diff --git a/debezium-connector-postgres/src/main/java/io/debezium/connector/postgresql/connection/wal2json/StreamingWal2JsonMessageDecoder.java b/debezium-connector-postgres/src/main/java/io/debezium/connector/postgresql/connection/wal2json/StreamingWal2JsonMessageDecoder.java
index b90eab991..a9471052c 100644
--- a/debezium-connector-postgres/src/main/java/io/debezium/connector/postgresql/connection/wal2json/StreamingWal2JsonMessageDecoder.java
+++ b/debezium-connector-postgres/src/main/java/io/debezium/connector/postgresql/connection/wal2json/StreamingWal2JsonMessageDecoder.java
@@ -78,7 +78,16 @@
  */
 public class StreamingWal2JsonMessageDecoder implements MessageDecoder {
 
-    private static final  Logger LOGGER = LoggerFactory.getLogger(StreamingWal2JsonMessageDecoder.class);
+    private static final Logger LOGGER = LoggerFactory.getLogger(StreamingWal2JsonMessageDecoder.class);
+
+    private static final byte TAB = 9;
+    private static final byte CR = 13;
+    private static final byte SPACE = 32;
+
+    private static final byte COMMA = 44;
+    private static final byte RIGHT_BRACKET = 93;
+    private static final byte LEFT_BRACE = 123;
+    private static final byte RIGHT_BRACE = 125;
 
     private final DateTimeFormat dateTime = DateTimeFormat.get();
     private boolean containsMetadata = false;
@@ -88,7 +97,7 @@ public class StreamingWal2JsonMessageDecoder implements MessageDecoder {
      * To identify if the last current chunk is the last one we can send the current one
      * for processing only after we read the next one or the end of message fragment.
      */
-    private String currentChunk;
+    private byte[] currentChunk;
 
     private int txId;
 
@@ -103,14 +112,22 @@ public void processMessage(ByteBuffer buffer, ReplicationMessageProcessor proces
                 throw new IllegalStateException("Invalid buffer received from PG server during streaming replication");
             }
             final byte[] source = buffer.array();
-            String content = new String(Arrays.copyOfRange(source, buffer.arrayOffset(), source.length)).trim();
-            LOGGER.debug("Chunk arrived from database {}", content);
+            // Extend the array by two as we might need to append two chars and set them to space by default
+            final byte[] content = Arrays.copyOfRange(source, buffer.arrayOffset(), source.length + 2);
+            final int lastPos = content.length - 1;
+            content[lastPos - 1] = 32;
+            content[lastPos] = 32;
+
+            if (LOGGER.isDebugEnabled()) {
+                LOGGER.debug("Chunk arrived from database {}", new String(content));
+            }
 
             if (!messageInProgress) {
                 // We received the beginning of a transaction
-                if (!content.endsWith("}")) {
+                if (getLastNonWhiteChar(content) != RIGHT_BRACE) {
                     // Chunks are enabled and we have an unfinished message, it is necessary to add a sequence of closing chars
-                    content += "]}";
+                    content[lastPos - 1] = RIGHT_BRACKET;
+                    content[lastPos] = RIGHT_BRACE;
                 }
                 final Document message = DocumentReader.defaultReader().read(content);
                 txId = message.getInteger("xid");
@@ -120,17 +137,19 @@ public void processMessage(ByteBuffer buffer, ReplicationMessageProcessor proces
                 currentChunk = null;
             }
             else {
+                byte firstChar = getFirstNonWhiteChar(content);
                 // We are receiving changes in chunks
-                if (content.startsWith("{")) {
+                if (firstChar == LEFT_BRACE) {
                     // First change, this is a valid JSON
                     currentChunk = content;
                 }
-                else if (content.startsWith(",")) {
+                else if (firstChar == COMMA) {
                     // following changes, they have an extra comma at the start of message
                     doProcessMessage(processor, typeRegistry, currentChunk, false);
-                    currentChunk = content.substring(1);
+                    replaceFirstNonWhiteChar(content, SPACE);
+                    currentChunk = content;
                 }
-                else if (content.startsWith("]")) {
+                else if (firstChar == RIGHT_BRACKET) {
                     // No more changes
                     if (currentChunk != null) {
                         doProcessMessage(processor, typeRegistry, currentChunk, true);
@@ -147,7 +166,38 @@ else if (content.startsWith("]")) {
         }
     }
 
-    private void doProcessMessage(ReplicationMessageProcessor processor, TypeRegistry typeRegistry, String content, boolean lastMessage)
+    private byte getLastNonWhiteChar(byte[] array) throws IllegalArgumentException {
+        for (int i = array.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
+            if (!isWhitespace(array[i])) {
+                return array[i];
+            }
+        }
+        throw new IllegalArgumentException("No non-white char");
+    }
+
+    private byte getFirstNonWhiteChar(byte[] array) throws IllegalArgumentException {
+        for (int i = 0; i < array.length; i++) {
+            if (!isWhitespace(array[i])) {
+                return array[i];
+            }
+        }
+        throw new IllegalArgumentException("No non-white char");
+    }
+
+    private void replaceFirstNonWhiteChar(byte[] array, byte to) {
+        for (int i = 0; i < array.length; i++) {
+            if (!isWhitespace(array[i])) {
+                array[i] = to;
+                return;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    private boolean isWhitespace(byte c) {
+        return (c >= TAB && c <= CR) || c == SPACE;
+    }
+
+    private void doProcessMessage(ReplicationMessageProcessor processor, TypeRegistry typeRegistry, byte[] content, boolean lastMessage)
             throws IOException, SQLException, InterruptedException {
         final Document change = DocumentReader.floatNumbersAsTextReader().read(content);
         LOGGER.debug("Change arrived for decoding {}", change);