diff --git a/address.go b/address.go
index 4f497777..a8898313 100644
--- a/address.go
+++ b/address.go
@@ -1,21 +1,17 @@
 package capnp
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
+	"strconv"
 )
 
-// An address is an index inside a segment's data (in bytes).
-// It is bounded to [0, maxSegmentSize).
-type address uint32
-
 // String returns the address in hex format.
 func (a address) String() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("%#08x", uint64(a))
+	return strconv.FormatUint(uint64(a), 16)
 }
 
 // GoString returns the address in hex format.
 func (a address) GoString() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("capnp.address(%#08x)", uint64(a))
+	return "capnp.address(%" + a.String() + ")"
 }
 
 // addSize returns the address a+sz.  ok is false if the result would
@@ -62,12 +58,12 @@ func (sz Size) String() string {
 	if sz == 1 {
 		return "1 byte"
 	}
-	return fmt.Sprintf("%d bytes", sz)
+	return fmtUdecimal(sz) + " bytes"
 }
 
 // GoString returns the size as a Go expression.
 func (sz Size) GoString() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("capnp.Size(%d)", sz)
+	return "capnp.Size(" + fmtUdecimal(sz) + ")"
 }
 
 // times returns the size sz*n.  ok is false if the result would be
@@ -124,12 +120,12 @@ func (off DataOffset) String() string {
 	if off == 1 {
 		return "+1 byte"
 	}
-	return fmt.Sprintf("+%d bytes", off)
+	return "+" + fmtUdecimal(off) + " bytes"
 }
 
 // GoString returns the offset as a Go expression.
 func (off DataOffset) GoString() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("capnp.DataOffset(%d)", off)
+	return "capnp.DataOffset(" + fmtUdecimal(off) + ")"
 }
 
 // ObjectSize records section sizes for a struct or list.
@@ -181,12 +177,13 @@ func (sz ObjectSize) totalWordCount() int32 {
 // String returns a short, human readable representation of the object
 // size.
 func (sz ObjectSize) String() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("{datasz=%d ptrs=%d}", sz.DataSize, sz.PointerCount)
+	return "{datasz=" + fmtUdecimal(sz.DataSize) + " ptrs=" + fmtUdecimal(sz.PointerCount) + "}"
 }
 
 // GoString formats the ObjectSize as a keyed struct literal.
 func (sz ObjectSize) GoString() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("capnp.ObjectSize{DataSize: %d, PointerCount: %d}", sz.DataSize, sz.PointerCount)
+	return "capnp.ObjectSize{DataSize: " + fmtUdecimal(sz.DataSize) +
+		", PointerCount: " + fmtUdecimal(sz.PointerCount) + "}"
 }
 
 // BitOffset is an offset in bits from the beginning of a struct's data
@@ -205,10 +202,10 @@ func (bit BitOffset) mask() byte {
 
 // String returns the offset in the format "bit X".
 func (bit BitOffset) String() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("bit %d", bit)
+	return "bit " + fmtUdecimal(bit)
 }
 
 // GoString returns the offset as a Go expression.
 func (bit BitOffset) GoString() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("capnp.BitOffset(%d)", bit)
+	return "capnp.BitOffset(" + fmtUdecimal(bit) + ")"
 }
diff --git a/answer.go b/answer.go
index 3e5a1b1e..9f095049 100644
--- a/answer.go
+++ b/answer.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package capnp
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"fmt"
 	"strconv"
 	"sync"
 
@@ -206,7 +205,7 @@ func (p *Promise) requireUnresolved(callerMethod string) {
 		if p.err == nil {
 			prevMethod = "Fulfill"
 		} else {
-			prevMethod = fmt.Sprintf("Reject (error = %q)", p.err)
+			prevMethod = "Reject (error = " + strconv.Quote(p.err.Error()) + ")"
 		}
 
 		panic("Promise." + callerMethod +
diff --git a/capability.go b/capability.go
index d3d5701c..71752296 100644
--- a/capability.go
+++ b/capability.go
@@ -94,12 +94,12 @@ type CapabilityID uint32
 
 // String returns the ID in the format "capability X".
 func (id CapabilityID) String() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("capability %d", id)
+	return "capability " + fmtUdecimal(id)
 }
 
 // GoString returns the ID as a Go expression.
 func (id CapabilityID) GoString() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("capnp.CapabilityID(%d)", id)
+	return "capnp.CapabilityID(" + fmtUdecimal(id) + ")"
 }
 
