diff --git a/spectator/publisher.cc b/spectator/publisher.cc
index d87c0d5..55a55d2 100644
--- a/spectator/publisher.cc
+++ b/spectator/publisher.cc
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #include "publisher.h"
 #include "logger.h"
+#include <array>
 #include <fmt/format.h>
 
 namespace spectator {
@@ -37,7 +38,9 @@ SpectatordPublisher::SpectatordPublisher(absl::string_view endpoint,
 }
 
 void SpectatordPublisher::setup_nop_sender() {
-  sender_ = [this](std::string_view msg) { logger_->trace("{}", msg); };
+  sender_ = [this](std::string_view prefix, std::string_view value) {
+    logger_->trace("{}{}", prefix, value);
+  };
 }
 
 void SpectatordPublisher::local_reconnect(absl::string_view path) {
@@ -76,8 +79,9 @@ void SpectatordPublisher::setup_unix_domain(absl::string_view path) {
     buffer_.clear();
   };
 
-  sender_ = [this](std::string_view msg) {
-    buffer_.append(msg);
+  sender_ = [this](std::string_view prefix, std::string_view value) {
+    buffer_.append(prefix);
+    buffer_.append(value);
     const auto now = std::chrono::steady_clock::now();
     const bool should_flush = buffer_.length() >= bytes_to_buffer_ ||
                         now - last_flush_time_ >= flush_interval_;
@@ -126,14 +130,16 @@ void SpectatordPublisher::udp_reconnect(
 void SpectatordPublisher::setup_udp(absl::string_view host_port) {
   auto endpoint = resolve_host_port(io_context_, host_port);
   udp_reconnect(endpoint);
-  sender_ = [endpoint, this](std::string_view msg) {
+  sender_ = [endpoint, this](std::string_view prefix, std::string_view value) {
+    std::array<asio::const_buffer, 2> buffers{asio::buffer(prefix.data(), prefix.size()),
+                                              asio::buffer(value.data(), value.size())};
     for (auto i = 0; i < 3; ++i) {
       try {
-        udp_socket_.send(asio::buffer(msg));
-        logger_->trace("Sent (udp): {}", msg);
+        udp_socket_.send(buffers);
+        logger_->trace("Sent (udp): {}{}", prefix, value);
         break;
       } catch (std::exception& e) {
-        logger_->warn("Unable to send {} - attempt {}/3", msg, i);
+        logger_->warn("Unable to send {}{} - attempt {}/3", prefix, value, i);
         udp_reconnect(endpoint);
       }
     }
diff --git a/spectator/publisher.h b/spectator/publisher.h
index 3008f7c..f14ed8d 100644
--- a/spectator/publisher.h
+++ b/spectator/publisher.h
@@ -24,11 +24,12 @@ class SpectatordPublisher {
       std::shared_ptr<spdlog::logger> logger = DefaultLogger());
   SpectatordPublisher(const SpectatordPublisher&) = delete;
 
-  void send(std::string_view measurement) { sender_(measurement); };
+  // Sends a measured value for the given metric name prefix.
+  void send(std::string_view prefix, std::string_view value) { sender_(prefix, value); };
   void flush() { flusher_(); };
 
  protected:
-  using sender_fun = std::function<void(std::string_view)>;
+  using sender_fun = std::function<void(std::string_view, std::string_view)>;
   sender_fun sender_;
   using flusher_fun = std::function<void()>;
   flusher_fun flusher_ = []() {};
diff --git a/spectator/stateless_meters.h b/spectator/stateless_meters.h
index f214400..443769e 100644
--- a/spectator/stateless_meters.h
+++ b/spectator/stateless_meters.h
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #include <cassert>
 #include <charconv>
 #include <cmath>
+#include <memory>
 #include "id.h"
 #include "absl/strings/str_cat.h"
 #include "absl/time/time.h"
@@ -50,14 +51,6 @@ inline std::string create_prefix(const Id& id, std::string_view type_name) {
   return res;
 }
 
