diff --git a/src/google/protobuf/util/delimited_message_util.cc b/src/google/protobuf/util/delimited_message_util.cc
index 36e0118d8..163787821 100644
--- a/src/google/protobuf/util/delimited_message_util.cc
+++ b/src/google/protobuf/util/delimited_message_util.cc
@@ -7,12 +7,12 @@ namespace google {
 namespace protobuf {
 namespace util {
 
-bool SerializeDelimitedToFileDescriptor(const Message* message, int file_descriptor) {
+bool SerializeDelimitedToFileDescriptor(const MessageLite& message, int file_descriptor) {
   io::FileOutputStream output(file_descriptor);
   return SerializeDelimitedToZeroCopyStream(message, &output);
 }
 
-bool SerializeDelimitedToOstream(const Message* message, ostream* output) {
+bool SerializeDelimitedToOstream(const MessageLite& message, ostream* output) {
   {
     io::OstreamOutputStream zero_copy_output(output);
     if (!SerializeDelimitedToZeroCopyStream(message, &zero_copy_output)) return false;
@@ -49,14 +49,14 @@ bool ParseDelimitedFromCodedStream(MessageLite* message, io::CodedInputStream* i
   return true;
 }
 
-bool SerializeDelimitedToZeroCopyStream(const MessageLite* message, io::ZeroCopyOutputStream* output) {
+bool SerializeDelimitedToZeroCopyStream(const MessageLite& message, io::ZeroCopyOutputStream* output) {
   google::protobuf::io::CodedOutputStream coded_output(output);
   return SerializeDelimitedToCodedStream(message, &coded_output);
 }
 
-bool SerializeDelimitedToCodedStream(const MessageLite* message, io::CodedOutputStream* output) {
+bool SerializeDelimitedToCodedStream(const MessageLite& message, io::CodedOutputStream* output) {
   // Write the size.
-  int size = message->ByteSize();
+  int size = message.ByteSize();
   output->WriteVarint32(size);
 
   // Write the content.
@@ -64,10 +64,10 @@ bool SerializeDelimitedToCodedStream(const MessageLite* message, io::CodedOutput
   if (buffer != NULL) {
     // Optimization: The message fits in one buffer, so use the faster
     // direct-to-array serialization path.
-    message->SerializeWithCachedSizesToArray(buffer);
+    message.SerializeWithCachedSizesToArray(buffer);
   } else {
     // Slightly-slower path when the message is multiple buffers.
-    message->SerializeWithCachedSizes(output);
+    message.SerializeWithCachedSizes(output);
     if (output->HadError()) return false;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/google/protobuf/util/delimited_message_util.h b/src/google/protobuf/util/delimited_message_util.h
index 0ff91db17..302d4781b 100644
--- a/src/google/protobuf/util/delimited_message_util.h
+++ b/src/google/protobuf/util/delimited_message_util.h
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 #include <ostream>
 
-#include <google/protobuf/message.h>
+#include <google/protobuf/message_lite.h>
 #include <google/protobuf/io/coded_stream.h>
 #include <google/protobuf/io/zero_copy_stream_impl.h>
 
@@ -23,16 +23,16 @@ namespace util {
 // Note that if you want to *read* a delimited message from a file descriptor
 // or istream, you will need to construct an io::FileInputStream or
 // io::OstreamInputStream (implementations of io::ZeroCopyStream) and use the
-// MessageLite method ParseDelimitedFromZeroCopyStream(). You must then
+// utility function ParseDelimitedFromZeroCopyStream(). You must then
 // continue to use the same ZeroCopyInputStream to read all further data from
 // the stream until EOF. This is because these ZeroCopyInputStream
 // implementations are buffered: they read a big chunk of data at a time,
 // then parse it. As a result, they may read past the end of the delimited
 // message. There is no way for them to push the extra data back into the
 // underlying source, so instead you must keep using the same stream object.
-bool LIBPROTOBUF_EXPORT SerializeDelimitedToFileDescriptor(const Message* message, int file_descriptor);
+bool LIBPROTOBUF_EXPORT SerializeDelimitedToFileDescriptor(const MessageLite& message, int file_descriptor);
 
-bool LIBPROTOBUF_EXPORT SerializeDelimitedToOstream(const Message* message, ostream* output);
+bool LIBPROTOBUF_EXPORT SerializeDelimitedToOstream(const MessageLite& message, ostream* output);
 
 // Read a single size-delimited message from the given stream. Delimited
 // format allows a single file or stream to contain multiple messages,
@@ -55,9 +55,9 @@ bool LIBPROTOBUF_EXPORT ParseDelimitedFromCodedStream(MessageLite* message, io::
 // whereas normally writing multiple non-delimited messages to the same
 // stream would cause them to be merged. A delimited message is a varint
 // encoding the message size followed by a message of exactly that size.
-bool LIBPROTOBUF_EXPORT SerializeDelimitedToZeroCopyStream(const MessageLite* message, io::ZeroCopyOutputStream* output);
+bool LIBPROTOBUF_EXPORT SerializeDelimitedToZeroCopyStream(const MessageLite& message, io::ZeroCopyOutputStream* output);
 
-bool LIBPROTOBUF_EXPORT SerializeDelimitedToCodedStream(const MessageLite* message, io::CodedOutputStream* output);
+bool LIBPROTOBUF_EXPORT SerializeDelimitedToCodedStream(const MessageLite& message, io::CodedOutputStream* output);
 
 }  // namespace util
 }  // namespace protobuf
diff --git a/src/google/protobuf/util/delimited_message_util_test.cc b/src/google/protobuf/util/delimited_message_util_test.cc
index 0954773ba..a2e36a3a1 100644
--- a/src/google/protobuf/util/delimited_message_util_test.cc
+++ b/src/google/protobuf/util/delimited_message_util_test.cc
@@ -20,11 +20,11 @@ TEST(MessageTest, DelimitedMessages) {
   {
     protobuf_unittest::TestAllTypes message1;
     TestUtil::SetAllFields(&message1);
-    EXPECT_TRUE(SerializeDelimitedToOstream(&message1, &stream));
+    EXPECT_TRUE(SerializeDelimitedToOstream(message1, &stream));
 
     protobuf_unittest::TestPackedTypes message2;
     TestUtil::SetPackedFields(&message2);
-    EXPECT_TRUE(SerializeDelimitedToOstream(&message2, &stream));
+    EXPECT_TRUE(SerializeDelimitedToOstream(message2, &stream));
   }
 
   {