diff --git a/src/blockencodings.h b/src/blockencodings.h
index 61134c94b0..84d722adc1 100644
--- a/src/blockencodings.h
+++ b/src/blockencodings.h
@@ -11,18 +11,29 @@
 
 class CTxMemPool;
 
-// Dumb helper to handle CTransaction compression at serialize-time
-struct TransactionCompressor {
-private:
-    CTransactionRef& tx;
+// Transaction compression schemes for compact block relay can be introduced by writing
+// an actual formatter here.
+using TransactionCompression = DefaultFormatter;
+
+class DifferenceFormatter
+{
+    uint64_t m_shift = 0;
+
 public:
-    explicit TransactionCompressor(CTransactionRef& txIn) : tx(txIn) {}
-
-    ADD_SERIALIZE_METHODS;
-
-    template <typename Stream, typename Operation>
-    inline void SerializationOp(Stream& s, Operation ser_action) {
-        READWRITE(tx); //TODO: Compress tx encoding
+    template<typename Stream, typename I>
+    void Ser(Stream& s, I v)
+    {
+        if (v < m_shift || v >= std::numeric_limits<uint64_t>::max()) throw std::ios_base::failure("differential value overflow");
+        WriteCompactSize(s, v - m_shift);
+        m_shift = uint64_t(v) + 1;
+    }
+    template<typename Stream, typename I>
+    void Unser(Stream& s, I& v)
+    {
+        uint64_t n = ReadCompactSize(s);
+        m_shift += n;
+        if (m_shift < n || m_shift >= std::numeric_limits<uint64_t>::max() || m_shift < std::numeric_limits<I>::min() || m_shift > std::numeric_limits<I>::max()) throw std::ios_base::failure("differential value overflow");
+        v = I(m_shift++);
     }
 };
 
@@ -32,39 +43,9 @@ public:
     uint256 blockhash;
     std::vector<uint16_t> indexes;
 
-    ADD_SERIALIZE_METHODS;
-
-    template <typename Stream, typename Operation>
-    inline void SerializationOp(Stream& s, Operation ser_action) {
-        READWRITE(blockhash);
-        uint64_t indexes_size = (uint64_t)indexes.size();
-        READWRITE(COMPACTSIZE(indexes_size));
-        if (ser_action.ForRead()) {
-            size_t i = 0;
-            while (indexes.size() < indexes_size) {
-                indexes.resize(std::min((uint64_t)(1000 + indexes.size()), indexes_size));
-                for (; i < indexes.size(); i++) {
-                    uint64_t index = 0;
-                    READWRITE(COMPACTSIZE(index));
-                    if (index > std::numeric_limits<uint16_t>::max())
-                        throw std::ios_base::failure("index overflowed 16 bits");
-                    indexes[i] = index;
-                }
-            }
-
-            int32_t offset = 0;
-            for (size_t j = 0; j < indexes.size(); j++) {
-                if (int32_t(indexes[j]) + offset > std::numeric_limits<uint16_t>::max())
-                    throw std::ios_base::failure("indexes overflowed 16 bits");
-                indexes[j] = indexes[j] + offset;
-                offset = int32_t(indexes[j]) + 1;
-            }
-        } else {
-            for (size_t i = 0; i < indexes.size(); i++) {
-                uint64_t index = indexes[i] - (i == 0 ? 0 : (indexes[i - 1] + 1));
-                READWRITE(COMPACTSIZE(index));
-            }
-        }
+    SERIALIZE_METHODS(BlockTransactionsRequest, obj)
+    {
+        READWRITE(obj.blockhash, Using<VectorFormatter<DifferenceFormatter>>(obj.indexes));
     }
 };
 
@@ -78,24 +59,9 @@ public:
     explicit BlockTransactions(const BlockTransactionsRequest& req) :
         blockhash(req.blockhash), txn(req.indexes.size()) {}
 
-    ADD_SERIALIZE_METHODS;
-
-    template <typename Stream, typename Operation>
-    inline void SerializationOp(Stream& s, Operation ser_action) {
-        READWRITE(blockhash);
-        uint64_t txn_size = (uint64_t)txn.size();
-        READWRITE(COMPACTSIZE(txn_size));
-        if (ser_action.ForRead()) {
-            size_t i = 0;
-            while (txn.size() < txn_size) {
-                txn.resize(std::min((uint64_t)(1000 + txn.size()), txn_size));
-                for (; i < txn.size(); i++)
-                    READWRITE(TransactionCompressor(txn[i]));
-            }
-        } else {
-            for (size_t i = 0; i < txn.size(); i++)
-                READWRITE(TransactionCompressor(txn[i]));
-        }
+    SERIALIZE_METHODS(BlockTransactions, obj)
+    {
+        READWRITE(obj.blockhash, Using<VectorFormatter<TransactionCompression>>(obj.txn));
     }
 };
 
