diff --git a/src/pkg/archive/zip/reader.go b/src/pkg/archive/zip/reader.go
index c3009869b6..1c2a2189cc 100644
--- a/src/pkg/archive/zip/reader.go
+++ b/src/pkg/archive/zip/reader.go
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ package zip
 import (
 	"bufio"
 	"compress/flate"
-	"encoding/binary"
 	"errors"
 	"hash"
 	"hash/crc32"
@@ -174,20 +173,19 @@ func readFileHeader(f *File, r io.Reader) error {
 	if _, err := io.ReadFull(r, b[:]); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	c := binary.LittleEndian
-	if sig := c.Uint32(b[:4]); sig != fileHeaderSignature {
+	if sig := toUint32(b[:]); sig != fileHeaderSignature {
 		return ErrFormat
 	}
-	f.ReaderVersion = c.Uint16(b[4:6])
-	f.Flags = c.Uint16(b[6:8])
-	f.Method = c.Uint16(b[8:10])
-	f.ModifiedTime = c.Uint16(b[10:12])
-	f.ModifiedDate = c.Uint16(b[12:14])
-	f.CRC32 = c.Uint32(b[14:18])
-	f.CompressedSize = c.Uint32(b[18:22])
-	f.UncompressedSize = c.Uint32(b[22:26])
-	filenameLen := int(c.Uint16(b[26:28]))
-	extraLen := int(c.Uint16(b[28:30]))
+	f.ReaderVersion = toUint16(b[4:])
+	f.Flags = toUint16(b[6:])
+	f.Method = toUint16(b[8:])
+	f.ModifiedTime = toUint16(b[10:])
+	f.ModifiedDate = toUint16(b[12:])
+	f.CRC32 = toUint32(b[14:])
+	f.CompressedSize = toUint32(b[18:])
+	f.UncompressedSize = toUint32(b[22:])
+	filenameLen := int(toUint16(b[26:]))
+	extraLen := int(toUint16(b[28:]))
 	d := make([]byte, filenameLen+extraLen)
 	if _, err := io.ReadFull(r, d); err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -205,12 +203,11 @@ func (f *File) findBodyOffset() (int64, error) {
 	if _, err := io.ReadFull(r, b[:]); err != nil {
 		return 0, err
 	}
-	c := binary.LittleEndian
-	if sig := c.Uint32(b[:4]); sig != fileHeaderSignature {
+	if sig := toUint32(b[:4]); sig != fileHeaderSignature {
 		return 0, ErrFormat
 	}
-	filenameLen := int(c.Uint16(b[26:28]))
-	extraLen := int(c.Uint16(b[28:30]))
+	filenameLen := int(toUint16(b[26:28]))
+	extraLen := int(toUint16(b[28:30]))
 	return int64(fileHeaderLen + filenameLen + extraLen), nil
 }
 
