diff --git a/payload_generator/bzip.cc b/payload_generator/bzip.cc
index 9040193..c2388ca 100644
--- a/payload_generator/bzip.cc
+++ b/payload_generator/bzip.cc
@@ -24,63 +24,32 @@
 
 #include "update_engine/common/utils.h"
 
-using std::string;
-
 namespace chromeos_update_engine {
 
-namespace {
-
-// BzipData compresses or decompresses the input to the output.
-// Returns true on success.
-// Use one of BzipBuffToBuff*ompress as the template parameter to BzipData().
-int BzipBuffToBuffDecompress(uint8_t* out,
-                             uint32_t* out_length,
-                             const void* in,
-                             uint32_t in_length) {
-  return BZ2_bzBuffToBuffDecompress(
-      reinterpret_cast<char*>(out),
-      out_length,
-      reinterpret_cast<char*>(const_cast<void*>(in)),
-      in_length,
-      0,  // Silent verbosity
-      0);  // Normal algorithm
-}
-
-int BzipBuffToBuffCompress(uint8_t* out,
-                           uint32_t* out_length,
-                           const void* in,
-                           uint32_t in_length) {
-  return BZ2_bzBuffToBuffCompress(
-      reinterpret_cast<char*>(out),
-      out_length,
-      reinterpret_cast<char*>(const_cast<void*>(in)),
-      in_length,
-      9,  // Best compression
-      0,  // Silent verbosity
-      0);  // Default work factor
-}
-
-template<int F(uint8_t* out,
-               uint32_t* out_length,
-               const void* in,
-               uint32_t in_length)>
-bool BzipData(const void* const in,
-              const size_t in_size,
-              brillo::Blob* const out) {
+bool BzipCompress(const brillo::Blob& in, brillo::Blob* out) {
   TEST_AND_RETURN_FALSE(out);
   out->clear();
-  if (in_size == 0) {
+  if (in.size() == 0)
     return true;
-  }
-  // Try increasing buffer size until it works
-  size_t buf_size = in_size;
+
+  // We expect a compression ratio of about 35% with bzip2, so we start with
+  // that much output space, which will then be doubled if needed.
+  size_t buf_size = 40 + in.size() * 35 / 100;
   out->resize(buf_size);
 
+  // Try increasing buffer size until it works
   for (;;) {
     if (buf_size > std::numeric_limits<uint32_t>::max())
       return false;
     uint32_t data_size = buf_size;
-    int rc = F(out->data(), &data_size, in, in_size);
+    int rc = BZ2_bzBuffToBuffCompress(
+        reinterpret_cast<char*>(out->data()),
+        &data_size,
+        reinterpret_cast<char*>(const_cast<uint8_t*>(in.data())),
+        in.size(),
+        9,   // Best compression
+        0,   // Silent verbosity
+        0);  // Default work factor
     TEST_AND_RETURN_FALSE(rc == BZ_OUTBUFF_FULL || rc == BZ_OK);
     if (rc == BZ_OK) {
       // we're done!
@@ -94,37 +63,4 @@
   }
 }
 
-}  // namespace
-
-bool BzipDecompress(const brillo::Blob& in, brillo::Blob* out) {
-  return BzipData<BzipBuffToBuffDecompress>(in.data(), in.size(), out);
-}
-
-bool BzipCompress(const brillo::Blob& in, brillo::Blob* out) {
-  return BzipData<BzipBuffToBuffCompress>(in.data(), in.size(), out);
-}
-
-namespace {
-template<bool F(const void* const in,
-                const size_t in_size,
-                brillo::Blob* const out)>
-bool BzipString(const string& str,
-                brillo::Blob* out) {
-  TEST_AND_RETURN_FALSE(out);
-  brillo::Blob temp;
-  TEST_AND_RETURN_FALSE(F(str.data(), str.size(), &temp));
-  out->clear();
-  out->insert(out->end(), temp.begin(), temp.end());
-  return true;
-}
-}  // namespace
-
-bool BzipCompressString(const string& str, brillo::Blob* out) {
-  return BzipString<BzipData<BzipBuffToBuffCompress>>(str, out);
-}
-
-bool BzipDecompressString(const string& str, brillo::Blob* out) {
-  return BzipString<BzipData<BzipBuffToBuffDecompress>>(str, out);
-}
-
 }  // namespace chromeos_update_engine