diff --git a/connection.go b/connection.go
index 0c280443d..6a613a504 100644
--- a/connection.go
+++ b/connection.go
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ type mysqlConn struct {
 
 // Handles parameters set in DSN after the connection is established
 func (mc *mysqlConn) handleParams() (err error) {
-	var params []string
+	var cmdSet []byte
 	for param, val := range mc.cfg.Params {
 		switch param {
 		// Charset: character_set_connection, character_set_client, character_set_results
@@ -64,14 +64,23 @@ func (mc *mysqlConn) handleParams() (err error) {
 				return
 			}
 
-		// Other system vars
+		// Other system vars accumulated in a single SET command
 		default:
-			params = append(params, param+"="+val)
+			if cmdSet == nil {
+				// Heuristic: 29 chars for each other key=value to reduce reallocations
+				cmdSet = make([]byte, 0, 4+len(param)+1+len(val)+30*(len(mc.cfg.Params)-1))
+				cmdSet = append(cmdSet, "SET "...)
+			} else {
+				cmdSet = append(cmdSet, ',')
+			}
+			cmdSet = append(cmdSet, param...)
+			cmdSet = append(cmdSet, '=')
+			cmdSet = append(cmdSet, val...)
 		}
 	}
 
-	if len(params) > 0 {
-		err = mc.exec("SET " + strings.Join(params, ","))
+	if cmdSet != nil {
+		err = mc.exec(string(cmdSet))
 		if err != nil {
 			return
 		}