diff --git a/pinecone/client.go b/pinecone/client.go
index a6573d4..73aefc5 100644
--- a/pinecone/client.go
+++ b/pinecone/client.go
@@ -114,17 +114,12 @@ func (c *Client) ListIndexes(ctx context.Context) ([]*Index, error) {
 	}
 	defer res.Body.Close()
 
-	resBodyBytes, err := io.ReadAll(res.Body)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to read response body: %w", err)
-	}
-
 	if res.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
-		return nil, handleErrorResponseBody(resBodyBytes, res.StatusCode, "failed to list indexes: ")
+		return nil, handleErrorResponseBody(res, "failed to list indexes: ")
 	}
 
 	var indexList control.IndexList
-	err = json.Unmarshal(resBodyBytes, &indexList)
+	err = json.NewDecoder(res.Body).Decode(&indexList)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -208,16 +203,11 @@ func (c *Client) CreatePodIndex(ctx context.Context, in *CreatePodIndexRequest)
 	}
 	defer res.Body.Close()
 
-	resBodyBytes, err := io.ReadAll(res.Body)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to read response body: %w", err)
-	}
-
 	if res.StatusCode != http.StatusCreated {
-		return nil, handleErrorResponseBody(resBodyBytes, res.StatusCode, "failed to create index: ")
+		return nil, handleErrorResponseBody(res, "failed to create index: ")
 	}
 
-	return decodeIndex(resBodyBytes)
+	return decodeIndex(res.Body)
 }
 
 type CreateServerlessIndexRequest struct {
@@ -248,16 +238,11 @@ func (c *Client) CreateServerlessIndex(ctx context.Context, in *CreateServerless
 	}
 	defer res.Body.Close()
 
-	resBodyBytes, err := io.ReadAll(res.Body)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to read response body: %w", err)
-	}
-
 	if res.StatusCode != http.StatusCreated {
-		return nil, handleErrorResponseBody(resBodyBytes, res.StatusCode, "failed to create index: ")
+		return nil, handleErrorResponseBody(res, "failed to create index: ")
 	}
 
-	return decodeIndex(resBodyBytes)
+	return decodeIndex(res.Body)
 }
 
 func (c *Client) DescribeIndex(ctx context.Context, idxName string) (*Index, error) {
@@ -267,16 +252,11 @@ func (c *Client) DescribeIndex(ctx context.Context, idxName string) (*Index, err
 	}
 	defer res.Body.Close()
 
-	resBodyBytes, err := io.ReadAll(res.Body)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to read response body: %w", err)
-	}
-
 	if res.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
-		return nil, handleErrorResponseBody(resBodyBytes, res.StatusCode, "failed to describe index: ")
+		return nil, handleErrorResponseBody(res, "failed to describe index: ")
 	}
 
-	return decodeIndex(resBodyBytes)
+	return decodeIndex(res.Body)
 }
 
 func (c *Client) DeleteIndex(ctx context.Context, idxName string) error {
@@ -286,13 +266,8 @@ func (c *Client) DeleteIndex(ctx context.Context, idxName string) error {
 	}
 	defer res.Body.Close()
 
-	resBodyBytes, err := io.ReadAll(res.Body)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to read response body: %w", err)
-	}
-
 	if res.StatusCode != http.StatusAccepted {
-		return handleErrorResponseBody(resBodyBytes, res.StatusCode, "failed to delete index: ")
+		return handleErrorResponseBody(res, "failed to delete index: ")
 	}
 
 	return nil
@@ -305,17 +280,12 @@ func (c *Client) ListCollections(ctx context.Context) ([]*Collection, error) {
 	}
 	defer res.Body.Close()
 
-	resBodyBytes, err := io.ReadAll(res.Body)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to read response body: %w", err)
-	}
-
 	if res.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
-		return nil, handleErrorResponseBody(resBodyBytes, res.StatusCode, "failed to list collections: ")
+		return nil, handleErrorResponseBody(res, "failed to list collections: ")
 	}
 
 	var collectionsResponse control.CollectionList
-	if err := json.Unmarshal(resBodyBytes, &collectionsResponse); err != nil {
+	if err := json.NewDecoder(res.Body).Decode(&collectionsResponse); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
@@ -334,16 +304,11 @@ func (c *Client) DescribeCollection(ctx context.Context, collectionName string)
 	}
 	defer res.Body.Close()
 
-	resBodyBytes, err := io.ReadAll(res.Body)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
 	if res.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
-		return nil, handleErrorResponseBody(resBodyBytes, res.StatusCode, "failed to describe collection: ")
+		return nil, handleErrorResponseBody(res, "failed to describe collection: ")
 	}
 
-	return decodeCollection(resBodyBytes)
+	return decodeCollection(res.Body)
 }
 
 type CreateCollectionRequest struct {
@@ -363,16 +328,11 @@ func (c *Client) CreateCollection(ctx context.Context, in *CreateCollectionReque
 	}
 	defer res.Body.Close()
 
-	resBodyBytes, err := io.ReadAll(res.Body)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to read response body: %w", err)
-	}
-
 	if res.StatusCode != http.StatusCreated {
-		return nil, handleErrorResponseBody(resBodyBytes, res.StatusCode, "failed to create collection: ")
+		return nil, handleErrorResponseBody(res, "failed to create collection: ")
 	}
 
