diff --git a/actix-ws/src/stream.rs b/actix-ws/src/stream.rs
index e95c17f43..27a3cdff9 100644
--- a/actix-ws/src/stream.rs
+++ b/actix-ws/src/stream.rs
@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
 use std::{
     collections::VecDeque,
     future::poll_fn,
-    io, mem,
+    io,
     pin::Pin,
     task::{Context, Poll},
 };
 
-use actix_codec::{Decoder, Encoder};
+use actix_codec::Decoder;
 use actix_http::{
+    big_bytes::BigBytes,
     ws::{Codec, Frame, Message, ProtocolError},
     Payload,
 };
@@ -24,8 +25,7 @@ use crate::AggregatedMessageStream;
 /// Response body for a WebSocket.
 pub struct StreamingBody {
     session_rx: Receiver<Message>,
-    messages: VecDeque<Message>,
-    buf: BytesMut,
+    buf: BigBytes,
     codec: Codec,
     closing: bool,
 }
@@ -34,8 +34,7 @@ impl StreamingBody {
     pub(super) fn new(session_rx: Receiver<Message>) -> Self {
         StreamingBody {
             session_rx,
-            messages: VecDeque::new(),
-            buf: BytesMut::new(),
+            buf: BigBytes::with_capacity(0),
             codec: Codec::new(),
             closing: false,
         }
@@ -118,14 +117,12 @@ impl Stream for StreamingBody {
     fn poll_next(self: Pin<&mut Self>, cx: &mut Context<'_>) -> Poll<Option<Self::Item>> {
         let this = self.get_mut();
 
-        if this.closing {
-            return Poll::Ready(None);
-        }
-
-        loop {
+        while !this.closing {
             match Pin::new(&mut this.session_rx).poll_recv(cx) {
                 Poll::Ready(Some(msg)) => {
-                    this.messages.push_back(msg);
+                    if let Err(err) = this.codec.encode_bigbytes(msg, &mut this.buf) {
+                        return Poll::Ready(Some(Err(err.into())));
+                    }
                 }
                 Poll::Ready(None) => {
                     this.closing = true;
@@ -135,14 +132,12 @@ impl Stream for StreamingBody {
             }
         }
 
-        while let Some(msg) = this.messages.pop_front() {
-            if let Err(err) = this.codec.encode(msg, &mut this.buf) {
-                return Poll::Ready(Some(Err(err.into())));
-            }
+        if let Some(bytes) = this.buf.pop_front() {
+            return Poll::Ready(Some(Ok(bytes)));
         }
 
-        if !this.buf.is_empty() {
-            return Poll::Ready(Some(Ok(mem::take(&mut this.buf).freeze())));
+        if this.closing {
+            return Poll::Ready(None);
         }
 
         Poll::Pending