diff --git a/internal/ackhandler/interfaces.go b/internal/ackhandler/interfaces.go
index 226bfcbb..9079fb0b 100644
--- a/internal/ackhandler/interfaces.go
+++ b/internal/ackhandler/interfaces.go
@@ -7,26 +7,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/lucas-clemente/quic-go/internal/wire"
 )
 
-// A Packet is a packet
-type Packet struct {
-	PacketNumber    protocol.PacketNumber
-	Frames          []Frame
-	LargestAcked    protocol.PacketNumber // InvalidPacketNumber if the packet doesn't contain an ACK
-	Length          protocol.ByteCount
-	EncryptionLevel protocol.EncryptionLevel
-	SendTime        time.Time
-
-	IsPathMTUProbePacket bool // We don't report the loss of Path MTU probe packets to the congestion controller.
-
-	includedInBytesInFlight bool
-	declaredLost            bool
-	skippedPacket           bool
-}
-
-func (p *Packet) outstanding() bool {
-	return !p.declaredLost && !p.skippedPacket && !p.IsPathMTUProbePacket
-}
-
 // SentPacketHandler handles ACKs received for outgoing packets
 type SentPacketHandler interface {
 	// SentPacket may modify the packet
diff --git a/internal/ackhandler/packet.go b/internal/ackhandler/packet.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b8a47b7a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/ackhandler/packet.go
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+package ackhandler
+
+import (
+	"sync"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/lucas-clemente/quic-go/internal/protocol"
+)
+
+// A Packet is a packet
+type Packet struct {
+	PacketNumber    protocol.PacketNumber
+	Frames          []Frame
+	LargestAcked    protocol.PacketNumber // InvalidPacketNumber if the packet doesn't contain an ACK
+	Length          protocol.ByteCount
+	EncryptionLevel protocol.EncryptionLevel
+	SendTime        time.Time
+
+	IsPathMTUProbePacket bool // We don't report the loss of Path MTU probe packets to the congestion controller.
+
+	includedInBytesInFlight bool
+	declaredLost            bool
+	skippedPacket           bool
+}
+
+func (p *Packet) outstanding() bool {
+	return !p.declaredLost && !p.skippedPacket && !p.IsPathMTUProbePacket
+}
+
+var packetPool = sync.Pool{New: func() any { return &Packet{} }}
+
+func GetPacket() *Packet {
+	p := packetPool.Get().(*Packet)
+	p.PacketNumber = 0
+	p.Frames = nil
+	p.LargestAcked = 0
+	p.Length = 0
+	p.EncryptionLevel = protocol.EncryptionLevel(0)
+	p.SendTime = time.Time{}
+	p.IsPathMTUProbePacket = false
+	p.includedInBytesInFlight = false
+	p.declaredLost = false
+	p.skippedPacket = false
+	return p
+}
+
+// We currently only return Packets back into the pool when they're acknowledged (not when they're lost).
+// This simplifies the code, and gives the vast majority of the performance benefit we can gain from using the pool.
+func putPacket(p *Packet) { packetPool.Put(p) }
diff --git a/internal/ackhandler/sent_packet_handler.go b/internal/ackhandler/sent_packet_handler.go
index 5a8cd70e..03804f0a 100644
--- a/internal/ackhandler/sent_packet_handler.go
+++ b/internal/ackhandler/sent_packet_handler.go
@@ -334,7 +334,11 @@ func (h *sentPacketHandler) ReceivedAck(ack *wire.AckFrame, encLevel protocol.En
 			acked1RTTPacket = true
 		}
 		h.removeFromBytesInFlight(p)
+		putPacket(p)
 	}
+	// After this point, we must not use ackedPackets any longer!
+	// We've already returned the buffers.
+	ackedPackets = nil //nolint:ineffassign // This is just to be on the safe side.
 
 	// Reset the pto_count unless the client is unsure if the server has validated the client's address.
 	if h.peerCompletedAddressValidation {
diff --git a/internal/ackhandler/sent_packet_handler_test.go b/internal/ackhandler/sent_packet_handler_test.go
index 7f8f8d02..d885d7e9 100644
--- a/internal/ackhandler/sent_packet_handler_test.go
+++ b/internal/ackhandler/sent_packet_handler_test.go
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ var _ = Describe("SentPacketHandler", func() {
 
 	getPacket := func(pn protocol.PacketNumber, encLevel protocol.EncryptionLevel) *Packet {
 		if el, ok := handler.getPacketNumberSpace(encLevel).history.packetMap[pn]; ok {
-			return &el.Value
+			return el.Value
 		}
 		return nil
 	}
diff --git a/internal/ackhandler/sent_packet_history.go b/internal/ackhandler/sent_packet_history.go
index fca26911..2855e1b1 100644
--- a/internal/ackhandler/sent_packet_history.go
+++ b/internal/ackhandler/sent_packet_history.go
@@ -11,18 +11,18 @@ import (
 
 type sentPacketHistory struct {
 	rttStats              *utils.RTTStats
-	outstandingPacketList *list.List[Packet]
-	etcPacketList         *list.List[Packet]
-	packetMap             map[protocol.PacketNumber]*list.Element[Packet]
+	outstandingPacketList *list.List[*Packet]
+	etcPacketList         *list.List[*Packet]
+	packetMap             map[protocol.PacketNumber]*list.Element[*Packet]
 	highestSent           protocol.PacketNumber
 }
 
