diff --git a/tonic/src/codec/encode.rs b/tonic/src/codec/encode.rs
index bf985fe9b..c428659e5 100644
--- a/tonic/src/codec/encode.rs
+++ b/tonic/src/codec/encode.rs
@@ -172,9 +172,7 @@ where
     let offset = buf.len();
 
     buf.reserve(HEADER_SIZE);
-    unsafe {
-        buf.advance_mut(HEADER_SIZE);
-    }
+    buf.put_slice(&[0u8; HEADER_SIZE]);
 
     if let Some(encoding) = compression_encoding {
         uncompression_buf.clear();
@@ -399,3 +397,56 @@ where
         }
     }
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use std::panic::catch_unwind;
+
+    struct PanickingEncoder;
+
+    impl Encoder for PanickingEncoder {
+        type Item = String;
+        type Error = Status;
+
+        fn encode(
+            &mut self,
+            _item: Self::Item,
+            _dst: &mut EncodeBuf<'_>,
+        ) -> Result<(), Self::Error> {
+            panic!("encoder deliberate panic for testing exception safety");
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn encode_item_exception_safety_on_panic() {
+        let mut encoder = PanickingEncoder;
+        let mut buf = BytesMut::new();
+        let mut uncompression_buf = BytesMut::new();
+
+        let result = catch_unwind(std::panic::AssertUnwindSafe(|| {
+            encode_item(
+                &mut encoder,
+                &mut buf,
+                &mut uncompression_buf,
+                None,
+                None,
+                BufferSettings::default(),
+                "test".to_string(),
+            )
+        }));
+
+        assert!(result.is_err(), "Encoder panic should unwind correctly.");
+        // Buffer must only contain initialized bytes (5 zero bytes written by put_slice).
+        assert_eq!(
+            buf.len(),
+            HEADER_SIZE,
+            "Buffer length should reflect reserved header bytes."
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            &buf[..],
+            &[0u8; HEADER_SIZE],
+            "Buffer must contain only initialized zero bytes."
+        );
+    }
+}