diff --git a/ricepp/include/ricepp/bitstream_reader.h b/ricepp/include/ricepp/bitstream_reader.h
index 709d1bf2..69eb7e25 100644
--- a/ricepp/include/ricepp/bitstream_reader.h
+++ b/ricepp/include/ricepp/bitstream_reader.h
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ class bitstream_reader final {
     assert(num_bits <= std::numeric_limits<T>::digits);
     T bits = 0;
     uint16_t pos = 0;
-    if (num_bits > 0) {
+    if (num_bits > 0) [[likely]] {
       for (;;) {
         size_t const remain = kBitsTypeBits - bit_pos_;
         if (num_bits <= remain) {
@@ -91,11 +91,11 @@ class bitstream_reader final {
       if (bits != bits_type{}) [[likely]] {
         size_t const ffs = std::countr_zero(bits);
         assert(ffs < kBitsTypeBits);
-        if (ffs + 1 == kBitsTypeBits) [[unlikely]] {
-          bit_pos_ = 0;
-        } else {
+        if (ffs + 1 != kBitsTypeBits) {
           data_ = bits;
           bit_pos_ = ffs + 1;
+        } else {
+          bit_pos_ = 0;
         }
         return zeros + ffs;
       }
@@ -112,8 +112,7 @@ class bitstream_reader final {
 
   RICEPP_FORCE_INLINE void skip_bits(size_t num_bits) {
     assert(bit_pos_ + num_bits <= kBitsTypeBits);
-    bit_pos_ += num_bits;
-    bit_pos_ &= kBitsTypeBits - 1;
+    bit_pos_ = (bit_pos_ + num_bits) & (kBitsTypeBits - 1);
   }
 
   RICEPP_FORCE_INLINE bool peek_bit() {
@@ -123,16 +122,17 @@ class bitstream_reader final {
 
   RICEPP_FORCE_INLINE bits_type peek_bits(size_t num_bits) {
     assert(bit_pos_ + num_bits <= kBitsTypeBits);
-    if (bit_pos_ == 0) [[unlikely]] {
+    auto const bp = bit_pos_;
+    if (bp == 0) {
       data_ = read_packet();
     }
     // The remainder of this function is equivalent to:
     //
-    //   return _bextr_u64(data_, bit_pos_, num_bits);
+    //   return _bextr_u64(data_, bp, num_bits);
     //
     // However, in practice, at least clang generates code that is as fast
     // as the intrinsic, so we use the following code for portability.
-    bits_type bits = data_ >> bit_pos_;
+    bits_type bits = data_ >> bp;
     if (num_bits < kBitsTypeBits) [[likely]] {
       bits &= (static_cast<bits_type>(1) << num_bits) - 1;
     }
diff --git a/ricepp/include/ricepp/bitstream_writer.h b/ricepp/include/ricepp/bitstream_writer.h
index d096c45d..60f83241 100644
--- a/ricepp/include/ricepp/bitstream_writer.h
+++ b/ricepp/include/ricepp/bitstream_writer.h
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ class bitstream_writer final {
       write_packet(bits);
       repeat -= kBitsTypeBits;
     }
-    if (repeat > 0) {
+    if (repeat > 0) [[likely]] {
       write_bits_impl(bits, repeat);
     }
   }
@@ -86,11 +86,17 @@ class bitstream_writer final {
     static constexpr size_t kArgBits{std::numeric_limits<T>::digits};
     assert(bit_pos_ < kBitsTypeBits);
     assert(num_bits <= kArgBits);
-    while (num_bits > 0) {
-      size_t const bits_to_write = std::min(num_bits, kBitsTypeBits - bit_pos_);
-      write_bits_impl(bits, bits_to_write);
-      bits >>= bits_to_write;
-      num_bits -= bits_to_write;
+    if (num_bits > 0) [[likely]] {
+      for (;;) {
+        size_t const bits_to_write =
+            std::min(num_bits, kBitsTypeBits - bit_pos_);
+        write_bits_impl(bits, bits_to_write);
+        bits >>= bits_to_write;
+        if (num_bits == bits_to_write) [[likely]] {
+          break;
+        }
+        num_bits -= bits_to_write;
+      }
     }
   }
 
