diff --git a/src/sql/mysql.zig b/src/sql/mysql.zig
index 4e5ee9f594..6abafbc1fd 100644
--- a/src/sql/mysql.zig
+++ b/src/sql/mysql.zig
@@ -829,6 +829,7 @@ pub const MySQLConnection = struct {
 
         {
             this.read_buffer.head = this.last_message_start;
+
             this.read_buffer.write(bun.default_allocator, data) catch @panic("failed to write to read buffer");
             this.processPackets(Reader, this.bufferedReader()) catch |err| {
                 if (err != error.ShortRead) {
@@ -887,8 +888,6 @@ pub const MySQLConnection = struct {
                     return error.UnexpectedPacket;
                 },
             }
-
-            reader.skip(header.length);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/sql/mysql/mysql_protocol.zig b/src/sql/mysql/mysql_protocol.zig
index e267bfa783..4b3a05baf9 100644
--- a/src/sql/mysql/mysql_protocol.zig
+++ b/src/sql/mysql/mysql_protocol.zig
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ pub fn NewWriterWrap(
             try this.write(&[_]u8{value});
         }
 
-        pub fn string(this: @This(), value: []const u8) !void {
+        pub fn writeZ(this: @This(), value: []const u8) !void {
             try this.write(value);
             if (value.len == 0 or value[value.len - 1] != 0)
                 try this.write(&[_]u8{0});
@@ -521,10 +521,7 @@ pub const HandshakeResponse41 = struct {
         try writer.write(&[_]u8{0} ** 23);
 
         // Username - null terminated
-        try writer.write(this.username.slice());
-        if (this.username.slice().len == 0 or this.username.slice()[this.username.slice().len - 1] != 0) {
-            try writer.write(&[_]u8{0});
-        }
+        try writer.writeZ(this.username.slice());
 
         // Auth response
         const auth_data = this.auth_response.slice();
@@ -545,12 +542,12 @@ pub const HandshakeResponse41 = struct {
         // Database name if requested - only write if CLIENT_CONNECT_WITH_DB is set
         if (this.capability_flags.CLIENT_CONNECT_WITH_DB) {
             // Only write database name if one was provided
-            try writer.string(this.database.slice());
+            try writer.writeZ(this.database.slice());
         }
 
         // Auth plugin name if supported
         if (this.capability_flags.CLIENT_PLUGIN_AUTH) {
-            try writer.string(this.auth_plugin_name.slice());
+            try writer.writeZ(this.auth_plugin_name.slice());
         }
 
         try packet.end();
@@ -653,7 +650,7 @@ pub const ErrorPacket = struct {
         }
 
         // Read the error message (rest of packet)
-        this.error_message = try reader.readZ();
+        this.error_message = try reader.read(reader.peek().len);
     }
 
     pub const decode = decoderWrap(ErrorPacket, decodeInternal).decode;