 // A Client is a reference to a Cap'n Proto capability.
@@ -652,9 +652,10 @@ func finalizeClient(c *client) {
 	}
 	var msg string
 	if c.creatorFile == "" {
-		msg = fmt.Sprintf("leaked client created by %s", fname)
+		msg = "leaked client created by " + fname
 	} else {
-		msg = fmt.Sprintf("leaked client created by %s on %s:%d", fname, c.creatorFile, c.creatorLine)
+		msg = "leaked client created by " + fname + " on " +
+			c.creatorFile + ":" + fmtIdecimal(c.creatorLine)
 	}
 	if c.creatorStack != "" {
 		msg += "\nCreation stack trace:\n" + c.creatorStack + "\n"
diff --git a/fmt.go b/fmt.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..dce3d87b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fmt.go
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+package capnp
+
+// Helpers for formatting strings. We avoid the use of the fmt package for the benefit
+// of environments that care about minimizing executable size.
+
+import "strconv"
+
+// An address is an index inside a segment's data (in bytes).
+// It is bounded to [0, maxSegmentSize).
+type address uint32
+
+// fmtUdecimal is a helper for formatting unsigned integers as decimals.
+func fmtUdecimal[T isUint](n T) string {
+	return strconv.FormatUint(uint64(n), 10)
+}
+
+// Like fmtIdecimal, but for signed integers.
+func fmtIdecimal[T isInt](n T) string {
+	return strconv.FormatInt(int64(n), 10)
+}
+
+type isUint interface {
+	~uint8 | ~uint16 | ~uint32 | ~uint64 | ~uint
+}
+
+type isInt interface {
+	~int8 | ~int16 | ~int32 | ~int64 | ~int
+}
diff --git a/message.go b/message.go
index 6362b7b9..bd6135d1 100644
--- a/message.go
+++ b/message.go
@@ -452,7 +452,7 @@ func (ssa *SingleSegmentArena) Allocate(sz Size, segs map[SegmentID]*Segment) (S
 }
 
 func (ssa SingleSegmentArena) String() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("single-segment arena [len=%d cap=%d]", len(ssa), cap(ssa))
+	return "single-segment arena [len=" + fmtIdecimal(len(ssa)) + " cap=" + fmtIdecimal(cap(ssa)) + "]"
 }
 
 type roSingleSegment []byte
@@ -586,7 +586,7 @@ func (msa *MultiSegmentArena) Allocate(sz Size, segs map[SegmentID]*Segment) (Se
 }
 
 func (msa *MultiSegmentArena) String() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("multi-segment arena [%d segments]", len(*msa))
+	return "multi-segment arena [" + fmtIdecimal(len(*msa)) + " segments]"
 }
 
 // nextAlloc computes how much more space to allocate given the number
diff --git a/rpc/rpc.go b/rpc/rpc.go
index 76195048..7c747851 100644
--- a/rpc/rpc.go
+++ b/rpc/rpc.go
@@ -663,7 +663,7 @@ func (c *Conn) receive() error {
 			}
 
 		default:
-			c.er.ReportError(fmt.Errorf("unknown message type %v from remote", recv.Which()))
+			c.er.ReportError(errors.New("unknown message type " + recv.Which().String() + " from remote"))
 			c.withLocked(func(c *lockedConn) {
 				c.sendMessage(ctx, func(m rpccp.Message) error {
 					defer release()
@@ -744,7 +744,7 @@ func (c *Conn) handleCall(ctx context.Context, call rpccp.Call, releaseCall capn
 	// TODO(3rd-party handshake): support sending results to 3rd party vat
 	if call.SendResultsTo().Which() != rpccp.Call_sendResultsTo_Which_caller {
 		// TODO(someday): handle SendResultsTo.yourself
-		c.er.ReportError(fmt.Errorf("incoming call: results destination is not caller"))
+		c.er.ReportError(errors.New("incoming call: results destination is not caller"))
 
 		c.withLocked(func(c *lockedConn) {
 			c.sendMessage(ctx, func(m rpccp.Message) error {
@@ -1513,7 +1513,7 @@ func (c *Conn) handleDisembargo(ctx context.Context, d rpccp.Disembargo, release
 		})
 
 	default:
-		c.er.ReportError(fmt.Errorf("incoming disembargo: context %v not implemented", d.Context().Which()))
+		c.er.ReportError(errors.New("incoming disembargo: context " + d.Context().Which().String() + " not implemented"))
 		c.withLocked(func(c *lockedConn) {
 			c.sendMessage(ctx, func(m rpccp.Message) (err error) {
 				if m, err = m.NewUnimplemented(); err == nil {