@@ -106,17 +72,7 @@ struct PrefilledTransaction {
     uint16_t index;
     CTransactionRef tx;
 
-    ADD_SERIALIZE_METHODS;
-
-    template <typename Stream, typename Operation>
-    inline void SerializationOp(Stream& s, Operation ser_action) {
-        uint64_t idx = index;
-        READWRITE(COMPACTSIZE(idx));
-        if (idx > std::numeric_limits<uint16_t>::max())
-            throw std::ios_base::failure("index overflowed 16-bits");
-        index = idx;
-        READWRITE(TransactionCompressor(tx));
-    }
+    SERIALIZE_METHODS(PrefilledTransaction, obj) { READWRITE(COMPACTSIZE(obj.index), Using<TransactionCompression>(obj.tx)); }
 };
 
 typedef enum ReadStatus_t
@@ -154,43 +110,15 @@ public:
 
     size_t BlockTxCount() const { return shorttxids.size() + prefilledtxn.size(); }
 
-    ADD_SERIALIZE_METHODS;
-
-    template <typename Stream, typename Operation>
-    inline void SerializationOp(Stream& s, Operation ser_action) {
-        READWRITE(header);
-        READWRITE(nonce);
-
-        uint64_t shorttxids_size = (uint64_t)shorttxids.size();
-        READWRITE(COMPACTSIZE(shorttxids_size));
+    SERIALIZE_METHODS(CBlockHeaderAndShortTxIDs, obj)
+    {
+        READWRITE(obj.header, obj.nonce, Using<VectorFormatter<CustomUintFormatter<SHORTTXIDS_LENGTH>>>(obj.shorttxids), obj.prefilledtxn);
         if (ser_action.ForRead()) {
-            size_t i = 0;
-            while (shorttxids.size() < shorttxids_size) {
-                shorttxids.resize(std::min((uint64_t)(1000 + shorttxids.size()), shorttxids_size));
-                for (; i < shorttxids.size(); i++) {
-                    uint32_t lsb = 0; uint16_t msb = 0;
-                    READWRITE(lsb);
-                    READWRITE(msb);
-                    shorttxids[i] = (uint64_t(msb) << 32) | uint64_t(lsb);
-                    static_assert(SHORTTXIDS_LENGTH == 6, "shorttxids serialization assumes 6-byte shorttxids");
-                }
-            }
-        } else {
-            for (size_t i = 0; i < shorttxids.size(); i++) {
-                uint32_t lsb = shorttxids[i] & 0xffffffff;
-                uint16_t msb = (shorttxids[i] >> 32) & 0xffff;
-                READWRITE(lsb);
-                READWRITE(msb);
+            if (obj.BlockTxCount() > std::numeric_limits<uint16_t>::max()) {
+                throw std::ios_base::failure("indexes overflowed 16 bits");
             }
+            obj.FillShortTxIDSelector();
         }
-
-        READWRITE(prefilledtxn);
-
-        if (BlockTxCount() > std::numeric_limits<uint16_t>::max())
-            throw std::ios_base::failure("indexes overflowed 16 bits");
-
-        if (ser_action.ForRead())
-            FillShortTxIDSelector();
     }
 };
 
diff --git a/src/prevector.h b/src/prevector.h
index fa2bf62272..fbbc86fc57 100644
--- a/src/prevector.h
+++ b/src/prevector.h
@@ -452,15 +452,20 @@ public:
         return first;
     }
 
-    void push_back(const T& value) {
+    template<typename... Args>
+    void emplace_back(Args&&... args) {
         size_type new_size = size() + 1;
         if (capacity() < new_size) {
             change_capacity(new_size + (new_size >> 1));
         }
-        new(item_ptr(size())) T(value);
+        new(item_ptr(size())) T(std::forward<Args>(args)...);
         _size++;
     }
 
