diff --git a/liblwgeom/cunit/cu_out_encoded_polyline.c b/liblwgeom/cunit/cu_out_encoded_polyline.c
index 0cdcc1f59..608b0ae71 100644
--- a/liblwgeom/cunit/cu_out_encoded_polyline.c
+++ b/liblwgeom/cunit/cu_out_encoded_polyline.c
@@ -22,19 +22,13 @@
 static void
 do_encoded_polyline_test(char* in, int precision, char* out)
 {
-	LWGEOM* g;
-	char* h;
+	LWGEOM *g = lwgeom_from_wkt(in, LW_PARSER_CHECK_NONE);
+	lwvarlena_t *v = lwgeom_to_encoded_polyline(g, precision);
 
-	g = lwgeom_from_wkt(in, LW_PARSER_CHECK_NONE);
-	h = lwgeom_to_encoded_polyline(g, precision);
-
-	if (strcmp(h, out))
-		fprintf(stderr, "\nIn:   %s\nOut:  %s\nTheo: %s\n", in, h, out);
-
-	CU_ASSERT_STRING_EQUAL(h, out);
+	ASSERT_VARLENA_EQUAL(v, out);
 
 	lwgeom_free(g);
-	lwfree(h);
+	lwfree(v);
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/liblwgeom/liblwgeom.h.in b/liblwgeom/liblwgeom.h.in
index 32140790f..aa7f74ca7 100644
--- a/liblwgeom/liblwgeom.h.in
+++ b/liblwgeom/liblwgeom.h.in
@@ -1702,7 +1702,7 @@ extern lwvarlena_t* lwgeom_to_kml2(const LWGEOM *geom, int precision, const char
 extern lwvarlena_t* lwgeom_to_geojson(const LWGEOM *geo, char *srs, int precision, int has_bbox);
 extern lwvarlena_t* lwgeom_to_x3d3(const LWGEOM *geom, char *srs, int precision, int opts, const char *defid);
 extern lwvarlena_t* lwgeom_to_svg(const LWGEOM *geom, int precision, int relative);
-extern char* lwgeom_to_encoded_polyline(const LWGEOM *geom, int precision);
+extern lwvarlena_t* lwgeom_to_encoded_polyline(const LWGEOM *geom, int precision);
 
 /**
  * Create an LWGEOM object from a GeoJSON representation
diff --git a/liblwgeom/lwout_encoded_polyline.c b/liblwgeom/lwout_encoded_polyline.c
index 20bf27238..e5afdd44b 100644
--- a/liblwgeom/lwout_encoded_polyline.c
+++ b/liblwgeom/lwout_encoded_polyline.c
@@ -26,13 +26,13 @@
 #include "stringbuffer.h"
 #include "liblwgeom_internal.h"
 
-static char* lwline_to_encoded_polyline(const LWLINE*, int precision);
-static char* lwmmpoint_to_encoded_polyline(const LWMPOINT*, int precision);
-static char* pointarray_to_encoded_polyline(const POINTARRAY*, int precision);
+static lwvarlena_t *lwline_to_encoded_polyline(const LWLINE *, int precision);
+static lwvarlena_t *lwmmpoint_to_encoded_polyline(const LWMPOINT *, int precision);
+static lwvarlena_t *pointarray_to_encoded_polyline(const POINTARRAY *, int precision);
 
 /* takes a GEOMETRY and returns an Encoded Polyline representation */
-extern char*
-lwgeom_to_encoded_polyline(const LWGEOM* geom, int precision)
+extern lwvarlena_t *
+lwgeom_to_encoded_polyline(const LWGEOM *geom, int precision)
 {
 	int type = geom->type;
 	switch (type)
@@ -48,37 +48,37 @@ lwgeom_to_encoded_polyline(const LWGEOM* geom, int precision)
 	}
 }
 
-static char*
-lwline_to_encoded_polyline(const LWLINE* line, int precision)
+static lwvarlena_t *
+lwline_to_encoded_polyline(const LWLINE *line, int precision)
 {
 	return pointarray_to_encoded_polyline(line->points, precision);
 }
 
-static char*
-lwmmpoint_to_encoded_polyline(const LWMPOINT* mpoint, int precision)
+static lwvarlena_t *
+lwmmpoint_to_encoded_polyline(const LWMPOINT *mpoint, int precision)
 {
 	LWLINE* line = lwline_from_lwmpoint(mpoint->srid, mpoint);
-	char* encoded_polyline = lwline_to_encoded_polyline(line, precision);
+	lwvarlena_t *encoded_polyline = lwline_to_encoded_polyline(line, precision);
 
 	lwline_free(line);
 	return encoded_polyline;
 }
 
-static char*
-pointarray_to_encoded_polyline(const POINTARRAY* pa, int precision)
+static lwvarlena_t *
+pointarray_to_encoded_polyline(const POINTARRAY *pa, int precision)
 {
 	uint32_t i;
 	const POINT2D* prevPoint;
 	int* delta;
-	char* encoded_polyline = NULL;
 	stringbuffer_t* sb;
 	double scale = pow(10, precision);
 
 	/* Empty input is empty string */
-	if (pa->npoints == 0) {
-		encoded_polyline = lwalloc(1 * sizeof(char));
-		encoded_polyline[0] = 0;
-		return encoded_polyline;
+	if (pa->npoints == 0)
+	{
+		lwvarlena_t *v = lwalloc(LWVARHDRSZ);
+		LWSIZE_SET(v->size, LWVARHDRSZ);
+		return v;
 	}
 
 	delta = lwalloc(2 * sizeof(int) * pa->npoints);
@@ -132,8 +132,8 @@ pointarray_to_encoded_polyline(const POINTARRAY* pa, int precision)
 	}
 
 	lwfree(delta);
-	encoded_polyline = stringbuffer_getstringcopy(sb);
+	lwvarlena_t *v = stringbuffer_getvarlenacopy(sb);
 	stringbuffer_destroy(sb);
 
-	return encoded_polyline;
+	return v;
 }
diff --git a/postgis/lwgeom_export.c b/postgis/lwgeom_export.c
index bad381853..585dcce73 100644
--- a/postgis/lwgeom_export.c
+++ b/postgis/lwgeom_export.c
@@ -556,9 +556,7 @@ Datum LWGEOM_asEncodedPolyline(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 {
 	GSERIALIZED *geom;
 	LWGEOM *lwgeom;
-	char *encodedpolyline;
 	int precision = 5;
-	text *result;
 
 	if ( PG_ARGISNULL(0) ) PG_RETURN_NULL();
 
@@ -576,12 +574,5 @@ Datum LWGEOM_asEncodedPolyline(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 		if ( precision < 0 ) precision = 5;
 	}
 
-	encodedpolyline = lwgeom_to_encoded_polyline(lwgeom, precision);
-	lwgeom_free(lwgeom);
-	PG_FREE_IF_COPY(geom, 0);
-
-	result = cstring_to_text(encodedpolyline);
-	lwfree(encodedpolyline);
-
-	PG_RETURN_TEXT_P(result);
+	PG_RETURN_TEXT_P(lwgeom_to_encoded_polyline(lwgeom, precision));
 }