diff --git a/zio-json/shared/src/main/scala-2.x/zio/json/macros.scala b/zio-json/shared/src/main/scala-2.x/zio/json/macros.scala
index 42d8feac..db0ef8d1 100644
--- a/zio-json/shared/src/main/scala-2.x/zio/json/macros.scala
+++ b/zio-json/shared/src/main/scala-2.x/zio/json/macros.scala
@@ -527,20 +527,18 @@ object DeriveJsonEncoder {
         def unsafeEncode(a: A, indent: Option[Int], out: Write): Unit = {
           out.write('{')
           val indent_ = JsonEncoder.bump(indent)
-          JsonEncoder.pad(indent_, out)
-          val fields     = this.fields
-          var idx        = 0
-          var prevFields = false
+          val fields  = this.fields
+          var idx     = 0
+          var comma   = false
           while (idx < fields.length) {
             val field = fields(idx)
             idx += 1
             val p = field.p.dereference(a)
             if (field.skip(p)) ()
             else {
-              if (prevFields) {
-                out.write(',')
-                JsonEncoder.pad(indent_, out)
-              } else prevFields = true
+              if (comma) out.write(',')
+              else comma = true
+              JsonEncoder.pad(indent_, out)
               out.write(if (indent eq None) field.encodedName else field.prettyEncodedName)
               field.encoder.unsafeEncode(p, indent_, out)
             }
@@ -745,6 +743,80 @@ private[this] final class NestedWriter(out: Write, indent: Option[Int]) extends
       i += 1
     }
   }
+
+  @inline override def write(c1: Char, c2: Char): Unit =
+    if (state == 0) out.write(c1, c2)
+    else {
+      nonZeroStateWrite(c1)
+      nonZeroStateWrite(c2)
+    }
+
+  @inline override def write(c1: Char, c2: Char, c3: Char): Unit =
+    if (state == 0) out.write(c1, c2, c3)
+    else {
+      nonZeroStateWrite(c1)
+      nonZeroStateWrite(c2)
+      nonZeroStateWrite(c3)
+    }
+
+  @inline override def write(c1: Char, c2: Char, c3: Char, c4: Char): Unit =
+    if (state == 0) out.write(c1, c2, c3, c4)
+    else {
+      nonZeroStateWrite(c1)
+      nonZeroStateWrite(c2)
+      nonZeroStateWrite(c3)
+      nonZeroStateWrite(c4)
+    }
+
+  @inline override def write(c1: Char, c2: Char, c3: Char, c4: Char, c5: Char): Unit =
+    if (state == 0) out.write(c1, c2, c3, c4, c5)
+    else {
+      nonZeroStateWrite(c1)
+      nonZeroStateWrite(c2)
+      nonZeroStateWrite(c3)
+      nonZeroStateWrite(c4)
+      nonZeroStateWrite(c5)
+    }
+
+  @inline override def write(s: Short): Unit =
+    if (state == 0) out.write(s)
+    else {
+      nonZeroStateWrite((s & 0xff).toChar)
+      nonZeroStateWrite((s >> 8).toChar)
+    }
+
+  @inline override def write(s1: Short, s2: Short): Unit =
+    if (state == 0) out.write(s1, s2)
+    else {
+      nonZeroStateWrite((s1 & 0xff).toChar)
+      nonZeroStateWrite((s1 >> 8).toChar)
+      nonZeroStateWrite((s2 & 0xff).toChar)
+      nonZeroStateWrite((s2 >> 8).toChar)
+    }
+
+  @inline override def write(s1: Short, s2: Short, s3: Short): Unit =
+    if (state == 0) out.write(s1, s2, s3)
+    else {
+      nonZeroStateWrite((s1 & 0xff).toChar)
+      nonZeroStateWrite((s1 >> 8).toChar)
+      nonZeroStateWrite((s2 & 0xff).toChar)
+      nonZeroStateWrite((s2 >> 8).toChar)
+      nonZeroStateWrite((s3 & 0xff).toChar)
+      nonZeroStateWrite((s3 >> 8).toChar)
+    }
+
+  @inline override def write(s1: Short, s2: Short, s3: Short, s4: Short): Unit =
+    if (state == 0) out.write(s1, s2, s3, s4)
+    else {
+      nonZeroStateWrite((s1 & 0xff).toChar)
+      nonZeroStateWrite((s1 >> 8).toChar)
+      nonZeroStateWrite((s2 & 0xff).toChar)
+      nonZeroStateWrite((s2 >> 8).toChar)
+      nonZeroStateWrite((s3 & 0xff).toChar)
+      nonZeroStateWrite((s3 >> 8).toChar)
+      nonZeroStateWrite((s4 & 0xff).toChar)
+      nonZeroStateWrite((s4 >> 8).toChar)
+    }
 }
 
