diff --git a/cmd/cnetflow/cnetflow.go b/cmd/cnetflow/cnetflow.go
index f8780fc..1eae6de 100644
--- a/cmd/cnetflow/cnetflow.go
+++ b/cmd/cnetflow/cnetflow.go
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ var (
 	LogFmt   = flag.String("logfmt", "normal", "Log formatter")
 
 	EnableKafka  = flag.Bool("kafka", true, "Enable Kafka")
+	FixedLength  = flag.Bool("proto.fixedlen", false, "Enable fixed length protobuf")
 	MetricsAddr  = flag.String("metrics.addr", ":8080", "Metrics address")
 	MetricsPath  = flag.String("metrics.path", "/metrics", "Metrics path")
 	TemplatePath = flag.String("templates.path", "/templates", "NetFlow/IPFIX templates list")
@@ -80,6 +81,7 @@ func main() {
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Fatal(err)
 		}
+		kafkaState.FixedLengthProto = *FixedLength
 		s.Transport = kafkaState
 	}
 	log.WithFields(log.Fields{
diff --git a/cmd/cnflegacy/cnflegacy.go b/cmd/cnflegacy/cnflegacy.go
index 722d559..30c8078 100644
--- a/cmd/cnflegacy/cnflegacy.go
+++ b/cmd/cnflegacy/cnflegacy.go
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ var (
 	LogFmt   = flag.String("logfmt", "normal", "Log formatter")
 
 	EnableKafka = flag.Bool("kafka", true, "Enable Kafka")
+	FixedLength = flag.Bool("proto.fixedlen", false, "Enable fixed length protobuf")
 	MetricsAddr = flag.String("metrics.addr", ":8080", "Metrics address")
 	MetricsPath = flag.String("metrics.path", "/metrics", "Metrics path")
 
@@ -78,6 +79,7 @@ func main() {
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Fatal(err)
 		}
+		kafkaState.FixedLengthProto = *FixedLength
 		s.Transport = kafkaState
 	}
 	log.WithFields(log.Fields{
diff --git a/cmd/csflow/csflow.go b/cmd/csflow/csflow.go
index 92e3e40..c326fe0 100644
--- a/cmd/csflow/csflow.go
+++ b/cmd/csflow/csflow.go
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ var (
 	LogFmt   = flag.String("logfmt", "normal", "Log formatter")
 
 	EnableKafka = flag.Bool("kafka", true, "Enable Kafka")
+	FixedLength = flag.Bool("proto.fixedlen", false, "Enable fixed length protobuf")
 	MetricsAddr = flag.String("metrics.addr", ":8080", "Metrics address")
 	MetricsPath = flag.String("metrics.path", "/metrics", "Metrics path")
 
@@ -78,6 +79,7 @@ func main() {
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Fatal(err)
 		}
+		kafkaState.FixedLengthProto = *FixedLength
 		s.Transport = kafkaState
 	}
 	log.WithFields(log.Fields{
diff --git a/cmd/goflow/goflow.go b/cmd/goflow/goflow.go
index 5c8afad..4221d1f 100644
--- a/cmd/goflow/goflow.go
+++ b/cmd/goflow/goflow.go
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ var (
 	LogFmt   = flag.String("logfmt", "normal", "Log formatter")
 
 	EnableKafka = flag.Bool("kafka", true, "Enable Kafka")
+	FixedLength = flag.Bool("proto.fixedlen", false, "Enable fixed length protobuf")
 	MetricsAddr = flag.String("metrics.addr", ":8080", "Metrics address")
 	MetricsPath = flag.String("metrics.path", "/metrics", "Metrics path")
 
@@ -101,6 +102,8 @@ func main() {
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Fatal(err)
 		}
+		kafkaState.FixedLengthProto = *FixedLength
+
 		sSFlow.Transport = kafkaState
 		sNFL.Transport = kafkaState
 		sNF.Transport = kafkaState
diff --git a/transport/kafka.go b/transport/kafka.go
index 085a937..ec3dae4 100644
--- a/transport/kafka.go
+++ b/transport/kafka.go
@@ -33,10 +33,11 @@ var (
 )
 
 type KafkaState struct {
-	producer sarama.AsyncProducer
-	topic    string
-	hashing  bool
-	keying   []string
+	FixedLengthProto bool
+	producer         sarama.AsyncProducer
+	topic            string
+	hashing          bool
+	keying           []string
 }
 
 // SetKafkaVersion sets the KafkaVersion that is used to set the log message format version
@@ -164,7 +165,14 @@ func (s KafkaState) SendKafkaFlowMessage(flowMessage *flowmessage.FlowMessage) {
 		keyStr := HashProto(s.keying, flowMessage)
 		key = sarama.StringEncoder(keyStr)
 	}
-	b, _ := proto.Marshal(flowMessage)
+	var b []byte
+	if !s.FixedLengthProto {
+		b, _ = proto.Marshal(flowMessage)
+	} else {
+		buf := proto.NewBuffer([]byte{})
+		buf.EncodeMessage(flowMessage)
+		b = buf.Bytes()
+	}
 	s.producer.Input() <- &sarama.ProducerMessage{
 		Topic: s.topic,
 		Key:   key,