diff --git a/src/main/java/com/threerings/io/FieldMarshaller.java b/src/main/java/com/threerings/io/FieldMarshaller.java
index fad908718..8fc0785e4 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/threerings/io/FieldMarshaller.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/threerings/io/FieldMarshaller.java
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ public abstract class FieldMarshaller
     protected static void createMarshallers ()
     {
         // create our table
-        _marshallers = Maps.newHashMap();
+        Map<Class<?>, FieldMarshaller> marshallers = Maps.newHashMap();
 
         // create a generic marshaller for streamable instances
         FieldMarshaller gmarsh = new FieldMarshaller("Generic") {
@@ -268,15 +268,15 @@ public abstract class FieldMarshaller
                 out.writeObject(field.get(source));
             }
         };
-        _marshallers.put(Streamable.class, gmarsh);
+        marshallers.put(Streamable.class, gmarsh);
 
         // use the same generic marshaller for fields declared as Object with the expectation that
         // they will contain only primitive types or Streamables; the runtime will fail
         // informatively if we attempt to store non-Streamable objects in that field
-        _marshallers.put(Object.class, gmarsh);
+        marshallers.put(Object.class, gmarsh);
 
         // create marshallers for the primitive types
-        _marshallers.put(Boolean.TYPE, new FieldMarshaller("boolean") {
+        marshallers.put(Boolean.TYPE, new FieldMarshaller("boolean") {
             @Override
             public void readField (Field field, Object target, ObjectInputStream in)
                 throws Exception {
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ public abstract class FieldMarshaller
                 out.writeBoolean(field.getBoolean(source));
             }
         });
-        _marshallers.put(Byte.TYPE, new FieldMarshaller("byte") {
+        marshallers.put(Byte.TYPE, new FieldMarshaller("byte") {
             @Override
             public void readField (Field field, Object target, ObjectInputStream in)
                 throws Exception {
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ public abstract class FieldMarshaller
                 out.writeByte(field.getByte(source));
             }
         });
-        _marshallers.put(Character.TYPE, new FieldMarshaller("char") {
+        marshallers.put(Character.TYPE, new FieldMarshaller("char") {
             @Override
             public void readField (Field field, Object target, ObjectInputStream in)
                 throws Exception {
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ public abstract class FieldMarshaller
                 out.writeChar(field.getChar(source));
             }
         });
-        _marshallers.put(Short.TYPE, new FieldMarshaller("short") {
+        marshallers.put(Short.TYPE, new FieldMarshaller("short") {
             @Override
             public void readField (Field field, Object target, ObjectInputStream in)
                 throws Exception {
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ public abstract class FieldMarshaller
                 out.writeShort(field.getShort(source));
             }
         });
-        _marshallers.put(Integer.TYPE, new FieldMarshaller("int") {
+        marshallers.put(Integer.TYPE, new FieldMarshaller("int") {
             @Override
             public void readField (Field field, Object target, ObjectInputStream in)
                 throws Exception {
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ public abstract class FieldMarshaller
                 out.writeInt(field.getInt(source));
             }
         });
-        _marshallers.put(Long.TYPE, new FieldMarshaller("long") {
+        marshallers.put(Long.TYPE, new FieldMarshaller("long") {
             @Override
             public void readField (Field field, Object target, ObjectInputStream in)
                 throws Exception {
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ public abstract class FieldMarshaller
                 out.writeLong(field.getLong(source));
             }
         });
-        _marshallers.put(Float.TYPE, new FieldMarshaller("float") {
+        marshallers.put(Float.TYPE, new FieldMarshaller("float") {
             @Override
             public void readField (Field field, Object target, ObjectInputStream in)
                 throws Exception {
@@ -360,7 +360,7 @@ public abstract class FieldMarshaller
                 out.writeFloat(field.getFloat(source));
             }
         });
-        _marshallers.put(Double.TYPE, new FieldMarshaller("double") {
+        marshallers.put(Double.TYPE, new FieldMarshaller("double") {
             @Override
             public void readField (Field field, Object target, ObjectInputStream in)
                 throws Exception {
@@ -372,7 +372,7 @@ public abstract class FieldMarshaller
                 out.writeDouble(field.getDouble(source));
             }
         });
-        _marshallers.put(Date.class, new FieldMarshaller("Date") {
+        marshallers.put(Date.class, new FieldMarshaller("Date") {
             @Override
             public void readField (Field field, Object target, ObjectInputStream in)
                 throws Exception {
@@ -387,7 +387,7 @@ public abstract class FieldMarshaller
 
         // create field marshallers for all of the basic types
         for (Map.Entry<Class<?>,Streamer> entry : BasicStreamers.BSTREAMERS.entrySet()) {
-            _marshallers.put(entry.getKey(), new StreamerMarshaller(entry.getValue()));
+            marshallers.put(entry.getKey(), new StreamerMarshaller(entry.getValue()));
         }
 
         // create the field marshaller for pooled strings
@@ -403,6 +403,8 @@ public abstract class FieldMarshaller
                 out.writeIntern((String)field.get(source));
             }
         };
+
+        _marshallers = marshallers;
     }
 
     /** Contains a mapping from field type to field marshaller instance for that type. */
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/threerings/io/Streamer.java b/src/main/java/com/threerings/io/Streamer.java
index 6afdfafb7..07609598e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/threerings/io/Streamer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/threerings/io/Streamer.java
@@ -469,20 +469,21 @@ public abstract class Streamer
             int fcount = _fields.length;
 
             // obtain field marshallers for all of our fields
-            _marshallers = new FieldMarshaller[fcount];
+            FieldMarshaller[] marshallers = new FieldMarshaller[fcount];
             for (int ii = 0; ii < fcount; ii++) {
-                _marshallers[ii] = FieldMarshaller.getFieldMarshaller(_fields[ii]);
-                if (_marshallers[ii] == null) {
+                marshallers[ii] = FieldMarshaller.getFieldMarshaller(_fields[ii]);
+                if (marshallers[ii] == null) {
                     String errmsg = "Unable to marshall field [class=" + _target.getName() +
                         ", field=" + _fields[ii].getName() +
                         ", type=" + _fields[ii].getType().getName() + "]";
                     throw new RuntimeException(errmsg);
                 }
                 if (ObjectInputStream.STREAM_DEBUG) {
-                    log.info("Using " + _marshallers[ii] + " for " + _target.getName() + "." +
+                    log.info("Using " + marshallers[ii] + " for " + _target.getName() + "." +
                              _fields[ii].getName() + ".");
                 }
             }
+            _marshallers = marshallers;
         }
 
         @Override
@@ -549,10 +550,8 @@ public abstract class Streamer
             }
 
             // otherwise, ensure the marshallers are initialized and call super
-            synchronized (this) {
-                if (_marshallers == null) {
-                    super.initMarshallers();
-                }
+            if (_marshallers == null) {
+                super.initMarshallers();
             }
             super.writeObject(object, out, useWriter);
         }