@@ -222,26 +219,24 @@ func readDirectoryHeader(f *File, r io.Reader) error {
 	if _, err := io.ReadFull(r, b[:]); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	c := binary.LittleEndian
-	if sig := c.Uint32(b[:4]); sig != directoryHeaderSignature {
+	if sig := toUint32(b[:]); sig != directoryHeaderSignature {
 		return ErrFormat
 	}
-	f.CreatorVersion = c.Uint16(b[4:6])
-	f.ReaderVersion = c.Uint16(b[6:8])
-	f.Flags = c.Uint16(b[8:10])
-	f.Method = c.Uint16(b[10:12])
-	f.ModifiedTime = c.Uint16(b[12:14])
-	f.ModifiedDate = c.Uint16(b[14:16])
-	f.CRC32 = c.Uint32(b[16:20])
-	f.CompressedSize = c.Uint32(b[20:24])
-	f.UncompressedSize = c.Uint32(b[24:28])
-	filenameLen := int(c.Uint16(b[28:30]))
-	extraLen := int(c.Uint16(b[30:32]))
-	commentLen := int(c.Uint16(b[32:34]))
-	// startDiskNumber := c.Uint16(b[34:36])    // Unused
-	// internalAttributes := c.Uint16(b[36:38]) // Unused
-	f.ExternalAttrs = c.Uint32(b[38:42])
-	f.headerOffset = int64(c.Uint32(b[42:46]))
+	f.CreatorVersion = toUint16(b[4:])
+	f.ReaderVersion = toUint16(b[6:])
+	f.Flags = toUint16(b[8:])
+	f.Method = toUint16(b[10:])
+	f.ModifiedTime = toUint16(b[12:])
+	f.ModifiedDate = toUint16(b[14:])
+	f.CRC32 = toUint32(b[16:])
+	f.CompressedSize = toUint32(b[20:])
+	f.UncompressedSize = toUint32(b[24:])
+	filenameLen := int(toUint16(b[28:]))
+	extraLen := int(toUint16(b[30:32]))
+	commentLen := int(toUint16(b[32:]))
+	// skipped start disk number and internal attributes (2x uint16)
+	f.ExternalAttrs = toUint32(b[38:])
+	f.headerOffset = int64(toUint32(b[42:]))
 	d := make([]byte, filenameLen+extraLen+commentLen)
 	if _, err := io.ReadFull(r, d); err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -257,10 +252,9 @@ func readDataDescriptor(r io.Reader, f *File) error {
 	if _, err := io.ReadFull(r, b[:]); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	c := binary.LittleEndian
-	f.CRC32 = c.Uint32(b[:4])
-	f.CompressedSize = c.Uint32(b[4:8])
-	f.UncompressedSize = c.Uint32(b[8:12])
+	f.CRC32 = toUint32(b[:4])
+	f.CompressedSize = toUint32(b[4:8])
+	f.UncompressedSize = toUint32(b[8:12])
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -285,15 +279,14 @@ func readDirectoryEnd(r io.ReaderAt, size int64) (dir *directoryEnd, err error)
 	}
 
 	// read header into struct
-	c := binary.LittleEndian
 	d := new(directoryEnd)
-	d.diskNbr = c.Uint16(b[4:6])
-	d.dirDiskNbr = c.Uint16(b[6:8])
-	d.dirRecordsThisDisk = c.Uint16(b[8:10])
-	d.directoryRecords = c.Uint16(b[10:12])
-	d.directorySize = c.Uint32(b[12:16])
-	d.directoryOffset = c.Uint32(b[16:20])
-	d.commentLen = c.Uint16(b[20:22])
+	d.diskNbr = toUint16(b[4:])
+	d.dirDiskNbr = toUint16(b[6:])
+	d.dirRecordsThisDisk = toUint16(b[8:])
+	d.directoryRecords = toUint16(b[10:])
+	d.directorySize = toUint32(b[12:])
+	d.directoryOffset = toUint32(b[16:])
+	d.commentLen = toUint16(b[20:])
 	d.comment = string(b[22 : 22+int(d.commentLen)])
 	return d, nil
 }
@@ -311,3 +304,9 @@ func findSignatureInBlock(b []byte) int {
 	}
 	return -1
 }
+
+func toUint16(b []byte) uint16 { return uint16(b[0]) | uint16(b[1])<<8 }
+
+func toUint32(b []byte) uint32 {
+	return uint32(b[0]) | uint32(b[1])<<8 | uint32(b[2])<<16 | uint32(b[3])<<24
+}
diff --git a/src/pkg/archive/zip/struct.go b/src/pkg/archive/zip/struct.go
index 35dcec6468..fdbd16da04 100644
--- a/src/pkg/archive/zip/struct.go
+++ b/src/pkg/archive/zip/struct.go
@@ -100,16 +100,6 @@ type directoryEnd struct {
 	comment            string
 }
 
-func recoverError(errp *error) {
-	if e := recover(); e != nil {
-		if err, ok := e.(error); ok {
-			*errp = err
-			return
-		}
-		panic(e)
-	}
-}
-
 // msDosTimeToTime converts an MS-DOS date and time into a time.Time.
 // The resolution is 2s.
 // See: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms724247(v=VS.85).aspx
diff --git a/src/pkg/archive/zip/writer.go b/src/pkg/archive/zip/writer.go
index c591aed5ce..8404e3f09a 100644
--- a/src/pkg/archive/zip/writer.go
+++ b/src/pkg/archive/zip/writer.go
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ package zip
 import (
 	"bufio"
 	"compress/flate"
-	"encoding/binary"
 	"errors"
 	"hash"
 	"hash/crc32"
@@ -37,10 +36,10 @@ func NewWriter(w io.Writer) *Writer {
 
