diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 6308bc259ca..44d8c461dd1 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/golang/mock v1.3.1
 	github.com/golang/protobuf v1.3.2
 	github.com/golang/snappy v0.0.0-20170215233205-553a64147049
+	github.com/google/btree v1.0.0 // indirect
 	github.com/google/shlex v0.0.0-20181106134648-c34317bd91bf // indirect
 	github.com/gorilla/websocket v0.0.0-20160912153041-2d1e4548da23
 	github.com/grpc-ecosystem/go-grpc-middleware v1.1.0
@@ -49,6 +50,8 @@ require (
 	github.com/minio/minio-go v0.0.0-20190131015406-c8a261de75c1
 	github.com/mitchellh/go-testing-interface v1.0.0 // indirect
 	github.com/mitchellh/mapstructure v1.1.2 // indirect
+	github.com/modern-go/concurrent v0.0.0-20180306012644-bacd9c7ef1dd // indirect
+	github.com/modern-go/reflect2 v1.0.1 // indirect
 	github.com/olekukonko/tablewriter v0.0.0-20160115111002-cca8bbc07984
 	github.com/opentracing-contrib/go-grpc v0.0.0-20180928155321-4b5a12d3ff02
 	github.com/opentracing/opentracing-go v1.1.0
diff --git a/go/mysql/encoding.go b/go/mysql/encoding.go
index c9333522cdf..53b9e2efc73 100644
--- a/go/mysql/encoding.go
+++ b/go/mysql/encoding.go
@@ -281,3 +281,17 @@ func readLenEncStringAsBytes(data []byte, pos int) ([]byte, int, bool) {
 	}
 	return data[pos : pos+s], pos + s, true
 }
+
+func readLenEncStringAsBytesCopy(data []byte, pos int) ([]byte, int, bool) {
+	size, pos, ok := readLenEncInt(data, pos)
+	if !ok {
+		return nil, 0, false
+	}
+	s := int(size)
+	if pos+s-1 >= len(data) {
+		return nil, 0, false
+	}
+	result := make([]byte, size)
+	copy(result, data[pos:pos+s])
+	return result, pos + s, true
+}
diff --git a/go/mysql/encoding_test.go b/go/mysql/encoding_test.go
index 2ca9a84c934..ac38b5c7db0 100644
--- a/go/mysql/encoding_test.go
+++ b/go/mysql/encoding_test.go
@@ -303,6 +303,24 @@ func TestEncString(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Errorf("readLenEncStringAsBytes returned ok=true for empty value %v", test.value)
 		}
 
+		// Check successful decoding as bytes.
+		gotbcopy, posCopy, ok := readLenEncStringAsBytesCopy(test.lenEncoded, 0)
+		if !ok || string(gotb) != test.value || pos != len(test.lenEncoded) {
+			t.Errorf("readLenEncString returned %v/%v/%v but expected %v/%v/%v", gotbcopy, posCopy, ok, test.value, len(test.lenEncoded), true)
+		}
+
+		// Check failed decoding as bytes with shorter data.
+		_, _, ok = readLenEncStringAsBytesCopy(test.lenEncoded[:len(test.lenEncoded)-1], 0)
+		if ok {
+			t.Errorf("readLenEncStringAsBytes returned ok=true for shorter value %v", test.value)
+		}
+
+		// Check failed decoding as bytes with no data.
+		_, _, ok = readLenEncStringAsBytesCopy([]byte{}, 0)
+		if ok {
+			t.Errorf("readLenEncStringAsBytes returned ok=true for empty value %v", test.value)
+		}
+
 		// null encoded tests.
 
 		// Check successful encoding.
diff --git a/go/mysql/query.go b/go/mysql/query.go
index 6ff9d1e9bc0..f6435bf4b64 100644
--- a/go/mysql/query.go
+++ b/go/mysql/query.go
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ func (c *Conn) parseRow(data []byte, fields []*querypb.Field) ([]sqltypes.Value,
 		}
 		var s []byte
 		var ok bool
-		s, pos, ok = readLenEncStringAsBytes(data, pos)
+		s, pos, ok = readLenEncStringAsBytesCopy(data, pos)
 		if !ok {
 			return nil, NewSQLError(CRMalformedPacket, SSUnknownSQLState, "decoding string failed")
 		}
@@ -823,7 +823,7 @@ func (c *Conn) parseStmtArgs(data []byte, typ querypb.Type, pos int) (sqltypes.V
 		}
 	case sqltypes.Decimal, sqltypes.Text, sqltypes.Blob, sqltypes.VarChar, sqltypes.VarBinary, sqltypes.Char,
 		sqltypes.Bit, sqltypes.Enum, sqltypes.Set, sqltypes.Geometry, sqltypes.Binary, sqltypes.TypeJSON:
-		val, pos, ok := readLenEncStringAsBytes(data, pos)
+		val, pos, ok := readLenEncStringAsBytesCopy(data, pos)
 		return sqltypes.MakeTrusted(sqltypes.VarBinary, val), pos, ok
 	default:
 		return sqltypes.NULL, pos, false