@@ -111,7 +117,7 @@ class bitstream_writer final {
  private:
   RICEPP_FORCE_INLINE void write_bits_impl(bits_type bits, size_t num_bits) {
     assert(bit_pos_ + num_bits <= kBitsTypeBits);
-    if (num_bits < kBitsTypeBits) {
+    if (num_bits < kBitsTypeBits) [[likely]] {
       bits &= (static_cast<bits_type>(1) << num_bits) - 1;
     }
     data_ |= bits << bit_pos_;
diff --git a/ricepp/include/ricepp/detail/decode.h b/ricepp/include/ricepp/detail/decode.h
index 278596ef..36f06d2c 100644
--- a/ricepp/include/ricepp/detail/decode.h
+++ b/ricepp/include/ricepp/detail/decode.h
@@ -50,22 +50,26 @@ void decode_block(V block, BitstreamReader& reader, PixelTraits const& traits,
 
   auto const fsp1 = reader.template read_bits<value_type>(kFsBits);
 
-  if (fsp1 == 0) [[unlikely]] {
-    std::fill(block.begin(), block.end(), traits.write(last));
-  } else if (fsp1 > kFsMax) [[unlikely]] {
-    for (auto& b : block) {
-      b = reader.template read_bits<value_type>(kPixelBits);
+  if (fsp1 > 0) {
+    if (fsp1 <= kFsMax) {
+      auto const fs = fsp1 - 1;
+      for (auto& b : block) {
+        value_type diff = reader.find_first_set() << fs;
+        diff |= reader.template read_bits<value_type>(fs);
+        last += static_cast<std::make_signed_t<value_type>>(
+            ((diff & 1) * value_type(-1)) ^ (diff >> 1));
+        // last += static_cast<std::make_signed_t<value_type>>(
+        //     (diff & 1) ? ~(diff >> 1) : (diff >> 1));
+        b = traits.write(last);
+      }
+    } else {
+      for (auto& b : block) {
+        b = reader.template read_bits<value_type>(kPixelBits);
+      }
+      last = traits.read(block.back());
     }
-    last = traits.read(block.back());
   } else {
-    auto const fs = fsp1 - 1;
-    for (auto& b : block) {
-      value_type diff = reader.find_first_set() << fs;
-      diff |= reader.template read_bits<value_type>(fs);
-      last += static_cast<std::make_signed_t<value_type>>(
-          (diff & 1) ? ~(diff >> 1) : (diff >> 1));
-      b = traits.write(last);
-    }
+    std::fill(block.begin(), block.end(), traits.write(last));
   }
 
   last_value = last;
diff --git a/ricepp/include/ricepp/detail/encode.h b/ricepp/include/ricepp/detail/encode.h
index 8b255bad..630fa34b 100644
--- a/ricepp/include/ricepp/detail/encode.h
+++ b/ricepp/include/ricepp/detail/encode.h
@@ -117,23 +117,12 @@ void encode_block(V block, BitstreamWriter& writer, PixelTraits const& traits,
 
   last_value = last;
 
-  if (sum == 0) [[unlikely]] {
-    // All differences are zero, so just write a zero fs and we're done.
-    writer.write_bits(0U, kFsBits);
-  } else {
+  if (sum > 0) [[likely]] {
     // Find the best bit position to split the difference values.
     auto const [fs, bits_used] =
         compute_best_split<kFsMax>(delta, block.size(), sum);
 
-    if (fs >= kFsMax || bits_used >= kPixelBits * block.size()) [[unlikely]] {
-      // Difference values are too large for entropy coding. Just plain copy
-      // the input pixel data. This is really unlikely, so reading the input
-      // pixels again is fine.
-      writer.write_bits(kFsMax + 1, kFsBits);
-      for (auto& b : block) {
-        writer.write_bits(b, kPixelBits);
-      }
-    } else {
+    if (fs < kFsMax && bits_used < kPixelBits * block.size()) [[likely]] {
       // Encode the difference values using Rice entropy coding.
       writer.write_bits(fs + 1, kFsBits);
       for (size_t i = 0; i < block.size(); ++i) {
@@ -145,7 +134,18 @@ void encode_block(V block, BitstreamWriter& writer, PixelTraits const& traits,
         writer.write_bit(1);
         writer.write_bits(diff, fs);
       }
+    } else {
+      // Difference values are too large for entropy coding. Just plain copy
+      // the input pixel data. This is really unlikely, so reading the input
+      // pixels again is fine.
+      writer.write_bits(kFsMax + 1, kFsBits);
+      for (auto& b : block) {
+        writer.write_bits(b, kPixelBits);
+      }
     }
+  } else {
+    // All differences are zero, so just write a zero fs and we're done.
+    writer.write_bits(0U, kFsBits);
   }
 }