diff --git a/lib/net.js b/lib/net.js
index 5df47a0a36..4a5fbe56e0 100644
--- a/lib/net.js
+++ b/lib/net.js
@@ -534,21 +534,16 @@ Socket.prototype.write = function(chunk, encoding, cb) {
 
 
 Socket.prototype._write = function(dataEncoding, cb) {
-  assert(Array.isArray(dataEncoding));
+  // assert(Array.isArray(dataEncoding));
   var data = dataEncoding[0];
   var encoding = dataEncoding[1] || 'utf8';
 
-  if (this !== process.stderr && this !== process.stdout)
-    debug('Socket._write');
-
   // If we are still connecting, then buffer this for later.
   // The Writable logic will buffer up any more writes while
   // waiting for this one to be done.
   if (this._connecting) {
-    debug('_write: waiting for connection');
     this._pendingWrite = dataEncoding;
     this.once('connect', function() {
-      debug('_write: connected now, try again');
       this._write(dataEncoding, cb);
     });
     return;
@@ -558,39 +553,12 @@ Socket.prototype._write = function(dataEncoding, cb) {
   timers.active(this);
 
   if (!this._handle) {
-    debug('already destroyed');
     this._destroy(new Error('This socket is closed.'), cb);
     return false;
   }
 
-  var writeReq;
-
-  if (Buffer.isBuffer(data)) {
-    writeReq = this._handle.writeBuffer(data);
-
-  } else {
-    switch (encoding) {
-      case 'utf8':
-      case 'utf-8':
-        writeReq = this._handle.writeUtf8String(data);
-        break;
-
-      case 'ascii':
-        writeReq = this._handle.writeAsciiString(data);
-        break;
-
-      case 'ucs2':
-      case 'ucs-2':
-      case 'utf16le':
-      case 'utf-16le':
-        writeReq = this._handle.writeUcs2String(data);
-        break;
-
-      default:
-        writeReq = this._handle.writeBuffer(new Buffer(data, encoding));
-        break;
-    }
-  }
+  var enc = Buffer.isBuffer(data) ? 'buffer' : encoding;
+  var writeReq = createWriteReq(this._handle, data, enc);
 
   if (!writeReq || typeof writeReq !== 'object')
     return this._destroy(errnoException(errno, 'write'), cb);
@@ -606,6 +574,29 @@ Socket.prototype._write = function(dataEncoding, cb) {
     writeReq.cb = cb;
 };
 
+function createWriteReq(handle, data, encoding) {
+  switch (encoding) {
+    case 'buffer':
+      return handle.writeBuffer(data);
+
+    case 'utf8':
+    case 'utf-8':
+      return handle.writeUtf8String(data);
+
+    case 'ascii':
+      return handle.writeAsciiString(data);
+
+    case 'ucs2':
+    case 'ucs-2':
+    case 'utf16le':
+    case 'utf-16le':
+      return handle.writeUcs2String(data);
+
+    default:
+      return handle.writeBuffer(new Buffer(data, encoding));
+  }
+}
+
 
 Socket.prototype.__defineGetter__('bytesWritten', function() {
   var bytes = this._bytesDispatched,