diff --git a/ssl/d1_clnt.c b/ssl/d1_clnt.c
index c063247..1827a67 100644
--- a/ssl/d1_clnt.c
+++ b/ssl/d1_clnt.c
@@ -176,8 +176,7 @@
           buf = NULL;
         }
 
-        if (!ssl3_setup_buffers(s) ||
-            !ssl_init_wbio_buffer(s, 0)) {
+        if (!ssl_init_wbio_buffer(s, 0)) {
           ret = -1;
           goto end;
         }
diff --git a/ssl/d1_pkt.c b/ssl/d1_pkt.c
index c169cb1..9e056ac 100644
--- a/ssl/d1_pkt.c
+++ b/ssl/d1_pkt.c
@@ -446,11 +446,6 @@
     }
   }
 
-  if (s->s3->rbuf.buf == NULL && !ssl3_setup_buffers(s)) {
-    /* TODO(davidben): Is this redundant with the calls in the handshake? */
-    return -1;
-  }
-
 start:
   s->rwstate = SSL_NOTHING;
 
diff --git a/ssl/d1_srvr.c b/ssl/d1_srvr.c
index 3415f98..e314910 100644
--- a/ssl/d1_srvr.c
+++ b/ssl/d1_srvr.c
@@ -179,11 +179,6 @@
           buf = NULL;
         }
 
-        if (!ssl3_setup_buffers(s)) {
-          ret = -1;
-          goto end;
-        }
-
         s->init_num = 0;
 
         if (s->state != SSL_ST_RENEGOTIATE) {
diff --git a/ssl/internal.h b/ssl/internal.h
index 430b323..3bd749d 100644
--- a/ssl/internal.h
+++ b/ssl/internal.h
@@ -861,7 +861,6 @@
 const SSL_CIPHER *ssl3_choose_cipher(
     SSL *ssl, STACK_OF(SSL_CIPHER) *clnt,
     struct ssl_cipher_preference_list_st *srvr);
-int ssl3_setup_buffers(SSL *s);
 int ssl3_setup_read_buffer(SSL *s);
 int ssl3_setup_write_buffer(SSL *s);
 int ssl3_release_read_buffer(SSL *s);
diff --git a/ssl/s3_both.c b/ssl/s3_both.c
index a9b20ca..b78f6d3 100644
--- a/ssl/s3_both.c
+++ b/ssl/s3_both.c
@@ -654,15 +654,6 @@
   return 0;
 }
 
-
-int ssl3_setup_buffers(SSL *s) {
-  if (!ssl3_setup_read_buffer(s) ||
-      !ssl3_setup_write_buffer(s)) {
-    return 0;
-  }
-  return 1;
-}
-
 int ssl3_release_write_buffer(SSL *s) {
   OPENSSL_free(s->s3->wbuf.buf);
   s->s3->wbuf.buf = NULL;
diff --git a/ssl/s3_clnt.c b/ssl/s3_clnt.c
index f42a9ad..d01acae 100644
--- a/ssl/s3_clnt.c
+++ b/ssl/s3_clnt.c
@@ -224,8 +224,7 @@
           buf = NULL;
         }
 
-        if (!ssl3_setup_buffers(s) ||
-            !ssl_init_wbio_buffer(s, 0)) {
+        if (!ssl_init_wbio_buffer(s, 0)) {
           ret = -1;
           goto end;
         }
diff --git a/ssl/s3_pkt.c b/ssl/s3_pkt.c
index 913c3ba..c42d000 100644
--- a/ssl/s3_pkt.c
+++ b/ssl/s3_pkt.c
@@ -272,19 +272,6 @@
 
   rr = &s->s3->rrec;
 
-  if (s->options & SSL_OP_MICROSOFT_BIG_SSLV3_BUFFER) {
-    extra = SSL3_RT_MAX_EXTRA;
-  } else {
-    extra = 0;
-  }
-
-  if (extra && !s->s3->init_extra) {
-    /* An application error: SSL_OP_MICROSOFT_BIG_SSLV3_BUFFER set after
-     * ssl3_setup_buffers() was done */
-    OPENSSL_PUT_ERROR(SSL, ssl3_get_record, ERR_R_INTERNAL_ERROR);
-    return -1;
-  }
-
 again:
   /* check if we have the header */
   if (s->rstate != SSL_ST_READ_BODY ||
@@ -295,6 +282,11 @@
     }
     s->rstate = SSL_ST_READ_BODY;
 
