diff --git a/cassandra/connection.py b/cassandra/connection.py
index 9ac02c9776..c527b10b6d 100644
--- a/cassandra/connection.py
+++ b/cassandra/connection.py
@@ -630,14 +630,25 @@ def readable_io_bytes(self):
     def readable_cql_frame_bytes(self):
         return self.cql_frame_buffer.tell()
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def _reset_buffer(buf):
+        """
+        Reset a BytesIO buffer by discarding consumed data.
+        Avoid an intermediate bytes copy from .read(); slice the existing buffer.
+        BytesIO will still materialize its own backing store, but this reduces
+        one full-buffer allocation on the hot receive path.
+        """
+        pos = buf.tell()
+        new_buf = io.BytesIO(buf.getbuffer()[pos:])
+        new_buf.seek(0, 2)  # 2 == SEEK_END
+        return new_buf
+
     def reset_io_buffer(self):
-        self._io_buffer = io.BytesIO(self._io_buffer.read())
-        self._io_buffer.seek(0, 2)  # 2 == SEEK_END
+        self._io_buffer = self._reset_buffer(self._io_buffer)
 
     def reset_cql_frame_buffer(self):
         if self.is_checksumming_enabled:
-            self._cql_frame_buffer = io.BytesIO(self._cql_frame_buffer.read())
-            self._cql_frame_buffer.seek(0, 2)  # 2 == SEEK_END
+            self._cql_frame_buffer = self._reset_buffer(self._cql_frame_buffer)
         else:
             self.reset_io_buffer()
 
@@ -1182,9 +1193,10 @@ def control_conn_disposed(self):
 
     @defunct_on_error
     def _read_frame_header(self):
-        buf = self._io_buffer.cql_frame_buffer.getvalue()
-        pos = len(buf)
+        cql_buf = self._io_buffer.cql_frame_buffer
+        pos = cql_buf.tell()
         if pos:
+            buf = cql_buf.getbuffer()
             version = buf[0] & PROTOCOL_VERSION_MASK
             if version not in ProtocolVersion.SUPPORTED_VERSIONS:
                 raise ProtocolError("This version of the driver does not support protocol version %d" % version)
@@ -1248,8 +1260,12 @@ def process_io_buffer(self):
                 return
             else:
                 frame = self._current_frame
-                self._io_buffer.cql_frame_buffer.seek(frame.body_offset)
-                msg = self._io_buffer.cql_frame_buffer.read(frame.end_pos - frame.body_offset)
+                # Use memoryview to avoid intermediate allocation, then convert to bytes
+                # Explicitly scope the buffer to ensure memoryview is released before reset
+                cql_buf = self._io_buffer.cql_frame_buffer
+                msg = bytes(cql_buf.getbuffer()[frame.body_offset:frame.end_pos])
+                # Advance buffer position to end of frame before reset
+                cql_buf.seek(frame.end_pos)
                 self.process_msg(frame, msg)
                 self._io_buffer.reset_cql_frame_buffer()
                 self._current_frame = None
diff --git a/cassandra/protocol.py b/cassandra/protocol.py
index e574965de8..48d891cda2 100644
--- a/cassandra/protocol.py
+++ b/cassandra/protocol.py
@@ -53,6 +53,34 @@ class NotSupportedError(Exception):
 class InternalError(Exception):
     pass
 
+
+class BytesReader:
+    """
+    Lightweight reader for bytes data without BytesIO overhead.
+    Provides the same read() interface but operates directly on a
+    bytes or memoryview object, avoiding internal buffer copies.
+    """
+    __slots__ = ('_data', '_pos', '_size')
+
+    def __init__(self, data):
+        self._data = data
+        self._pos = 0
+        self._size = len(data)
+
+    def read(self, n=-1):
+        if n < 0:
+            result = self._data[self._pos:]
+            self._pos = self._size
+        else:
+            end = self._pos + n
+            if end > self._size:
+                raise EOFError("Cannot read past the end of the buffer")
+            result = self._data[self._pos:end]
+            self._pos = end
+        # Return bytes to maintain compatibility with unpack functions
+        return bytes(result) if isinstance(result, memoryview) else result
+
+
 ColumnMetadata = namedtuple("ColumnMetadata", ['keyspace_name', 'table_name', 'name', 'type'])
 
 HEADER_DIRECTION_TO_CLIENT = 0x80
@@ -1142,7 +1170,8 @@ def decode_message(cls, protocol_version, protocol_features, user_type_map, stre
             body = decompressor(body)
             flags ^= COMPRESSED_FLAG
 
-        body = io.BytesIO(body)
+        # Use lightweight BytesReader instead of io.BytesIO to avoid buffer copy
+        body = BytesReader(body)
         if flags & TRACING_FLAG:
             trace_id = UUID(bytes=body.read(16))
             flags ^= TRACING_FLAG