diff --git a/storage/remote/queue_manager.go b/storage/remote/queue_manager.go
index fd732184f8..e44ad48e59 100644
--- a/storage/remote/queue_manager.go
+++ b/storage/remote/queue_manager.go
@@ -18,9 +18,9 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"math"
 	"strconv"
-	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
+	"unsafe"
 
 	"github.com/go-kit/log"
 	"github.com/go-kit/log/level"
@@ -1877,7 +1877,7 @@ type offLenPair struct {
 }
 
 type rwSymbolTable struct {
-	symbols    strings.Builder
+	symbols    []byte
 	symbolsMap map[string]offLenPair
 }
 
@@ -1891,21 +1891,21 @@ func (r *rwSymbolTable) Ref(str string) (off uint32, leng uint32) {
 	if offlen, ok := r.symbolsMap[str]; ok {
 		return offlen.Off, offlen.Len
 	}
-	off, leng = uint32(r.symbols.Len()), uint32(len(str))
-	r.symbols.WriteString(str)
+	off, leng = uint32(len(r.symbols)), uint32(len(str))
+	r.symbols = append(r.symbols, str...)
 	r.symbolsMap[str] = offLenPair{off, leng}
 	return
 }
 
 func (r *rwSymbolTable) LabelsString() string {
-	return r.symbols.String()
+	return *((*string)(unsafe.Pointer(&r.symbols)))
 }
 
 func (r *rwSymbolTable) clear() {
 	for k := range r.symbolsMap {
 		delete(r.symbolsMap, k)
 	}
-	r.symbols.Reset()
+	r.symbols = r.symbols[:0]
 }
 
 func buildMinimizedWriteRequest(samples []prompb.MinimizedTimeSeries, labels string, pBuf *[]byte, buf *[]byte) ([]byte, int64, error) {
diff --git a/storage/remote/queue_manager_test.go b/storage/remote/queue_manager_test.go
index 621663f926..d27e06ad5a 100644
--- a/storage/remote/queue_manager_test.go
+++ b/storage/remote/queue_manager_test.go
@@ -1564,12 +1564,12 @@ func BenchmarkBuildMinimizedWriteRequest(b *testing.B) {
 			// todo: add other types
 			//seriesBuff[i].Exemplars = []prompb.Exemplar{{}}
 		}
-		pBuf := proto.NewBuffer(nil)
+		pBuf := []byte{}
 
 		// Warmup buffers
 		for i := 0; i < 10; i++ {
 			populateMinimizedTimeSeries(&symbolTable, tc.batch, seriesBuff, true, true)
-			buildMinimizedWriteRequest(seriesBuff, symbolTable.symbols.String(), pBuf, &buff)
+			buildMinimizedWriteRequest(seriesBuff, symbolTable.LabelsString(), &pBuf, &buff)
 		}
 
 		b.Run(fmt.Sprintf("%d-instances", len(tc.batch)), func(b *testing.B) {
@@ -1577,7 +1577,7 @@ func BenchmarkBuildMinimizedWriteRequest(b *testing.B) {
 			for j := 0; j < b.N; j++ {
 				populateMinimizedTimeSeries(&symbolTable, tc.batch, seriesBuff, true, true)
 				b.ResetTimer()
-				req, _, err := buildMinimizedWriteRequest(seriesBuff, symbolTable.symbols.String(), pBuf, &buff)
+				req, _, err := buildMinimizedWriteRequest(seriesBuff, symbolTable.LabelsString(), &pBuf, &buff)
 				if err != nil {
 					b.Fatal(err)
 				}