diff --git a/compute_endpoint/globus_compute_endpoint/engines/helper.py b/compute_endpoint/globus_compute_endpoint/engines/helper.py
index 67238d03f..accfcbd8b 100644
--- a/compute_endpoint/globus_compute_endpoint/engines/helper.py
+++ b/compute_endpoint/globus_compute_endpoint/engines/helper.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
-serializer = ComputeSerializer()
+_serde = ComputeSerializer()
 
 
 def execute_task(
@@ -76,7 +76,12 @@ def execute_task(
     try:
         _task, task_buffer = _unpack_messagebody(task_body)
         log.debug("executing task task_id='%s'", task_id)
-        result = _call_user_function(task_buffer, result_size_limit=result_size_limit)
+        result = _call_user_function(task_buffer)
+
+        res_len = len(result)
+        if res_len > result_size_limit:
+            raise MaxResultSizeExceeded(res_len, result_size_limit)
+
         log.debug("Execution completed without exception")
         result_message = dict(task_id=task_id, data=result)
 
@@ -139,29 +144,20 @@ def _unpack_messagebody(message: bytes) -> t.Tuple[Task, str]:
     return task, task_buffer
 
 
-def _call_user_function(
-    task_buffer: str, result_size_limit: int, serializer=serializer
-) -> str:
+def _call_user_function(task_buffer: str, serde: ComputeSerializer = _serde) -> str:
     """Deserialize the buffer and execute the task.
     Parameters
     ----------
     task_buffer: serialized buffer of (fn, args, kwargs)
-    result_size_limit: size limit in bytes for results
-    serializer: serializer for the buffers
+    serde: serializer for the buffers
     Returns
     -------
     Returns serialized result or throws exception.
     """
     GC_TASK_TIMEOUT = max(0.0, float(os.environ.get("GC_TASK_TIMEOUT", 0.0)))
-    f, args, kwargs = serializer.unpack_and_deserialize(task_buffer)
+    f, args, kwargs = serde.unpack_and_deserialize(task_buffer)
     if GC_TASK_TIMEOUT > 0.0:
         log.debug(f"Setting task timeout to GC_TASK_TIMEOUT={GC_TASK_TIMEOUT}s")
         f = timeout(f, GC_TASK_TIMEOUT)
 
-    result_data = f(*args, **kwargs)
-    serialized_data = serializer.serialize(result_data)
-
-    if len(serialized_data) > result_size_limit:
-        raise MaxResultSizeExceeded(len(serialized_data), result_size_limit)
-
-    return serialized_data
+    return serde.serialize(f(*args, **kwargs))