diff --git a/rtmp/packet.go b/rtmp/packet.go
index 99c9e029..4fc2141b 100644
--- a/rtmp/packet.go
+++ b/rtmp/packet.go
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ NAME
   packet.go
 
 DESCRIPTION
-  See Readme.md
+  RTMP packet functionality.
 
 AUTHORS
   Saxon Nelson-Milton <saxon@ausocean.org>
@@ -284,10 +284,12 @@ func (pkt *packet) resize(size uint32, ht uint8) {
 
 // write sends a packet.
 func (pkt *packet) write(s *Session, queue bool) error {
-	var prevPkt *packet
-	var last int
+	if pkt.body == nil {
+		return errInvalidBody
+	}
 
 	if pkt.channel >= s.channelsAllocatedOut {
+		s.log(DebugLevel, pkg+"growing channelsOut", "channel", pkt.channel)
 		n := int(pkt.channel + 10)
 
 		var pkts []*packet
@@ -304,8 +306,9 @@ func (pkt *packet) write(s *Session, queue bool) error {
 
 		s.channelsAllocatedOut = int32(n)
 	}
-	prevPkt = s.channelsOut[pkt.channel]
 
+	prevPkt := s.channelsOut[pkt.channel]
+	var last int
 	if prevPkt != nil && pkt.headerType != RTMP_PACKET_SIZE_LARGE {
 		// compress a bit by using the prev packet's attributes
 		if prevPkt.bodySize == pkt.bodySize && prevPkt.packetType == pkt.packetType && pkt.headerType == RTMP_PACKET_SIZE_MEDIUM {
@@ -324,20 +327,14 @@ func (pkt *packet) write(s *Session, queue bool) error {
 		return errInvalidHeader
 	}
 
-	var headBytes []byte
-	var origIdx int
-	if pkt.body != nil {
-		// Span from -packetsize for the type to the start of the body.
-		headBytes = pkt.header
-		origIdx = RTMP_MAX_HEADER_SIZE - headerSizes[pkt.headerType]
-	} else {
-		// Allocate a new header and allow 6 bytes of movement backward.
-		var hbuf [RTMP_MAX_HEADER_SIZE]byte
-		headBytes = hbuf[:]
-		origIdx = 6
-	}
+	// The complete packet starts from headerSize _before_ the start the body.
+	// origIdx is the original offset, which will be 0 for a full (12-byte) header or 11 for a minimum (1-byte) header.
+	headBytes := pkt.header
+	hSize := headerSizes[pkt.headerType]
+	origIdx := RTMP_MAX_HEADER_SIZE - hSize
 
-	var cSize int
+	// adjust 1 or 2 bytes for the channel
+	cSize := 0
 	switch {
 	case pkt.channel > 319:
 		cSize = 2
@@ -345,12 +342,12 @@ func (pkt *packet) write(s *Session, queue bool) error {
 		cSize = 1
 	}
 
-	hSize := headerSizes[pkt.headerType]
 	if cSize != 0 {
 		origIdx -= cSize
 		hSize += cSize
 	}
 
+	// adjust 4 bytes for the timestamp
 	var ts uint32
 	if prevPkt != nil {
 		ts = uint32(int(pkt.timestamp) - last)
@@ -403,8 +400,8 @@ func (pkt *packet) write(s *Session, queue bool) error {
 	}
 
 	if headerSizes[pkt.headerType] > 8 {
-		n := int(encodeInt32LE(headBytes[headerIdx:headerIdx+4], pkt.info))
-		headerIdx += n
+		binary.LittleEndian.PutUint32(headBytes[headerIdx:headerIdx+4], uint32(pkt.info))
+		headerIdx += 4 // 32bits
 	}
 
 	if ts >= 0xffffff {
@@ -415,31 +412,38 @@ func (pkt *packet) write(s *Session, queue bool) error {
 	size := int(pkt.bodySize)
 	chunkSize := int(s.outChunkSize)
 
-	s.log(DebugLevel, pkg+"sending packet", "size", size, "la", s.link.conn.LocalAddr(), "ra", s.link.conn.RemoteAddr())
-
-	if s.deferred != nil && len(s.deferred)+size+hSize > chunkSize {
-		err := s.write(s.deferred)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
+	if s.deferred == nil {
+		// Defer sending small audio packets (at most once).
+		if pkt.packetType == RTMP_PACKET_TYPE_AUDIO && size < chunkSize {
+			s.deferred = headBytes[origIdx:][:size+hSize]
+			s.log(DebugLevel, pkg+"deferred sending packet", "size", size, "la", s.link.conn.LocalAddr(), "ra", s.link.conn.RemoteAddr())
+			return nil
+		}
+	} else {
+		// Send previously deferrd packet if combining it with the next one would exceed the chunk size.
+		if len(s.deferred)+size+hSize > chunkSize {
+			s.log(DebugLevel, pkg+"sending deferred packet separately", "size", len(s.deferred))
+			err := s.write(s.deferred)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			s.deferred = nil
 		}
-		s.deferred = nil
 	}
 
 	// TODO(kortschak): Rewrite this horrific peice of premature optimisation.
 	// NB: RTMP wants packets in chunks which are 128 bytes by default, but the server may request a different size.
+	s.log(DebugLevel, pkg+"sending packet", "la", s.link.conn.LocalAddr(), "ra", s.link.conn.RemoteAddr(), "size", size)
 	for size+hSize != 0 {
-		if s.deferred == nil && pkt.packetType == RTMP_PACKET_TYPE_AUDIO && size < chunkSize {
-			s.deferred = headBytes[origIdx:][:size+hSize]
-			s.log(DebugLevel, pkg+"deferred sending packet")
-			break
-		}
 		if chunkSize > size {
 			chunkSize = size
 		}
 		bytes := headBytes[origIdx:][:chunkSize+hSize]
 		if s.deferred != nil {
 			// Prepend the previously deferred packet and write it with the current one.
+			s.log(DebugLevel, pkg+"combining deferred packet", "size", len(s.deferred))
 			bytes = append(s.deferred, bytes...)
+			s.deferred = nil
 		}
 		err := s.write(bytes)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -481,9 +485,9 @@ func (pkt *packet) write(s *Session, queue bool) error {
 	if pkt.packetType == RTMP_PACKET_TYPE_INVOKE {
 		buf := pkt.body[1:]
 		meth := C_AMF_DecodeString(buf)
+		s.log(DebugLevel, pkg+"invoking method "+meth)
 		// keep it in call queue till result arrives
 		if queue {
-			s.log(DebugLevel, pkg+"queuing method "+meth)
 			buf = buf[3+len(meth):]
 			txn := int32(C_AMF_DecodeNumber(buf[:8]))
 			s.methodCalls = append(s.methodCalls, method{name: meth, num: txn})