, 0, cmp.getKeyFieldCount(), splitKey.getBuffer(), 0);
+        tupleWriter.writeTupleFields(frameTuple, 0, cmp.getKeyFieldCount(), splitKey.getBuffer().array(), 0);
         splitKey.getTuple().resetByTupleOffset(splitKey.getBuffer(), 0);
     }
 
diff --git a/hyracks-storage-am-btree/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/btree/impls/BTree.java b/hyracks-storage-am-btree/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/btree/impls/BTree.java
index b809a36..b3870b8 100644
--- a/hyracks-storage-am-btree/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/btree/impls/BTree.java
+++ b/hyracks-storage-am-btree/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/btree/impls/BTree.java
@@ -889,7 +889,7 @@
             int splitKeySize = ctx.tupleWriter.bytesRequired(frontier.lastTuple, 0, cmp.getKeyFieldCount());
             ctx.splitKey.initData(splitKeySize);
             ctx.tupleWriter
-                    .writeTupleFields(frontier.lastTuple, 0, cmp.getKeyFieldCount(), ctx.splitKey.getBuffer(), 0);
+                    .writeTupleFields(frontier.lastTuple, 0, cmp.getKeyFieldCount(), ctx.splitKey.getBuffer().array(), 0);
             ctx.splitKey.getTuple().resetByTupleOffset(ctx.splitKey.getBuffer(), 0);
             ctx.splitKey.setLeftPage(frontier.pageId);
 
@@ -944,7 +944,7 @@
             int splitKeySize = ctx.tupleWriter.bytesRequired(leafFrontier.lastTuple, 0, cmp.getKeyFieldCount());
             ctx.splitKey.initData(splitKeySize);
             ctx.tupleWriter.writeTupleFields(leafFrontier.lastTuple, 0, cmp.getKeyFieldCount(),
-                    ctx.splitKey.getBuffer(), 0);
+                    ctx.splitKey.getBuffer().array(), 0);
             ctx.splitKey.getTuple().resetByTupleOffset(ctx.splitKey.getBuffer(), 0);
             ctx.splitKey.setLeftPage(leafFrontier.pageId);
             int prevPageId = leafFrontier.pageId;
diff --git a/hyracks-storage-am-common/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/common/api/ITreeIndexTupleWriter.java b/hyracks-storage-am-common/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/common/api/ITreeIndexTupleWriter.java
index f0bb7aa..30e8f39 100644
--- a/hyracks-storage-am-common/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/common/api/ITreeIndexTupleWriter.java
+++ b/hyracks-storage-am-common/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/common/api/ITreeIndexTupleWriter.java
@@ -26,8 +26,7 @@
 
     public int bytesRequired(ITupleReference tuple);
 
-    // TODO: change to byte[] as well.
-    public int writeTupleFields(ITupleReference tuple, int startField, int numFields, ByteBuffer targetBuf,
+    public int writeTupleFields(ITupleReference tuple, int startField, int numFields, byte[] targetBuf,
             int targetOff);
 
     public int bytesRequired(ITupleReference tuple, int startField, int numFields);
diff --git a/hyracks-storage-am-common/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/common/tuples/SimpleTupleWriter.java b/hyracks-storage-am-common/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/common/tuples/SimpleTupleWriter.java
index 831247e..f5ec5f3 100644
--- a/hyracks-storage-am-common/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/common/tuples/SimpleTupleWriter.java
+++ b/hyracks-storage-am-common/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/common/tuples/SimpleTupleWriter.java
@@ -29,12 +29,6 @@
 		buf[targetOff + 1] = (byte)(s >> 0);
 	}
 	
-	// Write short in big endian to target byte array at given offset.
-	private static void writeShortB(short s, byte[] buf, int targetOff) {
-		buf[targetOff] = (byte) (s >> 0);
-		buf[targetOff + 1] = (byte) (s >> 8);
-	}
-	
     @Override
     public int bytesRequired(ITupleReference tuple) {
         int bytes = getNullFlagsBytes(tuple) + getFieldSlotsBytes(tuple);
@@ -84,23 +78,23 @@
 	}
 
     @Override
-    public int writeTupleFields(ITupleReference tuple, int startField, int numFields, ByteBuffer targetBuf,
+    public int writeTupleFields(ITupleReference tuple, int startField, int numFields, byte[] targetBuf,
             int targetOff) {
         int runner = targetOff;
         int nullFlagsBytes = getNullFlagsBytes(tuple, startField, numFields);
         for (int i = 0; i < nullFlagsBytes; i++) {
-            targetBuf.put(runner++, (byte) 0);
+            targetBuf[runner++] = (byte) 0;
         }
         runner += getFieldSlotsBytes(tuple, startField, numFields);
 
