diff --git a/command.go b/command.go
index 6ebb45c9..2cc3b64a 100644
--- a/command.go
+++ b/command.go
@@ -445,7 +445,7 @@ func (cmd *StringCmd) Result() (string, error) {
 }
 
 func (cmd *StringCmd) Bytes() ([]byte, error) {
-	return []byte(cmd.val), cmd.err
+	return cmd.val, cmd.err
 }
 
 func (cmd *StringCmd) Int64() (int64, error) {
diff --git a/commands.go b/commands.go
index f941da83..cac75fe9 100644
--- a/commands.go
+++ b/commands.go
@@ -726,6 +726,7 @@ func (c *cmdable) MSetNX(pairs ...interface{}) *BoolCmd {
 
 // Redis `SET key value [expiration]` command.
 //
+// Use expiration for `SETEX`-like behavior.
 // Zero expiration means the key has no expiration time.
 func (c *cmdable) Set(key string, value interface{}, expiration time.Duration) *StatusCmd {
 	args := make([]interface{}, 3, 4)
diff --git a/internal/pool/pool.go b/internal/pool/pool.go
index 34ec539a..47cedfa1 100644
--- a/internal/pool/pool.go
+++ b/internal/pool/pool.go
@@ -19,7 +19,9 @@ var (
 
 var timers = sync.Pool{
 	New: func() interface{} {
-		return time.NewTimer(0)
+		t := time.NewTimer(time.Hour)
+		t.Stop()
+		return t
 	},
 }
 
@@ -95,12 +97,13 @@ func (p *ConnPool) NewConn() (*Conn, error) {
 
 func (p *ConnPool) PopFree() *Conn {
 	timer := timers.Get().(*time.Timer)
-	if !timer.Reset(p.poolTimeout) {
-		<-timer.C
-	}
+	timer.Reset(p.poolTimeout)
 
 	select {
 	case p.queue <- struct{}{}:
+		if !timer.Stop() {
+			<-timer.C
+		}
 		timers.Put(timer)
 	case <-timer.C:
 		timers.Put(timer)
@@ -138,12 +141,13 @@ func (p *ConnPool) Get() (*Conn, bool, error) {
 	atomic.AddUint32(&p.stats.Requests, 1)
 
 	timer := timers.Get().(*time.Timer)
-	if !timer.Reset(p.poolTimeout) {
-		<-timer.C
-	}
+	timer.Reset(p.poolTimeout)
 
 	select {
 	case p.queue <- struct{}{}:
+		if !timer.Stop() {
+			<-timer.C
+		}
 		timers.Put(timer)
 	case <-timer.C:
 		timers.Put(timer)