 object DeriveJsonCodec {
diff --git a/zio-json/shared/src/main/scala-3/zio/json/macros.scala b/zio-json/shared/src/main/scala-3/zio/json/macros.scala
index b44dc56b..0aef5df1 100644
--- a/zio-json/shared/src/main/scala-3/zio/json/macros.scala
+++ b/zio-json/shared/src/main/scala-3/zio/json/macros.scala
@@ -547,20 +547,18 @@ sealed class JsonEncoderDerivation(config: JsonCodecConfiguration) extends Deriv
         def unsafeEncode(a: A, indent: Option[Int], out: Write): Unit = {
           out.write('{')
           val indent_ = JsonEncoder.bump(indent)
-          JsonEncoder.pad(indent_, out)
           val fields = this.fields
           var idx = 0
-          var prevFields = false
+          var comma = false
           while (idx < fields.length) {
             val field = fields(idx)
             idx += 1
             val p = field.p.deref(a)
             if (field.skip(p)) ()
             else {
-              if (prevFields) {
-                out.write(',')
-                JsonEncoder.pad(indent_, out)
-              } else prevFields = true
+              if (comma) out.write(',')
+              else comma = true
+              JsonEncoder.pad(indent_, out)
               out.write(if (indent eq None) field.encodedName else field.prettyEncodedName)
               field.encoder.unsafeEncode(p, indent_, out)
             }
@@ -766,6 +764,80 @@ object DeriveJsonEncoder extends JsonEncoderDerivation(JsonCodecConfiguration.de
         i += 1
       }
     }
+
+    @inline override def write(c1: Char, c2: Char): Unit =
+      if (state == 0) out.write(c1, c2)
+      else {
+        nonZeroStateWrite(c1)
+        nonZeroStateWrite(c2)
+      }
+
+    @inline override def write(c1: Char, c2: Char, c3: Char): Unit =
+      if (state == 0) out.write(c1, c2, c3)
+      else {
+        nonZeroStateWrite(c1)
+        nonZeroStateWrite(c2)
+        nonZeroStateWrite(c3)
+      }
+
+    @inline override def write(c1: Char, c2: Char, c3: Char, c4: Char): Unit =
+      if (state == 0) out.write(c1, c2, c3, c4)
+      else {
+        nonZeroStateWrite(c1)
+        nonZeroStateWrite(c2)
+        nonZeroStateWrite(c3)
+        nonZeroStateWrite(c4)
+      }
+
+    @inline override def write(c1: Char, c2: Char, c3: Char, c4: Char, c5: Char): Unit =
+      if (state == 0) out.write(c1, c2, c3, c4, c5)
+      else {
+        nonZeroStateWrite(c1)
+        nonZeroStateWrite(c2)
+        nonZeroStateWrite(c3)
+        nonZeroStateWrite(c4)
+        nonZeroStateWrite(c5)
+      }
+
+    @inline override def write(s: Short): Unit =
+      if (state == 0) out.write(s)
+      else {
+        nonZeroStateWrite((s & 0xff).toChar)
+        nonZeroStateWrite((s >> 8).toChar)
+      }
+
+    @inline override def write(s1: Short, s2: Short): Unit =
+      if (state == 0) out.write(s1, s2)
+      else {
+        nonZeroStateWrite((s1 & 0xff).toChar)
+        nonZeroStateWrite((s1 >> 8).toChar)
+        nonZeroStateWrite((s2 & 0xff).toChar)
+        nonZeroStateWrite((s2 >> 8).toChar)
+      }
+
+    @inline override def write(s1: Short, s2: Short, s3: Short): Unit =
+      if (state == 0) out.write(s1, s2, s3)
+      else {
+        nonZeroStateWrite((s1 & 0xff).toChar)
+        nonZeroStateWrite((s1 >> 8).toChar)
+        nonZeroStateWrite((s2 & 0xff).toChar)
+        nonZeroStateWrite((s2 >> 8).toChar)
+        nonZeroStateWrite((s3 & 0xff).toChar)
+        nonZeroStateWrite((s3 >> 8).toChar)
+      }
+
+    @inline override def write(s1: Short, s2: Short, s3: Short, s4: Short): Unit =
+      if (state == 0) out.write(s1, s2, s3, s4)
+      else {
+        nonZeroStateWrite((s1 & 0xff).toChar)
+        nonZeroStateWrite((s1 >> 8).toChar)
+        nonZeroStateWrite((s2 & 0xff).toChar)
+        nonZeroStateWrite((s2 >> 8).toChar)
+        nonZeroStateWrite((s3 & 0xff).toChar)
+        nonZeroStateWrite((s3 >> 8).toChar)
+        nonZeroStateWrite((s4 & 0xff).toChar)
+        nonZeroStateWrite((s4 >> 8).toChar)
+      }
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/zio-json/shared/src/main/scala/zio/json/JsonEncoder.scala b/zio-json/shared/src/main/scala/zio/json/JsonEncoder.scala
index 32d51f9a..01d513f9 100644
--- a/zio-json/shared/src/main/scala/zio/json/JsonEncoder.scala
+++ b/zio-json/shared/src/main/scala/zio/json/JsonEncoder.scala
@@ -414,14 +414,11 @@ private[json] trait EncoderLowPriority1 extends EncoderLowPriority2 {
 
