diff --git a/src/com/amazon/ion/impl/_Private_IonBinaryWriterBuilder.java b/src/com/amazon/ion/impl/_Private_IonBinaryWriterBuilder.java
index 80f9d8d1dd..85e4714fef 100644
--- a/src/com/amazon/ion/impl/_Private_IonBinaryWriterBuilder.java
+++ b/src/com/amazon/ion/impl/_Private_IonBinaryWriterBuilder.java
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ private _Private_IonBinaryWriterBuilder()
         myBinaryWriterBuilder =
             _Private_IonManagedBinaryWriterBuilder
                 .create(AllocatorMode.POOLED)
-                .withPaddedLengthPreallocation(1)
+                .withPaddedLengthPreallocation(0)
                 ;
     }