diff --git a/include/boost/mysql/impl/internal/protocol/impl/serialization_context.hpp b/include/boost/mysql/impl/internal/protocol/impl/serialization_context.hpp
index edf583a03..52cad1f36 100644
--- a/include/boost/mysql/impl/internal/protocol/impl/serialization_context.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/mysql/impl/internal/protocol/impl/serialization_context.hpp
@@ -54,19 +54,13 @@ class serialization_context
 
     void append_to_buffer(span<const std::uint8_t> contents)
     {
-        // Do nothing if we previously encountered an error
-        if (err_)
-            return;
-
         // Check if the buffer has space for the given contents
         if (buffer_.size() + contents.size() > max_buffer_size_)
-        {
-            err_ = client_errc::max_buffer_size_exceeded;
-            return;
-        }
+            add_error(client_errc::max_buffer_size_exceeded);
 
-        // Copy
-        buffer_.insert(buffer_.end(), contents.begin(), contents.end());
+        // Copy if there was no error
+        if (!err_)
+            buffer_.insert(buffer_.end(), contents.begin(), contents.end());
     }
 
     void append_header() { append_to_buffer(std::array<std::uint8_t, frame_header_size>{}); }
@@ -138,6 +132,13 @@ class serialization_context
     // To be called by serialize() functions. Appends bytes to the buffer.
     void add(span<const std::uint8_t> content) { add_impl(content); }
 
+    // Sets the error state. TODO: unit test
+    void add_error(error_code ec)
+    {
+        if (!err_)
+            err_ = ec;
+    }
+
     error_code error() const { return err_; }
 
     // Write frame headers to an already serialized message with space for them
diff --git a/include/boost/mysql/impl/internal/protocol/query_with_params.hpp b/include/boost/mysql/impl/internal/protocol/query_with_params.hpp
index ed2c068bd..89e8d2de8 100644
--- a/include/boost/mysql/impl/internal/protocol/query_with_params.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/mysql/impl/internal/protocol/query_with_params.hpp
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
 #include <boost/mysql/impl/internal/protocol/impl/serialization_context.hpp>
 
 #include <boost/core/span.hpp>
-#include <boost/system/result.hpp>
 
 #include <cstdint>
 
@@ -30,9 +29,7 @@ class external_format_context : public format_context_base
 {
     static void do_append(void* obj, const char* data, std::size_t size)
     {
-        static_cast<serialization_context*>(obj)->add_checked(
-            {reinterpret_cast<const std::uint8_t*>(data), size}
-        );
+        static_cast<serialization_context*>(obj)->add({reinterpret_cast<const std::uint8_t*>(data), size});
     }
 
 public:
@@ -42,33 +39,27 @@ class external_format_context : public format_context_base
     }
 };
 
-// TODO: can we make serialization able to fail in the general case?
-inline system::result<std::uint8_t> serialize_query_with_params(
-    std::vector<std::uint8_t>& to,
-    constant_string_view query,
-    span<const format_arg> args,
-    format_options opts,
-    std::size_t frame_size = max_packet_size
-)
+struct query_with_params
 {
-    // Create a serialization context
-    serialization_context ctx(to, frame_size);
+    constant_string_view query;
+    span<const format_arg> args;
+    format_options opts;
 
-    // Serialize the query header
-    ctx.add(0x03);
+    void serialize(serialization_context& ctx) const
+    {
+        // Create a format context
+        external_format_context fmt_ctx(ctx, opts);
 
-    // Create a format context and serialize the actual query
-    external_format_context fmt_ctx(ctx, opts);
-    vformat_sql_to(fmt_ctx, query, args);
+        // Serialize the query header
+        ctx.add(0x03);
 
-    // Check for errors
-    auto err = fmt_ctx.error_state();
-    if (err)
-        return err;
+        // Serialize the actual query
+        vformat_sql_to(fmt_ctx, query, args);
 
-    // Write frame headers
-    return ctx.write_frame_headers(0);
-}
+        // Check for errors
+        ctx.add_error(fmt_ctx.error_state());
+    }
+};
 
 }  // namespace detail
 }  // namespace mysql
diff --git a/include/boost/mysql/impl/internal/sansio/start_execution.hpp b/include/boost/mysql/impl/internal/sansio/start_execution.hpp
index fa1cbd682..f001f827b 100644
--- a/include/boost/mysql/impl/internal/sansio/start_execution.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/mysql/impl/internal/sansio/start_execution.hpp
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #ifndef BOOST_MYSQL_IMPL_INTERNAL_SANSIO_START_EXECUTION_HPP
 #define BOOST_MYSQL_IMPL_INTERNAL_SANSIO_START_EXECUTION_HPP
 
+#include <boost/mysql/character_set.hpp>
 #include <boost/mysql/client_errc.hpp>
 #include <boost/mysql/diagnostics.hpp>
 #include <boost/mysql/error_code.hpp>
@@ -55,31 +56,15 @@ class start_execution_algo
         any_execution_request::data_t::query_with_params_t data
     )
     {
-        // TODO: this should be expressible in terms of st.write()
         // Determine format options
         if (st.current_charset.name == nullptr)
         {
             return error_code(client_errc::unknown_character_set);
         }
+        format_options opts{st.current_charset, st.backslash_escapes};
 
-        // Clear the write buffer
-        st.write_buffer.clear();
-
-        // Serialize
-        auto res = serialize_query_with_params(
-            st.write_buffer,
-            data.query,
-            data.args,
-            format_options{st.current_charset, st.backslash_escapes}
-        );
-
-        // Check for errors
-        if (res.has_error())
-            return res.error();
-
-        // Done
-        seqnum() = *res;
-        return next_action::write({st.write_buffer, false});
+        // Write the request
+        return st.write(query_with_params{data.query, data.args, opts}, seqnum());
     }
 
     next_action write_stmt(connection_state_data& st, any_execution_request::data_t::stmt_t data)