 // Close finishes writing the zip file by writing the central directory.
 // It does not (and can not) close the underlying writer.
-func (w *Writer) Close() (err error) {
+func (w *Writer) Close() error {
 	if w.last != nil && !w.last.closed {
-		if err = w.last.close(); err != nil {
-			return
+		if err := w.last.close(); err != nil {
+			return err
 		}
 		w.last = nil
 	}
@@ -49,43 +48,54 @@ func (w *Writer) Close() (err error) {
 	}
 	w.closed = true
 
-	defer recoverError(&err)
-
 	// write central directory
 	start := w.cw.count
 	for _, h := range w.dir {
-		write(w.cw, uint32(directoryHeaderSignature))
-		write(w.cw, h.CreatorVersion)
-		write(w.cw, h.ReaderVersion)
-		write(w.cw, h.Flags)
-		write(w.cw, h.Method)
-		write(w.cw, h.ModifiedTime)
-		write(w.cw, h.ModifiedDate)
-		write(w.cw, h.CRC32)
-		write(w.cw, h.CompressedSize)
-		write(w.cw, h.UncompressedSize)
-		write(w.cw, uint16(len(h.Name)))
-		write(w.cw, uint16(len(h.Extra)))
-		write(w.cw, uint16(len(h.Comment)))
-		write(w.cw, uint16(0)) // disk number start
-		write(w.cw, uint16(0)) // internal file attributes
-		write(w.cw, h.ExternalAttrs)
-		write(w.cw, h.offset)
-		writeBytes(w.cw, []byte(h.Name))
-		writeBytes(w.cw, h.Extra)
-		writeBytes(w.cw, []byte(h.Comment))
+		var b [directoryHeaderLen]byte
+		putUint32(b[:], uint32(directoryHeaderSignature))
+		putUint16(b[4:], h.CreatorVersion)
+		putUint16(b[6:], h.ReaderVersion)
+		putUint16(b[8:], h.Flags)
+		putUint16(b[10:], h.Method)
+		putUint16(b[12:], h.ModifiedTime)
+		putUint16(b[14:], h.ModifiedDate)
+		putUint32(b[16:], h.CRC32)
+		putUint32(b[20:], h.CompressedSize)
+		putUint32(b[24:], h.UncompressedSize)
+		putUint16(b[28:], uint16(len(h.Name)))
+		putUint16(b[30:], uint16(len(h.Extra)))
+		putUint16(b[32:], uint16(len(h.Comment)))
+		// skip two uint16's, disk number start and internal file attributes
+		putUint32(b[38:], h.ExternalAttrs)
+		putUint32(b[42:], h.offset)
+		if _, err := w.cw.Write(b[:]); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		if _, err := io.WriteString(w.cw, h.Name); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		if _, err := w.cw.Write(h.Extra); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		if _, err := io.WriteString(w.cw, h.Comment); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 	}
 	end := w.cw.count
 
 	// write end record
-	write(w.cw, uint32(directoryEndSignature))
-	write(w.cw, uint16(0))          // disk number
-	write(w.cw, uint16(0))          // disk number where directory starts
-	write(w.cw, uint16(len(w.dir))) // number of entries this disk
-	write(w.cw, uint16(len(w.dir))) // number of entries total
-	write(w.cw, uint32(end-start))  // size of directory
-	write(w.cw, uint32(start))      // start of directory
-	write(w.cw, uint16(0))          // size of comment
+	var b [directoryEndLen]byte
+	putUint32(b[:], uint32(directoryEndSignature))
+	putUint16(b[4:], uint16(0))           // disk number
+	putUint16(b[6:], uint16(0))           // disk number where directory starts
+	putUint16(b[8:], uint16(len(w.dir)))  // number of entries this disk
+	putUint16(b[10:], uint16(len(w.dir))) // number of entries total
+	putUint32(b[12:], uint32(end-start))  // size of directory
+	putUint32(b[16:], uint32(start))      // start of directory
+	// skipped size of comment (always zero)
+	if _, err := w.cw.Write(b[:]); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
 	return w.cw.w.(*bufio.Writer).Flush()
 }
@@ -152,22 +162,27 @@ func (w *Writer) CreateHeader(fh *FileHeader) (io.Writer, error) {
 	return fw, nil
 }
 
