diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 8ff24fe..9e05b4b 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ require (
 	github.com/roadrunner-server/api/v4 v4.7.0
 	github.com/roadrunner-server/endure/v2 v2.4.2
 	github.com/roadrunner-server/errors v1.3.0
-	github.com/roadrunner-server/sdk/v4 v4.3.2
 	github.com/twmb/franz-go v1.14.4
 	go.opentelemetry.io/contrib/propagators/jaeger v1.17.0
 	go.opentelemetry.io/otel v1.16.0
@@ -25,7 +24,6 @@ require (
 	github.com/jmespath/go-jmespath v0.4.0 // indirect
 	github.com/klauspost/compress v1.16.7 // indirect
 	github.com/pierrec/lz4/v4 v4.1.18 // indirect
-	github.com/roadrunner-server/tcplisten v1.4.0 // indirect
 	github.com/twmb/franz-go/pkg/kmsg v1.6.1 // indirect
 	go.opentelemetry.io/otel/metric v1.16.0 // indirect
 	go.uber.org/multierr v1.11.0 // indirect
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index e52c96a..9dd409f 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -31,10 +31,6 @@ github.com/roadrunner-server/endure/v2 v2.4.2 h1:aFnPc321l5HDzE2mN5wwfksJ40lgXwf
 github.com/roadrunner-server/endure/v2 v2.4.2/go.mod h1:vWTvn6NiYxUBDgwAyjv92i/qFemSUs+cTItMZvc5Zsk=
 github.com/roadrunner-server/errors v1.3.0 h1:kLVXpXne0jMReN7pj8KIhyYyjqKjsPC5DRGqMsd4/Fo=
 github.com/roadrunner-server/errors v1.3.0/go.mod h1:XYVuhXvxi3yQaP/zCLB6QRZ0JvQIRaBa0SKFHL4WLKg=
-github.com/roadrunner-server/sdk/v4 v4.3.2 h1:/7ADKRiFQNXDWmkiSKVLs7ngvmitwOGFWiqxOWAfFpM=
-github.com/roadrunner-server/sdk/v4 v4.3.2/go.mod h1:UkiAk5IdmUzkXncfy671OoH6i/zWpWc+JY3IU/AnQuc=
-github.com/roadrunner-server/tcplisten v1.4.0 h1:yWo09zktv/CSV6VywLfw4pwNcUchgTiIrW4uIICtO5M=
-github.com/roadrunner-server/tcplisten v1.4.0/go.mod h1:A6+VSnW2ETGnN/e/CMdP63ZXqQDaC0UDMU6QmyuB0yM=
 github.com/stretchr/objx v0.1.0/go.mod h1:HFkY916IF+rwdDfMAkV7OtwuqBVzrE8GR6GFx+wExME=
 github.com/stretchr/testify v1.8.4 h1:CcVxjf3Q8PM0mHUKJCdn+eZZtm5yQwehR5yeSVQQcUk=
 github.com/stretchr/testify v1.8.4/go.mod h1:sz/lmYIOXD/1dqDmKjjqLyZ2RngseejIcXlSw2iwfAo=
diff --git a/kafkajobs/driver.go b/kafkajobs/driver.go
index 0318c6b..d83a963 100644
--- a/kafkajobs/driver.go
+++ b/kafkajobs/driver.go
@@ -7,11 +7,11 @@ import (
 	"sync"
 	"sync/atomic"
 	"time"
+	"unsafe"
 
 	"github.com/goccy/go-json"
 	"github.com/roadrunner-server/api/v4/plugins/v3/jobs"
 	"github.com/roadrunner-server/errors"
-	"github.com/roadrunner-server/sdk/v4/utils"
 	"github.com/twmb/franz-go/pkg/kgo"
 	jprop "go.opentelemetry.io/contrib/propagators/jaeger"
 	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel"
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ func FromConfig(tracer *sdktrace.TracerProvider, configKey string, log *zap.Logg
 		recordsCh:  make(chan *kgo.Record, 100),
 		requeueCh:  make(chan *Item, 10),
 		commandsCh: cmder,
-		delayed:    utils.Int64(0),
+		delayed:    toPtr(int64(0)),
 		cfg:        &conf,
 	}
 
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ func FromPipeline(tracer *sdktrace.TracerProvider, pipeline jobs.Pipeline, log *
 		recordsCh:  make(chan *kgo.Record, 100),
 		requeueCh:  make(chan *Item, 10),
 		commandsCh: cmder,
-		delayed:    utils.Int64(0),
+		delayed:    toPtr(int64(0)),
 		cfg:        &conf,
 	}
 
@@ -414,7 +414,7 @@ func (d *Driver) handleItem(ctx context.Context, msg *Item) error {
 		if len(v) > 0 {
 			kh = append(kh, kgo.RecordHeader{
 				Key:   k,
-				Value: utils.AsBytes(v[0]),
+				Value: strToBytes(v[0]),
 			})
 		}
 	}
@@ -431,12 +431,12 @@ func (d *Driver) handleItem(ctx context.Context, msg *Item) error {
 	// RRJob
 	kh = append(kh, kgo.RecordHeader{
 		Key:   jobs.RRJob,
-		Value: utils.AsBytes(msg.Job),
+		Value: strToBytes(msg.Job),
 	})
 	// RRPipeline
 	kh = append(kh, kgo.RecordHeader{
 		Key:   jobs.RRPipeline,
-		Value: utils.AsBytes(msg.Options.Pipeline),
+		Value: strToBytes(msg.Options.Pipeline),
 	})
 	// RRPriority
 	rrpri := make([]byte, 8)
@@ -507,3 +507,15 @@ func (d *Driver) ping(client *kgo.Client, pipe jobs.Pipeline) error {
 
 	return nil
 }
+
+func strToBytes(data string) []byte {
+	if data == "" {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	return unsafe.Slice(unsafe.StringData(data), len(data))
+}
+
+func toPtr[T any](v T) *T {
+	return &v
+}