-// Single thread-local send buffer shared across all StatelessMeter instantiations.
-// Non-template so all Pub types resolve to the same storage slot per thread.
-// Not re-entrant: callers must complete send() before the buffer is safe to reuse.
-inline std::string& tl_send_buf() {
-  thread_local std::string buf;
-  return buf;
-}
-
 template <typename T>
 T restrict(T amount, T min, T max) {
   auto r = amount;
@@ -88,19 +81,15 @@ class StatelessMeter {
  protected:
   void send(double value) {
     ensure_prefix();
-    auto& tl_msg = detail::tl_send_buf();
-    tl_msg.assign(value_prefix_);
 
     // Early exit: match absl::StrFormat("%f") behaviour for special values.
+    // These are passed straight through as literals -- no buffer needed.
     if (std::isnan(value)) {
-      tl_msg.append("nan");
-      publisher_->send(tl_msg);
+      publisher_->send(value_prefix_, std::string_view("nan"));
       return;
     }
-
     if (std::isinf(value)) {
-      tl_msg.append(value > 0 ? "inf" : "-inf");
-      publisher_->send(tl_msg);
+      publisher_->send(value_prefix_, std::string_view(value > 0 ? "inf" : "-inf"));
       return;
     }
 
@@ -111,19 +100,20 @@ class StatelessMeter {
     auto [ptr, ec] = std::to_chars(num_buf, num_buf + sizeof(num_buf), value,
                                     std::chars_format::fixed);
     if (ec == std::errc{}) {
-      tl_msg.append(num_buf, ptr);
-    } else {
-      // Fallback for subnormal values, which require up to 1076 chars in fixed
-      // notation. NaN/Inf are handled above, so this branch is subnormals only.
-      auto off = tl_msg.size();
-      tl_msg.resize(off + detail::kMaxFixedDoubleLen);
-      auto [heap_ptr, heap_ec] = std::to_chars(tl_msg.data() + off,
-                                               tl_msg.data() + tl_msg.size(), value,
-                                               std::chars_format::fixed);
-      assert(heap_ec == std::errc{});
-      tl_msg.resize(static_cast<size_t>(heap_ptr - tl_msg.data()));
+      publisher_->send(value_prefix_, std::string_view(num_buf, static_cast<size_t>(ptr - num_buf)));
+      return;
     }
-    publisher_->send(tl_msg);
+
+    // Slow path: didn't fit in 64 bytes. Only subnormal values hit this,
+    // which require up to 1076 chars in fixed notation (NaN/Inf are
+    // handled above). Heap-allocate once per thread to avoid inflating
+    // stack frames on the hot path.
+    thread_local auto big = std::make_unique<char[]>(detail::kMaxFixedDoubleLen);
+    auto [heap_ptr, heap_ec] = std::to_chars(big.get(), big.get() + detail::kMaxFixedDoubleLen,
+                                             value, std::chars_format::fixed);
+    assert(heap_ec == std::errc{});
+    publisher_->send(value_prefix_,
+                     std::string_view(big.get(), static_cast<size_t>(heap_ptr - big.get())));
   }
 
   void send_uint(uint64_t value) {
@@ -131,10 +121,7 @@ class StatelessMeter {
     char num_buf[24];
     auto [ptr, ec] = std::to_chars(num_buf, num_buf + sizeof(num_buf), value);
     assert(ec == std::errc{});
-    auto& tl_msg = detail::tl_send_buf();
-    tl_msg.assign(value_prefix_);
-    tl_msg.append(num_buf, ptr);
-    publisher_->send(tl_msg);
+    publisher_->send(value_prefix_, std::string_view(num_buf, static_cast<size_t>(ptr - num_buf)));
   }
 
  private:
diff --git a/spectator/test_publisher.h b/spectator/test_publisher.h
index 78006d5..6860257 100644
--- a/spectator/test_publisher.h
+++ b/spectator/test_publisher.h
@@ -7,7 +7,9 @@
 namespace spectator {
 class TestPublisher {
  public:
-  void send(std::string_view msg) { messages.emplace_back(msg); }
+  void send(std::string_view prefix, std::string_view value) {
+    messages.emplace_back(std::string(prefix) + std::string(value));
+  }
   std::vector<std::string> SentMessages() { return messages; }
   void Reset() { messages.clear(); }