diff --git a/include/polarssl/ssl.h b/include/polarssl/ssl.h
index 9746e276b..b0f31ab36 100644
--- a/include/polarssl/ssl.h
+++ b/include/polarssl/ssl.h
@@ -463,7 +463,7 @@ struct _ssl_context
      */
     unsigned char *out_ctr;     /*!< 64-bit outgoing message counter  */
     unsigned char *out_hdr;     /*!< 5-byte record header (out_ctr+8) */
-    unsigned char *out_msg;     /*!< the message contents (out_hdr+32)*/
+    unsigned char *out_msg;     /*!< the message contents (out_hdr+5) */
 
     int out_msgtype;            /*!< record header: message type      */
     size_t out_msglen;          /*!< record header: message length    */
diff --git a/library/ssl_tls.c b/library/ssl_tls.c
index dde0155cb..1baa52705 100644
--- a/library/ssl_tls.c
+++ b/library/ssl_tls.c
@@ -917,30 +917,21 @@ static int ssl_encrypt_buf( ssl_context *ssl )
     {
         if( ssl->transform_out->maclen == 16 )
         {
-            md5_context ctx;
-            md5_hmac_starts( &ctx, ssl->transform_out->mac_enc, 16 );
-            md5_hmac_update( &ctx, ssl->out_ctr, 13 );
-            md5_hmac_update( &ctx, ssl->out_msg, ssl->out_msglen );
-            md5_hmac_finish( &ctx, ssl->out_msg + ssl->out_msglen );
-            memset( &ctx, 0, sizeof(md5_context));
+            md5_hmac( ssl->transform_out->mac_enc, 16,
+                      ssl->out_ctr,  ssl->out_msglen + 13,
+                      ssl->out_msg + ssl->out_msglen );
         }
         else if( ssl->transform_out->maclen == 20 )
         {
-            sha1_context ctx;
-            sha1_hmac_starts( &ctx, ssl->transform_out->mac_enc, 20 );
-            sha1_hmac_update( &ctx, ssl->out_ctr, 13 );
-            sha1_hmac_update( &ctx, ssl->out_msg, ssl->out_msglen );
-            sha1_hmac_finish( &ctx, ssl->out_msg + ssl->out_msglen );
-            memset( &ctx, 0, sizeof(sha1_context));
+            sha1_hmac( ssl->transform_out->mac_enc, 20,
+                      ssl->out_ctr,  ssl->out_msglen + 13,
+                      ssl->out_msg + ssl->out_msglen );
         }
         else if( ssl->transform_out->maclen == 32 )
         {
-            sha2_context ctx;
-            sha2_hmac_starts( &ctx, ssl->transform_out->mac_enc, 32, 0 );
-            sha2_hmac_update( &ctx, ssl->out_ctr, 13 );
-            sha2_hmac_update( &ctx, ssl->out_msg, ssl->out_msglen );
-            sha2_hmac_finish( &ctx, ssl->out_msg + ssl->out_msglen );
-            memset( &ctx, 0, sizeof(sha2_context));
+            sha2_hmac( ssl->transform_out->mac_enc, 32,
+                      ssl->out_ctr,  ssl->out_msglen + 13,
+                      ssl->out_msg + ssl->out_msglen, 0 );
         }
         else if( ssl->transform_out->maclen != 0 )
         {
@@ -1742,22 +1733,7 @@ int ssl_flush_output( ssl_context *ssl )
         SSL_DEBUG_MSG( 2, ( "message length: %d, out_left: %d",
                        5 + ssl->out_msglen, ssl->out_left ) );
 
-        if( ssl->out_msglen < ssl->out_left )
-        {
-            size_t header_left = ssl->out_left - ssl->out_msglen;
-
-            buf = ssl->out_hdr + 5 - header_left;
-            ret = ssl->f_send( ssl->p_send, buf, header_left );
-            
-            SSL_DEBUG_RET( 2, "ssl->f_send (header)", ret );
-
-            if( ret <= 0 )
-                return( ret );
-
-            ssl->out_left -= ret;
-        }
-        
-        buf = ssl->out_msg + ssl->out_msglen - ssl->out_left;
+        buf = ssl->out_hdr + 5 + ssl->out_msglen - ssl->out_left;
         ret = ssl->f_send( ssl->p_send, buf, ssl->out_left );
 
         SSL_DEBUG_RET( 2, "ssl->f_send", ret );
@@ -1848,10 +1824,8 @@ int ssl_write_record( ssl_context *ssl )
                        ssl->out_hdr[0], ssl->out_hdr[1], ssl->out_hdr[2],
                      ( ssl->out_hdr[3] << 8 ) | ssl->out_hdr[4] ) );
 
-        SSL_DEBUG_BUF( 4, "output record header sent to network",
-                       ssl->out_hdr, 5 );
         SSL_DEBUG_BUF( 4, "output record sent to network",
-                       ssl->out_hdr + 32, ssl->out_msglen );
+                       ssl->out_hdr, 5 + ssl->out_msglen );
     }
 
     if( ( ret = ssl_flush_output( ssl ) ) != 0 )
@@ -2980,7 +2954,7 @@ int ssl_init( ssl_context *ssl )
 
     ssl->out_ctr = (unsigned char *) malloc( len );
     ssl->out_hdr = ssl->out_ctr +  8;
-    ssl->out_msg = ssl->out_ctr + 40;
+    ssl->out_msg = ssl->out_ctr + 13;
 
     if( ssl->out_ctr == NULL )
     {