diff --git a/src/client/component/demo_recording.cpp b/src/client/component/demo_recording.cpp
index 38d340f..3a51e6d 100644
--- a/src/client/component/demo_recording.cpp
+++ b/src/client/component/demo_recording.cpp
@@ -326,7 +326,8 @@ namespace // demo class
 		// store gamestate for user file
 		write_network_data(crit_data_, network_data);
 
-		// reserve memory (low size if auto recording is enabled, because then the demo writes almost directly to disk)
+		// reserve memory; use smaller buffer size when auto recording is enabled,
+		// since the data is written to disk almost right away.
 		const auto reserve_size = (demo_autorecord && demo_autorecord->current.enabled) ? 8192 : 1024 * 1024;
 		auto_buffer_.reserve_memory(reserve_size);
 
diff --git a/src/client/component/demo_sv_recording.cpp b/src/client/component/demo_sv_recording.cpp
index 9ab3e7f..ab8b61e 100644
--- a/src/client/component/demo_sv_recording.cpp
+++ b/src/client/component/demo_sv_recording.cpp
@@ -377,9 +377,8 @@ namespace // server demos class
 		// write general, mod and map headers to the buffer once
 		if (!client.is_buffer_active())
 		{
-			// reserve memory (low size if auto recording is enabled, because then the demo writes almost directly to disk)
-			const auto reserve_size = (sv_demo_autorecord && sv_demo_autorecord->current.enabled) ? 8192 : 512 * 1024;
-			client.buffer.reserve_memory(reserve_size);
+			// reserve memory up front to minimize further (re)allocations
+			client.buffer.reserve_memory(1024 * 1024);
 
 			sv_write_general_header(client.buffer, game::mp::svs->clients[client_num.value()].name);
 			write_mod_header(client.buffer);
@@ -434,6 +433,8 @@ namespace // server demos class
 
 		auto& client = get_client(client_num);
 
+		// keep buffering data even when recording a demo so subsequent demos for the same client
+		// can be recorded using the entire buffer; the entire buffer is required for demos to be valid
 		if (client.is_buffer_active())
 		{
 			write_data_internal(client.buffer);