diff --git a/cartographer_ros/cartographer_ros/assets_writer_main.cc b/cartographer_ros/cartographer_ros/assets_writer_main.cc
index dc9589f..28798dc 100644
--- a/cartographer_ros/cartographer_ros/assets_writer_main.cc
+++ b/cartographer_ros/cartographer_ros/assets_writer_main.cc
@@ -70,38 +70,6 @@ namespace {
 constexpr char kTfStaticTopic[] = "/tf_static";
 namespace carto = ::cartographer;
 
-// TODO(hrapp): We discovered that using tf_buffer with a large CACHE
-// is very inefficient. Switch asset writer to use our own
-// TransformInterpolationBuffer.
-void ReadTransformsFromBag(const string& bag_filename,
-                           tf2_ros::Buffer* const tf_buffer) {
-  rosbag::Bag bag;
-  bag.open(bag_filename, rosbag::bagmode::Read);
-  rosbag::View view(bag);
-
-  const ::ros::Time begin_time = view.getBeginTime();
-  const double duration_in_seconds = (view.getEndTime() - begin_time).toSec();
-  for (const rosbag::MessageInstance& msg : view) {
-    if (msg.isType<tf2_msgs::TFMessage>()) {
-      const auto tf_msg = msg.instantiate<tf2_msgs::TFMessage>();
-      for (const auto& transform : tf_msg->transforms) {
-        try {
-          // TODO(damonkohler): Handle topic remapping.
-          tf_buffer->setTransform(transform, "unused_authority",
-                                  msg.getTopic() == kTfStaticTopic);
-        } catch (const tf2::TransformException& ex) {
-          LOG(WARNING) << ex.what();
-        }
-      }
-    }
-    LOG_EVERY_N(INFO, 100000)
-        << "Processed " << (msg.getTime() - begin_time).toSec() << " of "
-        << duration_in_seconds << " bag time seconds...";
-  }
-
-  bag.close();
-}
-
 template <typename T>
 std::unique_ptr<carto::io::PointsBatch> HandleMessage(
     const T& message, const string& tracking_frame,
@@ -186,12 +154,7 @@ void Run(const string& pose_graph_filename,
       if (trajectory_proto.node_size() == 0) {
         continue;
       }
-      tf2_ros::Buffer tf_buffer(::ros::DURATION_MAX);
-      if (FLAGS_use_bag_transforms) {
-        LOG(INFO) << "Pre-loading transforms from bag...";
-        ReadTransformsFromBag(bag_filename, &tf_buffer);
-      }
-
+      tf2_ros::Buffer tf_buffer;
       if (!urdf_filename.empty()) {
         ReadStaticTransformsFromUrdf(urdf_filename, &tf_buffer);
       }
@@ -205,25 +168,55 @@ void Run(const string& pose_graph_filename,
       const double duration_in_seconds =
           (view.getEndTime() - begin_time).toSec();
 