       private[this] def unsafeEncodePadded(as: Array[A], indent: Option[Int], out: Write): Unit = {
         val indent_ = bump(indent)
-        pad(indent_, out)
-        val len = as.length
-        var i   = 0
+        val len     = as.length
+        var i       = 0
         while (i < len) {
-          if (i != 0) {
-            out.write(',')
-            pad(indent_, out)
-          }
+          if (i != 0) out.write(',')
+          pad(indent_, out)
           A.unsafeEncode(as(i), indent_, out)
           i += 1
         }
@@ -473,11 +470,9 @@ private[json] trait EncoderLowPriority1 extends EncoderLowPriority2 {
         }
 
       private[this] def unsafeEncodeCompact(as: List[A], indent: Option[Int], out: Write): Unit = {
-        var as_   = as
-        var first = true
+        var as_ = as
         while (as_ ne Nil) {
-          if (first) first = false
-          else out.write(',')
+          if (as_ ne as) out.write(',')
           A.unsafeEncode(as_.head, indent, out)
           as_ = as_.tail
         }
@@ -485,15 +480,10 @@ private[json] trait EncoderLowPriority1 extends EncoderLowPriority2 {
 
       private[this] def unsafeEncodePadded(as: List[A], indent: Option[Int], out: Write): Unit = {
         val indent_ = bump(indent)
-        pad(indent_, out)
-        var as_   = as
-        var first = true
+        var as_     = as
         while (as_ ne Nil) {
-          if (first) first = false
-          else {
-            out.write(',')
-            pad(indent_, out)
-          }
+          if (as_ ne as) out.write(',')
+          pad(indent_, out)
           A.unsafeEncode(as_.head, indent_, out)
           as_ = as_.tail
         }
@@ -560,24 +550,21 @@ private[json] trait EncoderLowPriority2 extends EncoderLowPriority3 {
 
       private[this] def unsafeEncodeCompact(as: T[A], indent: Option[Int], out: Write): Unit =
         as.foreach {
-          var first = true
+          var comma = false
           a =>
-            if (first) first = false
-            else out.write(',')
+            if (comma) out.write(',')
+            else comma = true
             A.unsafeEncode(a, indent, out)
         }
 
       private[this] def unsafeEncodePadded(as: T[A], indent: Option[Int], out: Write): Unit = {
         val indent_ = bump(indent)
-        pad(indent_, out)
         as.foreach {
-          var first = true
+          var comma = false
           a =>
-            if (first) first = false
-            else {
-              out.write(',')
-              pad(indent_, out)
-            }
+            if (comma) out.write(',')
+            else comma = true
+            pad(indent_, out)
             A.unsafeEncode(a, indent_, out)
         }
         pad(indent, out)
@@ -618,11 +605,11 @@ private[json] trait EncoderLowPriority2 extends EncoderLowPriority3 {
 
     private[this] def unsafeEncodeCompact(kvs: T[K, A], indent: Option[Int], out: Write): Unit =
       kvs.foreach {
-        var first = true
+        var comma = false
         kv =>
           if (!A.isNothing(kv._2)) {
-            if (first) first = false
-            else out.write(',')
+            if (comma) out.write(',')
+            else comma = true
             string.unsafeEncode(K.unsafeEncodeField(kv._1), indent, out)
             out.write(':')
             A.unsafeEncode(kv._2, indent, out)
@@ -631,16 +618,13 @@ private[json] trait EncoderLowPriority2 extends EncoderLowPriority3 {
 
     private[this] def unsafeEncodePadded(kvs: T[K, A], indent: Option[Int], out: Write): Unit = {
       val indent_ = bump(indent)
-      pad(indent_, out)
       kvs.foreach {
-        var first = true
+        var comman = false
         kv =>
           if (!A.isNothing(kv._2)) {
-            if (first) first = false
-            else {
-              out.write(',')
-              pad(indent_, out)
-            }
+            if (comman) out.write(',')
+            else comman = true
+            pad(indent_, out)
             string.unsafeEncode(K.unsafeEncodeField(kv._1), indent_, out)
             out.write(" : ")
             A.unsafeEncode(kv._2, indent_, out)