diff --git a/dht.go b/dht.go
index 9312df86253..3da0018f05b 100644
--- a/dht.go
+++ b/dht.go
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ func (dht *IpfsDHT) betterPeersToQuery(pmes *pb.Message, p peer.ID, count int) [
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	var filtered []peer.ID
+	filtered := make([]peer.ID, 0, len(closer))
 	for _, clp := range closer {
 
 		// == to self? thats bad
diff --git a/handlers.go b/handlers.go
index 3426aa8abd2..317da210b35 100644
--- a/handlers.go
+++ b/handlers.go
@@ -197,8 +197,9 @@ func (dht *IpfsDHT) handleFindPeer(ctx context.Context, p peer.ID, pmes *pb.Mess
 		return resp, nil
 	}
 
-	var withAddresses []pstore.PeerInfo
 	closestinfos := pstore.PeerInfos(dht.peerstore, closest)
+	// possibly an over-allocation but this array is temporary anyways.
+	withAddresses := make([]pstore.PeerInfo, 0, len(closestinfos))
 	for _, pi := range closestinfos {
 		if len(pi.Addrs) > 0 {
 			withAddresses = append(withAddresses, pi)
diff --git a/lookup.go b/lookup.go
index ae27874e897..508ceda0a01 100644
--- a/lookup.go
+++ b/lookup.go
@@ -110,8 +110,9 @@ func (dht *IpfsDHT) closerPeersSingle(ctx context.Context, key string, p peer.ID
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	var out []peer.ID
-	for _, pbp := range pmes.GetCloserPeers() {
+	closer := pmes.GetCloserPeers()
+	out := make([]peer.ID, 0, len(closer))
+	for _, pbp := range closer {
 		pid := peer.ID(pbp.GetId())
 		if pid != dht.self { // dont add self
 			dht.peerstore.AddAddrs(pid, pbp.Addresses(), pstore.TempAddrTTL)
diff --git a/providers/providers.go b/providers/providers.go
index 77572e18ddf..421fb98e102 100644
--- a/providers/providers.go
+++ b/providers/providers.go
@@ -270,6 +270,7 @@ func (pm *ProviderManager) run() {
 				log.Error("Error loading provider keys: ", err)
 				continue
 			}
+			now := time.Now()
 			for {
 				k, ok := keys()
 				if !ok {
@@ -281,21 +282,24 @@ func (pm *ProviderManager) run() {
 					log.Error("error loading known provset: ", err)
 					continue
 				}
-				var filtered []peer.ID
 				for p, t := range provs.set {
-					if time.Now().Sub(t) > ProvideValidity {
+					if now.Sub(t) > ProvideValidity {
 						delete(provs.set, p)
-					} else {
-						filtered = append(filtered, p)
 					}
 				}
-
-				provs.providers = filtered
-				if len(filtered) == 0 {
+				// have we run out of providers?
+				if len(provs.set) == 0 {
+					provs.providers = nil
 					err := pm.deleteProvSet(k)
 					if err != nil {
 						log.Error("error deleting provider set: ", err)
 					}
+				} else if len(provs.set) < len(provs.providers) {
+					// We must have modified the providers set, recompute.
+					provs.providers = make([]peer.ID, 0, len(provs.set))
+					for p := range provs.set {
+						provs.providers = append(provs.providers, p)
+					}
 				}
 			}
 		case <-pm.proc.Closing():
diff --git a/routing.go b/routing.go
index 93ba29ea5f9..d2dfcd0728f 100644
--- a/routing.go
+++ b/routing.go
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ func (dht *IpfsDHT) GetValue(ctx context.Context, key string) ([]byte, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	var recs [][]byte
+	recs := make([][]byte, 0, len(vals))
 	for _, v := range vals {
 		if v.Val != nil {
 			recs = append(recs, v.Val)
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ func (dht *IpfsDHT) GetValue(ctx context.Context, key string) ([]byte, error) {
 }
 
 func (dht *IpfsDHT) GetValues(ctx context.Context, key string, nvals int) ([]routing.RecvdVal, error) {
-	var vals []routing.RecvdVal
+	vals := make([]routing.RecvdVal, 0, nvals)
 	var valslock sync.Mutex
 
 	// If we have it local, dont bother doing an RPC!