diff --git a/lib/buffer.js b/lib/buffer.js
index 5d1826873ff..25ab22b5c93 100644
--- a/lib/buffer.js
+++ b/lib/buffer.js
@@ -80,15 +80,6 @@ SlowBuffer.prototype.write = function (string, offset, encoding) {
 
 
 // Buffer
-var POOLSIZE = 8*1024;
-var pool;
-
-
-function allocPool () {
-  pool      = new SlowBuffer(POOLSIZE);
-  pool.used = 0;
-}
-
 
 function Buffer (subject, encoding, offset) {
   if (!(this instanceof Buffer)) {
@@ -127,7 +118,7 @@ function Buffer (subject, encoding, offset) {
 
     this.length = length;
 
-    if (length > POOLSIZE) {
+    if (length > Buffer.poolSize) {
       // Big buffer, just alloc one.
       var parent = new SlowBuffer(subject, encoding);
       Object.defineProperty(this, "parent", { enumerable: false,
@@ -167,6 +158,14 @@ function Buffer (subject, encoding, offset) {
 
 exports.Buffer = Buffer;
 
+Buffer.poolSize = 8*1024;
+var pool;
+
+function allocPool () {
+  pool = new SlowBuffer(Buffer.poolSize);
+  pool.used = 0;
+}
+
 
 // Static methods
 Buffer.isBuffer = function isBuffer(b) {