diff --git a/pkg/pool/pool.go b/pkg/pool/pool.go
index 7cfa78f42..177389849 100644
--- a/pkg/pool/pool.go
+++ b/pkg/pool/pool.go
@@ -13,17 +13,23 @@
 
 package pool
 
-import "sync"
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"reflect"
+	"sync"
+)
 
-// BytesPool is a bucketed pool for variably sized byte slices.
-type BytesPool struct {
+// Pool is a bucketed pool for variably sized byte slices.
+type Pool struct {
 	buckets []sync.Pool
 	sizes   []int
+	// initialize is the function used to create an empty slice when none exist yet.
+	initialize func(int) interface{}
 }
 
-// NewBytesPool returns a new BytesPool with size buckets for minSize to maxSize
+// New returns a new Pool with size buckets for minSize to maxSize
 // increasing by the given factor.
-func NewBytesPool(minSize, maxSize int, factor float64) *BytesPool {
+func New(minSize, maxSize int, factor float64, newFunc func(int) interface{}) *Pool {
 	if minSize < 1 {
 		panic("invalid minimum pool size")
 	}
@@ -40,36 +46,41 @@ func NewBytesPool(minSize, maxSize int, factor float64) *BytesPool {
 		sizes = append(sizes, s)
 	}
 
-	p := &BytesPool{
-		buckets: make([]sync.Pool, len(sizes)),
-		sizes:   sizes,
+	p := &Pool{
+		buckets:    make([]sync.Pool, len(sizes)),
+		sizes:      sizes,
+		initialize: newFunc,
 	}
 
 	return p
 }
 
 // Get returns a new byte slices that fits the given size.
-func (p *BytesPool) Get(sz int) []byte {
+func (p *Pool) Get(sz int) interface{} {
 	for i, bktSize := range p.sizes {
 		if sz > bktSize {
 			continue
 		}
-		b, ok := p.buckets[i].Get().([]byte)
-		if !ok {
-			b = make([]byte, 0, bktSize)
+		b := p.buckets[i].Get()
+		if b == nil {
+			b = p.initialize(bktSize)
 		}
 		return b
 	}
-	return make([]byte, 0, sz)
+	return p.initialize(sz)
 }
 
-// Put returns a byte slice to the right bucket in the pool.
-func (p *BytesPool) Put(b []byte) {
-	for i, bktSize := range p.sizes {
-		if cap(b) > bktSize {
-			continue
+// Put adds a slice to the right bucket in the pool.
+func (p *Pool) Put(s interface{}) error {
+	slice := reflect.ValueOf(s)
+	if slice.Kind() == reflect.Slice {
+		for i, size := range p.sizes {
+			if slice.Cap() > size {
+				continue
+			}
+			p.buckets[i].Put(slice.Slice(0, 0).Interface())
+			return nil
 		}
-		p.buckets[i].Put(b[:0])
-		return
 	}
+	return fmt.Errorf("%+v is not a slice", slice)
 }
diff --git a/scrape/scrape.go b/scrape/scrape.go
index a22dcb9a3..69d7f5839 100644
--- a/scrape/scrape.go
+++ b/scrape/scrape.go
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ func newScrapePool(cfg *config.ScrapeConfig, app Appendable, logger log.Logger)
 		level.Error(logger).Log("msg", "Error creating HTTP client", "err", err)
 	}
 
-	buffers := pool.NewBytesPool(163, 100e6, 3)
+	buffers := pool.New(163, 100e6, 3, func(sz int) interface{} { return make([]byte, 0, sz) })
 
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 	sp := &scrapePool{
@@ -481,7 +481,7 @@ type scrapeLoop struct {
 	l              log.Logger
 	cache          *scrapeCache
 	lastScrapeSize int
-	buffers        *pool.BytesPool
+	buffers        *pool.Pool
 
 	appender            func() storage.Appender
 	sampleMutator       labelsMutator
@@ -596,7 +596,7 @@ func (c *scrapeCache) forEachStale(f func(labels.Labels) bool) {
 func newScrapeLoop(ctx context.Context,
 	sc scraper,
 	l log.Logger,
-	buffers *pool.BytesPool,
+	buffers *pool.Pool,
 	sampleMutator labelsMutator,
 	reportSampleMutator labelsMutator,
 	appender func() storage.Appender,
@@ -605,7 +605,7 @@ func newScrapeLoop(ctx context.Context,
 		l = log.NewNopLogger()
 	}
 	if buffers == nil {
-		buffers = pool.NewBytesPool(1e3, 1e6, 3)
+		buffers = pool.New(1e3, 1e6, 3, func(sz int) interface{} { return make([]byte, 0, sz) })
 	}
 	sl := &scrapeLoop{
 		scraper:             sc,
@@ -662,7 +662,11 @@ mainLoop:
 				time.Since(last).Seconds(),
 			)
 		}
-		b := sl.buffers.Get(sl.lastScrapeSize)
+		b, ok := sl.buffers.Get(sl.lastScrapeSize).([]byte)
+		if !ok {
+			b = make([]byte, 0, sl.lastScrapeSize)
+			level.Error(sl.l).Log("msg", "buffer pool type assertion error")
+		}
 		buf := bytes.NewBuffer(b)
 
 		scrapeErr := sl.scraper.scrape(scrapeCtx, buf)
@@ -695,7 +699,9 @@ mainLoop:
 			}
 		}
 
-		sl.buffers.Put(b)
+		if err := sl.buffers.Put(b); err != nil {
+			level.Error(sl.l).Log("msg", "buffer pool error", "err", err)
+		}
 
 		if scrapeErr == nil {
 			scrapeErr = appErr