 func newSentPacketHistory(rttStats *utils.RTTStats) *sentPacketHistory {
 	return &sentPacketHistory{
 		rttStats:              rttStats,
-		outstandingPacketList: list.New[Packet](),
-		etcPacketList:         list.New[Packet](),
-		packetMap:             make(map[protocol.PacketNumber]*list.Element[Packet]),
+		outstandingPacketList: list.New[*Packet](),
+		etcPacketList:         list.New[*Packet](),
+		packetMap:             make(map[protocol.PacketNumber]*list.Element[*Packet]),
 		highestSent:           protocol.InvalidPacketNumber,
 	}
 }
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ func (h *sentPacketHistory) SentPacket(p *Packet, isAckEliciting bool) {
 	}
 	// Skipped packet numbers.
 	for pn := h.highestSent + 1; pn < p.PacketNumber; pn++ {
-		el := h.etcPacketList.PushBack(Packet{
+		el := h.etcPacketList.PushBack(&Packet{
 			PacketNumber:    pn,
 			EncryptionLevel: p.EncryptionLevel,
 			SendTime:        p.SendTime,
@@ -44,11 +44,11 @@ func (h *sentPacketHistory) SentPacket(p *Packet, isAckEliciting bool) {
 	h.highestSent = p.PacketNumber
 
 	if isAckEliciting {
-		var el *list.Element[Packet]
+		var el *list.Element[*Packet]
 		if p.outstanding() {
-			el = h.outstandingPacketList.PushBack(*p)
+			el = h.outstandingPacketList.PushBack(p)
 		} else {
-			el = h.etcPacketList.PushBack(*p)
+			el = h.etcPacketList.PushBack(p)
 		}
 		h.packetMap[p.PacketNumber] = el
 	}
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ func (h *sentPacketHistory) Iterate(cb func(*Packet) (cont bool, err error)) err
 	cont := true
 	outstandingEl := h.outstandingPacketList.Front()
 	etcEl := h.etcPacketList.Front()
-	var el *list.Element[Packet]
+	var el *list.Element[*Packet]
 	// whichever has the next packet number is returned first
 	for cont {
 		if outstandingEl == nil || (etcEl != nil && etcEl.Value.PacketNumber < outstandingEl.Value.PacketNumber) {
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ func (h *sentPacketHistory) Iterate(cb func(*Packet) (cont bool, err error)) err
 			etcEl = etcEl.Next()
 		}
 		var err error
-		cont, err = cb(&el.Value)
+		cont, err = cb(el.Value)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ func (h *sentPacketHistory) FirstOutstanding() *Packet {
 	if el == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
-	return &el.Value
+	return el.Value
 }
 
 func (h *sentPacketHistory) Len() int {
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ func (h *sentPacketHistory) HasOutstandingPackets() bool {
 
 func (h *sentPacketHistory) DeleteOldPackets(now time.Time) {
 	maxAge := 3 * h.rttStats.PTO(false)
-	var nextEl *list.Element[Packet]
+	var nextEl *list.Element[*Packet]
 	// we don't iterate outstandingPacketList, as we should not delete outstanding packets.
 	// being outstanding for more than 3*PTO should only happen in the case of drastic RTT changes.
 	for el := h.etcPacketList.Front(); el != nil; el = nextEl {
@@ -145,10 +145,10 @@ func (h *sentPacketHistory) DeclareLost(p *Packet) *Packet {
 		}
 	}
 	if el == nil {
-		el = h.etcPacketList.PushFront(*p)
+		el = h.etcPacketList.PushFront(p)
 	} else {
-		el = h.etcPacketList.InsertAfter(*p, el)
+		el = h.etcPacketList.InsertAfter(p, el)
 	}
 	h.packetMap[p.PacketNumber] = el
-	return &el.Value
+	return el.Value
 }
diff --git a/packet_packer.go b/packet_packer.go
index 92faae7c..6b3840b2 100644
--- a/packet_packer.go
+++ b/packet_packer.go
@@ -100,15 +100,16 @@ func (p *packetContents) ToAckHandlerPacket(now time.Time, q *retransmissionQueu
 			p.frames[i].OnLost = q.AddAppData
 		}
 	}
-	return &ackhandler.Packet{
-		PacketNumber:         p.header.PacketNumber,
-		LargestAcked:         largestAcked,
-		Frames:               p.frames,
-		Length:               p.length,
-		EncryptionLevel:      encLevel,
-		SendTime:             now,
-		IsPathMTUProbePacket: p.isMTUProbePacket,
-	}
+
+	ap := ackhandler.GetPacket()
+	ap.PacketNumber = p.header.PacketNumber
+	ap.LargestAcked = largestAcked
+	ap.Frames = p.frames
+	ap.Length = p.length
+	ap.EncryptionLevel = encLevel
+	ap.SendTime = now
+	ap.IsPathMTUProbePacket = p.isMTUProbePacket
+	return ap
 }
 
 func getMaxPacketSize(addr net.Addr) protocol.ByteCount {