diff --git a/src/eimap.erl b/src/eimap.erl
--- a/src/eimap.erl
+++ b/src/eimap.erl
@@ -478,13 +478,10 @@
     State#state { command_queue = queue:in_r(Command, State#state.command_queue) }.
 
 inflated(Data, #state{ inflator = undefined }) -> Data;
-inflated(Data, #state{ inflator = Inflator }) ->  joined(zlib:inflate(Inflator, Data), <<>>).
+inflated(Data, #state{ inflator = Inflator }) ->  iolist_to_binary(zlib:inflate(Inflator, Data)).
 
 deflated(Data, #state{ deflator = undefined }) -> Data;
-deflated(Data, #state{ deflator = Deflator }) ->  joined(zlib:deflate(Deflator, Data, sync), <<>>).
-
-joined([], Binary) -> Binary;
-joined([H|Rest], Binary) -> joined(Rest, <<Binary/binary, H/binary>>).
+deflated(Data, #state{ deflator = Deflator }) ->  iolist_to_binary(zlib:deflate(Deflator, Data, sync)).
 
 reset_timeout(#state{ command_timeout = Timeout } = State) ->
     cancel_timeout(State),