         int fieldEndOff = 0;
         int fieldCounter = 0;
         for (int i = startField; i < startField + numFields; i++) {
-            System.arraycopy(tuple.getFieldData(i), tuple.getFieldStart(i), targetBuf.array(), runner,
+            System.arraycopy(tuple.getFieldData(i), tuple.getFieldStart(i), targetBuf, runner,
                     tuple.getFieldLength(i));
             fieldEndOff += tuple.getFieldLength(i);
-            runner += tuple.getFieldLength(i);
-            targetBuf.putShort(targetOff + nullFlagsBytes + fieldCounter * 2, (short) fieldEndOff);
+            runner += tuple.getFieldLength(i);            
+            writeShortL((short) fieldEndOff, targetBuf, targetOff + nullFlagsBytes + fieldCounter * 2);
             fieldCounter++;
         }
 
diff --git a/hyracks-storage-am-common/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/common/tuples/TypeAwareTupleWriter.java b/hyracks-storage-am-common/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/common/tuples/TypeAwareTupleWriter.java
index cf053cf..9730346 100644
--- a/hyracks-storage-am-common/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/common/tuples/TypeAwareTupleWriter.java
+++ b/hyracks-storage-am-common/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/common/tuples/TypeAwareTupleWriter.java
@@ -87,17 +87,17 @@
     }
 
     @Override
-    public int writeTupleFields(ITupleReference tuple, int startField, int numFields, ByteBuffer targetBuf,
+    public int writeTupleFields(ITupleReference tuple, int startField, int numFields, byte[] targetBuf,
             int targetOff) {
         int runner = targetOff;
         int nullFlagsBytes = getNullFlagsBytes(numFields);
         // write null indicator bits
         for (int i = 0; i < nullFlagsBytes; i++) {
-            targetBuf.put(runner++, (byte) 0);
+            targetBuf[runner++] = (byte) 0;
         }
 
         // write field slots for variable length fields
-        encDec.reset(targetBuf.array(), runner);
+        encDec.reset(targetBuf, runner);
         for (int i = startField; i < startField + numFields; i++) {
             if (!typeTraits[i].isFixedLength()) {
                 encDec.encode(tuple.getFieldLength(i));
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@
         runner = encDec.getPos();
 
         for (int i = startField; i < startField + numFields; i++) {
-            System.arraycopy(tuple.getFieldData(i), tuple.getFieldStart(i), targetBuf.array(), runner,
+            System.arraycopy(tuple.getFieldData(i), tuple.getFieldStart(i), targetBuf, runner,
                     tuple.getFieldLength(i));
             runner += tuple.getFieldLength(i);
         }
diff --git a/hyracks-storage-am-lsm-btree/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/lsm/tuples/LSMTypeAwareTupleWriter.java b/hyracks-storage-am-lsm-btree/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/lsm/tuples/LSMTypeAwareTupleWriter.java
index dbe1d30..b7a0a9c 100644
--- a/hyracks-storage-am-lsm-btree/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/lsm/tuples/LSMTypeAwareTupleWriter.java
+++ b/hyracks-storage-am-lsm-btree/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/lsm/tuples/LSMTypeAwareTupleWriter.java
@@ -15,8 +15,6 @@
 
 package edu.uci.ics.hyracks.storage.am.lsm.tuples;
 
-import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
-
 import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.api.dataflow.value.ITypeTraits;
 import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.dataflow.common.data.accessors.ITupleReference;
 import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.storage.am.common.api.ITreeIndexTupleReference;
@@ -53,9 +51,7 @@
     public int writeTuple(ITupleReference tuple, byte[] targetBuf, int targetOff) {	    
 	    int bytesWritten = -1;
 	    if (isDelete) {
-	        // TODO: Avoid generating an object here.
-	        ByteBuffer buf = ByteBuffer.wrap(targetBuf);
-	        bytesWritten = super.writeTupleFields(tuple, 0, numKeyFields, buf, targetOff);
+	        bytesWritten = super.writeTupleFields(tuple, 0, numKeyFields, targetBuf, targetOff);
 	        setAntimatterBit(targetBuf, targetOff);
 		} else {
 		    bytesWritten = super.writeTuple(tuple, targetBuf, targetOff);
diff --git a/hyracks-storage-am-rtree/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/rtree/frames/RTreeNSMInteriorFrame.java b/hyracks-storage-am-rtree/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/rtree/frames/RTreeNSMInteriorFrame.java
index 202ae18..696443b 100644
--- a/hyracks-storage-am-rtree/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/rtree/frames/RTreeNSMInteriorFrame.java
+++ b/hyracks-storage-am-rtree/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/rtree/frames/RTreeNSMInteriorFrame.java
@@ -443,7 +443,7 @@
         frameTuple.setFieldCount(tuple.getFieldCount());
         slotManager.insertSlot(-1, buf.getInt(freeSpaceOff));
         int freeSpace = buf.getInt(freeSpaceOff);
-        int bytesWritten = tupleWriter.writeTupleFields(tuple, 0, tuple.getFieldCount(), buf, freeSpace);
+        int bytesWritten = tupleWriter.writeTupleFields(tuple, 0, tuple.getFieldCount(), buf.array(), freeSpace);
         System.arraycopy(tuple.getFieldData(tuple.getFieldCount() - 1), getChildPointerOff(tuple), buf.array(),
                 freeSpace + bytesWritten, childPtrSize);
         int tupleSize = bytesWritten + childPtrSize;