diff --git a/distributed/protocol/tests/test_numpy.py b/distributed/protocol/tests/test_numpy.py
index 0e299632902..d09b5e435ad 100644
--- a/distributed/protocol/tests/test_numpy.py
+++ b/distributed/protocol/tests/test_numpy.py
@@ -100,6 +100,14 @@ def test_dumps_serialize_numpy(x):
         np.testing.assert_equal(x, y)
 
 
+def test_dumps_numpy_writable():
+    a1 = np.arange(1000)
+    a1.flags.writeable = False
+    (a2,) = loads(dumps([to_serialize(a1)]))
+    assert (a1 == a2).all()
+    assert a2.flags.writeable
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     "x",
     [
diff --git a/distributed/protocol/tests/test_protocol_utils.py b/distributed/protocol/tests/test_protocol_utils.py
index d4250fb3c05..5f18bc1e6e6 100644
--- a/distributed/protocol/tests/test_protocol_utils.py
+++ b/distributed/protocol/tests/test_protocol_utils.py
@@ -1,19 +1,33 @@
+import pytest
+
 from distributed.protocol.utils import merge_frames, pack_frames, unpack_frames
 from distributed.utils import ensure_bytes
 
 
-def test_merge_frames():
-    result = merge_frames({"lengths": [3, 4]}, [b"12", b"34", b"567"])
-    expected = [b"123", b"4567"]
-
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "lengths,frames",
+    [
+        ([3], [b"123"]),
+        ([3, 3], [b"123", b"456"]),
+        ([2, 3, 2], [b"12345", b"67"]),
+        ([5, 2], [b"123", b"45", b"67"]),
+        ([3, 4], [b"12", b"34", b"567"]),
+    ],
+)
+def test_merge_frames(lengths, frames):
+    header = {"lengths": lengths}
+    result = merge_frames(header, frames)
+
+    data = b"".join(frames)
+    expected = []
+    for i in lengths:
+        expected.append(data[:i])
+        data = data[i:]
+
+    assert all(isinstance(f, memoryview) for f in result)
+    assert all(not f.readonly for f in result)
     assert list(map(ensure_bytes, result)) == expected
 
-    b = b"123"
-    assert merge_frames({"lengths": [3]}, [b])[0] is b
-
-    L = [b"123", b"456"]
-    assert merge_frames({"lengths": [3, 3]}, L) is L
-
 
 def test_pack_frames():
     frames = [b"123", b"asdf"]
diff --git a/distributed/protocol/utils.py b/distributed/protocol/utils.py
index defbda2ba4f..e94d21584d2 100644
--- a/distributed/protocol/utils.py
+++ b/distributed/protocol/utils.py
@@ -58,34 +58,36 @@ def merge_frames(header, frames):
     [b'123456']
     """
     lengths = list(header["lengths"])
+    frames = list(map(memoryview, frames))
 
     assert sum(lengths) == sum(map(nbytes, frames))
 
-    if all(len(f) == l for f, l in zip(frames, lengths)):
-        return frames
-
-    frames = frames[::-1]
-    lengths = lengths[::-1]
-
-    out = []
-    while lengths:
-        l = lengths.pop()
-        L = []
-        while l:
-            frame = frames.pop()
-            if nbytes(frame) <= l:
-                L.append(frame)
-                l -= nbytes(frame)
+    if not all(len(f) == l for f, l in zip(frames, lengths)):
+        frames = frames[::-1]
+        lengths = lengths[::-1]
+
+        out = []
+        while lengths:
+            l = lengths.pop()
+            L = []
+            while l:
+                frame = frames.pop()
+                if nbytes(frame) <= l:
+                    L.append(frame)
+                    l -= nbytes(frame)
+                else:
+                    L.append(frame[:l])
+                    frames.append(frame[l:])
+                    l = 0
+            if len(L) == 1:  # no work necessary
+                out.append(L[0])
             else:
-                mv = memoryview(frame)
-                L.append(mv[:l])
-                frames.append(mv[l:])
-                l = 0
-        if len(L) == 1:  # no work necessary
-            out.extend(L)
-        else:
-            out.append(b"".join(L))
-    return out
+                out.append(memoryview(bytearray().join(L)))
+        frames = out
+
+    frames = [memoryview(bytearray(f)) if f.readonly else f for f in frames]
+
+    return frames
 
 
 def pack_frames_prelude(frames):