-	return decodeCollection(resBodyBytes)
+	return decodeCollection(res.Body)
 }
 
 func (c *Client) DeleteCollection(ctx context.Context, collectionName string) error {
@@ -382,13 +342,8 @@ func (c *Client) DeleteCollection(ctx context.Context, collectionName string) er
 	}
 	defer res.Body.Close()
 
-	resBodyBytes, err := io.ReadAll(res.Body)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to read response body: %w", err)
-	}
-
 	if res.StatusCode != http.StatusAccepted {
-		return handleErrorResponseBody(resBodyBytes, res.StatusCode, "failed to delete collection: ")
+		return handleErrorResponseBody(res, "failed to delete collection: ")
 	}
 
 	return nil
@@ -451,9 +406,9 @@ func toIndex(idx *control.IndexModel) *Index {
 	}
 }
 
-func decodeIndex(resBodyBytes []byte) (*Index, error) {
+func decodeIndex(resBody io.ReadCloser) (*Index, error) {
 	var idx control.IndexModel
-	err := json.Unmarshal(resBodyBytes, &idx)
+	err := json.NewDecoder(resBody).Decode(&idx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to decode idx response: %w", err)
 	}
@@ -476,9 +431,9 @@ func toCollection(cm *control.CollectionModel) *Collection {
 	}
 }
 
-func decodeCollection(resBodyBytes []byte) (*Collection, error) {
+func decodeCollection(resBody io.ReadCloser) (*Collection, error) {
 	var collectionModel control.CollectionModel
-	err := json.Unmarshal(resBodyBytes, &collectionModel)
+	err := json.NewDecoder(resBody).Decode(&collectionModel)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to decode collection response: %w", err)
 	}
@@ -508,10 +463,14 @@ type errorResponseMap struct {
 	Details    string `json:"details,omitempty"`
 }
 
-func handleErrorResponseBody(resBodyBytes []byte, statusCode int, errMsgPrefix string) error {
-	var errMap errorResponseMap
+func handleErrorResponseBody(response *http.Response, errMsgPrefix string) error {
+	resBodyBytes, err := io.ReadAll(response.Body)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to read response body: %w", err)
+	}
 
-	errMap.StatusCode = statusCode
+	var errMap errorResponseMap
+	errMap.StatusCode = response.StatusCode
 
 	// try and decode ErrorResponse
 	if json.Valid(resBodyBytes) {
diff --git a/pinecone/client_test.go b/pinecone/client_test.go
index 2f72c9c..f8b2c94 100644
--- a/pinecone/client_test.go
+++ b/pinecone/client_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package pinecone
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
 	"reflect"
@@ -32,29 +33,29 @@ func TestClient(t *testing.T) {
 func TestHandleErrorResponseBody(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {
 		name         string
-		responseBody string
+		responseBody *http.Response
 		statusCode   int
 		prefix       string
 		errorOutput  string
 	}{
 		{
 			name:         "test ErrorResponse body",
-			responseBody: `{"error": { "code": "INVALID_ARGUMENT", "message": "test error message"}, "status": 400}`,
+			responseBody: mockResponse(`{"error": { "code": "INVALID_ARGUMENT", "message": "test error message"}, "status": 400}`, http.StatusBadRequest),
 			statusCode:   http.StatusBadRequest,
 			errorOutput:  `{"status_code":400,"body":"{\"error\": { \"code\": \"INVALID_ARGUMENT\", \"message\": \"test error message\"}, \"status\": 400}","error_code":"INVALID_ARGUMENT","message":"test error message"}`,
 		}, {
 			name:         "test JSON body",
-			responseBody: `{"message": "test error message", "extraCode": 665}`,
+			responseBody: mockResponse(`{"message": "test error message", "extraCode": 665}`, http.StatusBadRequest),
 			statusCode:   http.StatusBadRequest,
 			errorOutput:  `{"status_code":400,"body":"{\"message\": \"test error message\", \"extraCode\": 665}"}`,
 		}, {
 			name:         "test string body",
-			responseBody: `test error message`,
+			responseBody: mockResponse(`test error message`, http.StatusBadRequest),
 			statusCode:   http.StatusBadRequest,
 			errorOutput:  `{"status_code":400,"body":"test error message"}`,
 		}, {
 			name:         "Test error response with empty response",
-			responseBody: `{}`,
+			responseBody: mockResponse(`{}`, http.StatusBadRequest),
 			statusCode:   http.StatusBadRequest,
 			prefix:       "test prefix",
 			errorOutput:  `{"status_code":400,"body":"{}"}`,
@@ -63,7 +64,7 @@ func TestHandleErrorResponseBody(t *testing.T) {
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			err := handleErrorResponseBody([]byte(tt.responseBody), tt.statusCode, tt.prefix)
+			err := handleErrorResponseBody(tt.responseBody, tt.prefix)
 			assert.Equal(t, err.Error(), tt.errorOutput, "Expected error to be '%s', but got '%s'", tt.errorOutput, err.Error())
 
 		})
@@ -538,3 +539,12 @@ func deleteUUIDNamedResources(ctx context.Context, c *Client) error {
 
 	return nil
 }
+
+func mockResponse(body string, statusCode int) *http.Response {
+	return &http.Response{
+		Status:     http.StatusText(statusCode),
+		StatusCode: statusCode,
+		Body:       io.NopCloser(strings.NewReader(body)),
+		Header:     make(http.Header),
+	}
+}