+      // We need to keep 'tf_buffer' small because it becomes very inefficient
+      // otherwise. We make sure that tf_messages are published before any data
+      // messages, so that tf lookups always work.
+      std::deque<rosbag::MessageInstance> delayed_messages;
+      // We publish tf messages one second earlier than other messages. Under
+      // the assumption of higher frequency tf this should ensure that tf can
+      // always interpolate.
+      const ::ros::Duration kDelay(1.);
       for (const rosbag::MessageInstance& message : view) {
-        std::unique_ptr<carto::io::PointsBatch> points_batch;
-        if (message.isType<sensor_msgs::PointCloud2>()) {
-          points_batch = HandleMessage(
-              *message.instantiate<sensor_msgs::PointCloud2>(), tracking_frame,
-              tf_buffer, transform_interpolation_buffer);
-        } else if (message.isType<sensor_msgs::MultiEchoLaserScan>()) {
-          points_batch = HandleMessage(
-              *message.instantiate<sensor_msgs::MultiEchoLaserScan>(),
-              tracking_frame, tf_buffer, transform_interpolation_buffer);
-        } else if (message.isType<sensor_msgs::LaserScan>()) {
-          points_batch = HandleMessage(
-              *message.instantiate<sensor_msgs::LaserScan>(), tracking_frame,
-              tf_buffer, transform_interpolation_buffer);
+        if (FLAGS_use_bag_transforms && message.isType<tf2_msgs::TFMessage>()) {
+          auto tf_message = message.instantiate<tf2_msgs::TFMessage>();
+          for (const auto& transform : tf_message->transforms) {
+            try {
+              tf_buffer.setTransform(transform, "unused_authority",
+                                     message.getTopic() == kTfStaticTopic);
+            } catch (const tf2::TransformException& ex) {
+              LOG(WARNING) << ex.what();
+            }
+          }
         }
-        if (points_batch != nullptr) {
-          points_batch->trajectory_id = trajectory_id;
-          pipeline.back()->Process(std::move(points_batch));
+
+        while (!delayed_messages.empty() &&
+               delayed_messages.front().getTime() <
+                   message.getTime() - kDelay) {
+          const rosbag::MessageInstance& delayed_message =
+              delayed_messages.front();
+
+          std::unique_ptr<carto::io::PointsBatch> points_batch;
+          if (delayed_message.isType<sensor_msgs::PointCloud2>()) {
+            points_batch = HandleMessage(
+                *delayed_message.instantiate<sensor_msgs::PointCloud2>(),
+                tracking_frame, tf_buffer, transform_interpolation_buffer);
+          } else if (delayed_message
+                         .isType<sensor_msgs::MultiEchoLaserScan>()) {
+            points_batch = HandleMessage(
+                *delayed_message.instantiate<sensor_msgs::MultiEchoLaserScan>(),
+                tracking_frame, tf_buffer, transform_interpolation_buffer);
+          } else if (delayed_message.isType<sensor_msgs::LaserScan>()) {
+            points_batch = HandleMessage(
+                *delayed_message.instantiate<sensor_msgs::LaserScan>(),
+                tracking_frame, tf_buffer, transform_interpolation_buffer);
+          }
+          if (points_batch != nullptr) {
+            points_batch->trajectory_id = trajectory_id;
+            pipeline.back()->Process(std::move(points_batch));
+          }
+          delayed_messages.pop_front();
         }
+        delayed_messages.push_back(message);
         LOG_EVERY_N(INFO, 100000)
             << "Processed " << (message.getTime() - begin_time).toSec()
             << " of " << duration_in_seconds << " bag time seconds...";
diff --git a/cartographer_ros/cartographer_ros/offline_node_main.cc b/cartographer_ros/cartographer_ros/offline_node_main.cc
index c4b3fdd..3b6d63c 100644
--- a/cartographer_ros/cartographer_ros/offline_node_main.cc
+++ b/cartographer_ros/cartographer_ros/offline_node_main.cc
@@ -141,10 +141,14 @@ void Run(const std::vector<string>& bag_filenames) {
     const ::ros::Time begin_time = view.getBeginTime();
     const double duration_in_seconds = (view.getEndTime() - begin_time).toSec();
 
-    // We make sure that tf_messages are published before any data messages, so
-    // that tf lookups always work and that tf_buffer has a small cache size -
-    // because it gets very inefficient with a large one.
+    // We need to keep 'tf_buffer' small because it becomes very inefficient
+    // otherwise. We make sure that tf_messages are published before any data
+    // messages, so that tf lookups always work.
     std::deque<rosbag::MessageInstance> delayed_messages;
+    // We publish tf messages one second earlier than other messages. Under
+    // the assumption of higher frequency tf this should ensure that tf can
+    // always interpolate.
+    const ::ros::Duration kDelay(1.);
     for (const rosbag::MessageInstance& msg : view) {
       if (!::ros::ok()) {
         break;
@@ -166,7 +170,7 @@ void Run(const std::vector<string>& bag_filenames) {
 
       while (!delayed_messages.empty() &&
              delayed_messages.front().getTime() <
-                 msg.getTime() - ::ros::Duration(1.)) {
+                 msg.getTime() - kDelay) {
         const rosbag::MessageInstance& delayed_msg = delayed_messages.front();
         const string topic = node.node_handle()->resolveName(
             delayed_msg.getTopic(), false /* resolve */);