+    /* Some bytes were read, so the read buffer must be existant and
+     * |s->s3->init_extra| is defined. */
+    assert(s->s3->rbuf.buf != NULL);
+    extra = s->s3->init_extra ? SSL3_RT_MAX_EXTRA : 0;
+
     p = s->packet;
     if (s->msg_callback) {
       s->msg_callback(0, 0, SSL3_RT_HEADER, p, 5, s, s->msg_callback_arg);
@@ -325,6 +317,11 @@
     }
 
     /* now s->rstate == SSL_ST_READ_BODY */
+  } else {
+    /* |packet_length| is non-zero and |s->rstate| is |SSL_ST_READ_BODY|. The
+     * read buffer must be existant and |s->s3->init_extra| is defined. */
+    assert(s->s3->rbuf.buf != NULL);
+    extra = s->s3->init_extra ? SSL3_RT_MAX_EXTRA : 0;
   }
 
   /* s->rstate == SSL_ST_READ_BODY, get and decode the data */
@@ -778,11 +775,6 @@
     }
   }
 
-  if (s->s3->rbuf.buf == NULL && !ssl3_setup_read_buffer(s)) {
-    /* TODO(davidben): Is this redundant with the calls in the handshake? */
-    return -1;
-  }
-
 start:
   s->rwstate = SSL_NOTHING;
 
diff --git a/ssl/s3_srvr.c b/ssl/s3_srvr.c
index 7728622..3cc3032 100644
--- a/ssl/s3_srvr.c
+++ b/ssl/s3_srvr.c
@@ -227,11 +227,6 @@
         }
         s->init_num = 0;
 
-        if (!ssl3_setup_buffers(s)) {
-          ret = -1;
-          goto end;
-        }
-
         if (!s->s3->send_connection_binding &&
             !(s->options & SSL_OP_ALLOW_UNSAFE_LEGACY_RENEGOTIATION)) {
           /* Server attempting to renegotiate with client that doesn't support
@@ -296,6 +291,13 @@
         }
         s->init_num = 0;
 
+        /* Enable a write buffer. This groups handshake messages within a flight
+         * into a single write. */
+        if (!ssl_init_wbio_buffer(s, 1)) {
+          ret = -1;
+          goto end;
+        }
+
         if (!ssl3_init_finished_mac(s)) {
           OPENSSL_PUT_ERROR(SSL, ssl3_accept, ERR_R_INTERNAL_ERROR);
           ret = -1;
@@ -303,19 +305,8 @@
         }
 
         if (!s->s3->have_version) {
-          /* This is the initial handshake. The record layer has not been
-           * initialized yet. Sniff for a V2ClientHello before reading a
-           * ClientHello normally. */
-          assert(s->s3->rbuf.buf == NULL);
-          assert(s->s3->wbuf.buf == NULL);
           s->state = SSL3_ST_SR_INITIAL_BYTES;
         } else {
-          /* Enable a write buffer. This groups handshake messages within a
-           * flight into a single write. */
-          if (!ssl3_setup_buffers(s) || !ssl_init_wbio_buffer(s, 1)) {
-            ret = -1;
-            goto end;
-          }
           s->state = SSL3_ST_SR_CLNT_HELLO_A;
         }
         break;
@@ -751,10 +742,12 @@
       p[5] == SSL3_MT_CLIENT_HELLO) {
     /* This is a ClientHello. Initialize the record layer with the already
      * consumed data and continue the handshake. */
-    if (!ssl3_setup_buffers(s) || !ssl_init_wbio_buffer(s, 1)) {
+    if (!ssl3_setup_read_buffer(s)) {
       return -1;
     }
     assert(s->rstate == SSL_ST_READ_HEADER);
+    /* There cannot have already been data in the record layer. */
+    assert(s->s3->rbuf.left == 0);
     memcpy(s->s3->rbuf.buf, p, s->s3->sniff_buffer_len);
     s->s3->rbuf.offset = 0;
     s->s3->rbuf.left = s->s3->sniff_buffer_len;
@@ -897,11 +890,6 @@
   /* The handshake message header is 4 bytes. */
   s->s3->tmp.message_size = len - 4;
 
-  /* Initialize the record layer. */
-  if (!ssl3_setup_buffers(s) || !ssl_init_wbio_buffer(s, 1)) {
-    return -1;
-  }
-
   /* Drop the sniff buffer. */
   BUF_MEM_free(s->s3->sniff_buffer);
   s->s3->sniff_buffer = NULL;