+    void push_back(const T& value) {
+        emplace_back(value);
+    }
+
     void pop_back() {
         erase(end() - 1, end());
     }
diff --git a/src/serialize.h b/src/serialize.h
index 655e90c5aa..d7ace2ff92 100644
--- a/src/serialize.h
+++ b/src/serialize.h
@@ -504,7 +504,7 @@ static inline Wrapper<Formatter, T&> Using(T&& t) { return Wrapper<Formatter, T&
 #define FIXEDVARINTSBITSET(obj, size) CFixedVarIntsBitSet(REF(obj), (size))
 #define AUTOBITSET(obj, size) CAutoBitSet(REF(obj), (size))
 #define VARINT(obj, ...) Using<VarIntFormatter<__VA_ARGS__>>(obj)
-#define COMPACTSIZE(obj) CCompactSize(REF(obj))
+#define COMPACTSIZE(obj) Using<CompactSizeFormatter>(obj)
 #define LIMITED_STRING(obj,n) LimitedString< n >(REF(obj))
 
 class CFixedBitSet
@@ -678,6 +678,28 @@ struct VarIntFormatter
     }
 };
 
+template<int Bytes>
+struct CustomUintFormatter
+{
+    static_assert(Bytes > 0 && Bytes <= 8, "CustomUintFormatter Bytes out of range");
+    static constexpr uint64_t MAX = 0xffffffffffffffff >> (8 * (8 - Bytes));
+
+    template <typename Stream, typename I> void Ser(Stream& s, I v)
+    {
+        if (v < 0 || v > MAX) throw std::ios_base::failure("CustomUintFormatter value out of range");
+        uint64_t raw = htole64(v);
+        s.write((const char*)&raw, Bytes);
+    }
+
+    template <typename Stream, typename I> void Unser(Stream& s, I& v)
+    {
+        static_assert(std::numeric_limits<I>::max() >= MAX && std::numeric_limits<I>::min() <= 0, "CustomUintFormatter type too small");
+        uint64_t raw = 0;
+        s.read((char*)&raw, Bytes);
+        v = le64toh(raw);
+    }
+};
+
 /** Serialization wrapper class for big-endian integers.
  *
  * Use this wrapper around integer types that are stored in memory in native
@@ -712,25 +734,26 @@ public:
     }
 };
 
-class CCompactSize
+/** Formatter for integers in CompactSize format. */
+struct CompactSizeFormatter
 {
-protected:
-    uint64_t &n;
-public:
-    explicit CCompactSize(uint64_t& nIn) : n(nIn) { }
-
-    unsigned int GetSerializeSize() const {
-        return GetSizeOfCompactSize(n);
+    template<typename Stream, typename I>
+    void Unser(Stream& s, I& v)
+    {
+        uint64_t n = ReadCompactSize<Stream>(s);
+        if (n < std::numeric_limits<I>::min() || n > std::numeric_limits<I>::max()) {
+            throw std::ios_base::failure("CompactSize exceeds limit of type");
+        }
+        v = n;
     }
 
-    template<typename Stream>
-    void Serialize(Stream &s) const {
-        WriteCompactSize<Stream>(s, n);
-    }
+    template<typename Stream, typename I>
+    void Ser(Stream& s, I v)
+    {
+        static_assert(std::is_unsigned<I>::value, "CompactSize only supported for unsigned integers");
+        static_assert(std::numeric_limits<I>::max() <= std::numeric_limits<uint64_t>::max(), "CompactSize only supports 64-bit integers and below");
 
-    template<typename Stream>
-    void Unserialize(Stream& s) {
-        n = ReadCompactSize<Stream>(s);
+        WriteCompactSize<Stream>(s, v);
     }
 };
 
@@ -777,7 +800,7 @@ BigEndian<I> WrapBigEndian(I& n) { return BigEndian<I>(n); }
  * as a vector of VarInt-encoded integers.
  *
  * V is not required to be an std::vector type. It works for any class that
- * exposes a value_type, size, reserve, push_back, and const iterators.
+ * exposes a value_type, size, reserve, emplace_back, back, and const iterators.
  */
 template<class Formatter>
 struct VectorFormatter
@@ -785,15 +808,17 @@ struct VectorFormatter
     template<typename Stream, typename V>
     void Ser(Stream& s, const V& v)
     {
+        Formatter formatter;
         WriteCompactSize(s, v.size());
         for (const typename V::value_type& elem : v) {
-            s << Using<Formatter>(elem);
+            formatter.Ser(s, elem);
         }
     }
 
     template<typename Stream, typename V>
     void Unser(Stream& s, V& v)
     {
+        Formatter formatter;
         v.clear();
         size_t size = ReadCompactSize(s);
         size_t allocated = 0;
@@ -805,9 +830,8 @@ struct VectorFormatter
             allocated = std::min(size, allocated + MAX_VECTOR_ALLOCATE / sizeof(typename V::value_type));
             v.reserve(allocated);
             while (v.size() < allocated) {
-                typename V::value_type val;
-                s >> Using<Formatter>(val);
-                v.push_back(std::move(val));
+                v.emplace_back();
+                formatter.Unser(s, v.back());
             }
         }
     };