-func writeHeader(w io.Writer, h *FileHeader) (err error) {
-	defer recoverError(&err)
-	write(w, uint32(fileHeaderSignature))
-	write(w, h.ReaderVersion)
-	write(w, h.Flags)
-	write(w, h.Method)
-	write(w, h.ModifiedTime)
-	write(w, h.ModifiedDate)
-	write(w, h.CRC32)
-	write(w, h.CompressedSize)
-	write(w, h.UncompressedSize)
-	write(w, uint16(len(h.Name)))
-	write(w, uint16(len(h.Extra)))
-	writeBytes(w, []byte(h.Name))
-	writeBytes(w, h.Extra)
-	return nil
+func writeHeader(w io.Writer, h *FileHeader) error {
+	var b [fileHeaderLen]byte
+	putUint32(b[:], uint32(fileHeaderSignature))
+	putUint16(b[4:], h.ReaderVersion)
+	putUint16(b[6:], h.Flags)
+	putUint16(b[8:], h.Method)
+	putUint16(b[10:], h.ModifiedTime)
+	putUint16(b[12:], h.ModifiedDate)
+	putUint32(b[14:], h.CRC32)
+	putUint32(b[18:], h.CompressedSize)
+	putUint32(b[22:], h.UncompressedSize)
+	putUint16(b[26:], uint16(len(h.Name)))
+	putUint16(b[28:], uint16(len(h.Extra)))
+	if _, err := w.Write(b[:]); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if _, err := io.WriteString(w, h.Name); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	_, err := w.Write(h.Extra)
+	return err
 }
 
 type fileWriter struct {
@@ -188,13 +203,13 @@ func (w *fileWriter) Write(p []byte) (int, error) {
 	return w.rawCount.Write(p)
 }
 
-func (w *fileWriter) close() (err error) {
+func (w *fileWriter) close() error {
 	if w.closed {
 		return errors.New("zip: file closed twice")
 	}
 	w.closed = true
-	if err = w.comp.Close(); err != nil {
-		return
+	if err := w.comp.Close(); err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
 
 	// update FileHeader
@@ -204,12 +219,12 @@ func (w *fileWriter) close() (err error) {
 	fh.UncompressedSize = uint32(w.rawCount.count)
 
 	// write data descriptor
-	defer recoverError(&err)
-	write(w.zipw, fh.CRC32)
-	write(w.zipw, fh.CompressedSize)
-	write(w.zipw, fh.UncompressedSize)
-
-	return nil
+	var b [dataDescriptorLen]byte
+	putUint32(b[:], fh.CRC32)
+	putUint32(b[4:], fh.CompressedSize)
+	putUint32(b[8:], fh.UncompressedSize)
+	_, err := w.zipw.Write(b[:])
+	return err
 }
 
 type countWriter struct {
@@ -231,18 +246,17 @@ func (w nopCloser) Close() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func write(w io.Writer, data interface{}) {
-	if err := binary.Write(w, binary.LittleEndian, data); err != nil {
-		panic(err)
-	}
+// We use these putUintXX functions instead of encoding/binary's Write to avoid
+// reflection. It's easy enough, anyway.
+
+func putUint16(b []byte, v uint16) {
+	b[0] = byte(v)
+	b[1] = byte(v >> 8)
 }
 
-func writeBytes(w io.Writer, b []byte) {
-	n, err := w.Write(b)
-	if err != nil {
-		panic(err)
-	}
-	if n != len(b) {
-		panic(io.ErrShortWrite)
-	}
+func putUint32(b []byte, v uint32) {
+	b[0] = byte(v)
+	b[1] = byte(v >> 8)
+	b[2] = byte(v >> 16)
+	b[3] = byte(v >> 24)
 }