diff --git a/include/dwarfs/inode_fragments.h b/include/dwarfs/inode_fragments.h
index db2f4f88..7a2634f0 100644
--- a/include/dwarfs/inode_fragments.h
+++ b/include/dwarfs/inode_fragments.h
@@ -47,7 +47,10 @@ class single_inode_fragment {
 
   void add_chunk(size_t block, size_t offset, size_t size);
 
-  std::span<thrift::metadata::chunk const> chunks() const { return chunks_; }
+  std::span<thrift::metadata::chunk const> chunks() const {
+    // TODO: workaround for older boost small_vector
+    return std::span(chunks_.data(), chunks_.size());
+  }
 
   void extend(file_off_t length) { length_ += length; }
 
@@ -71,7 +74,10 @@ class inode_fragments {
     return fragments_.emplace_back(category, length);
   }
 
-  std::span<single_inode_fragment const> span() const { return fragments_; }
+  std::span<single_inode_fragment const> span() const {
+    // TODO: workaround for older boost small_vector
+    return std::span(fragments_.data(), fragments_.size());
+  }
 
   single_inode_fragment const& back() const { return fragments_.back(); }
   single_inode_fragment& back() { return fragments_.back(); }
diff --git a/include/dwarfs/internal/offset_cache.h b/include/dwarfs/internal/offset_cache.h
index a4b9d06a..8b60efd9 100644
--- a/include/dwarfs/internal/offset_cache.h
+++ b/include/dwarfs/internal/offset_cache.h
@@ -151,7 +151,10 @@ class basic_offset_cache {
 
     chunk_index_type first_index() const { return first_index_; }
 
-    std::span<file_offset_type const> offsets() const { return offsets_; }
+    std::span<file_offset_type const> offsets() const {
+      // TODO: workaround for older boost small_vector
+      return std::span(offsets_.data(), offsets_.size());
+    }
 
    private:
     small_vector<file_offset_type, max_inline_offsets> offsets_;
diff --git a/include/dwarfs/performance_monitor.h b/include/dwarfs/performance_monitor.h
index e80ec5a5..c2a647a1 100644
--- a/include/dwarfs/performance_monitor.h
+++ b/include/dwarfs/performance_monitor.h
@@ -86,7 +86,10 @@ class performance_monitor_proxy {
     ~section_timer() {
       if (mon_) {
         mon_->add_sample(id_, start_,
-                         context_ ? *context_ : std::span<uint64_t const>{});
+                         context_
+                             // TODO: workaround for older boost small_vector
+                             ? std::span{context_->data(), context_->size()}
+                             : std::span<uint64_t const>{});
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/include/dwarfs/small_vector.h b/include/dwarfs/small_vector.h
index ec2bb524..75b9da11 100644
--- a/include/dwarfs/small_vector.h
+++ b/include/dwarfs/small_vector.h
@@ -21,13 +21,43 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
-#include <folly/small_vector.h>
-// #include <boost/container/small_vector.hpp>
+#include <boost/container/small_vector.hpp>
 
 namespace dwarfs {
 
+/*
+Turns out boost's small_vector is faster on average than folly's.
+
+----------------------------------------------------------------
+                             int                  string
+                       folly      boost      folly      boost
+----------------------------------------------------------------
+defaultCtor             28.90ns    13.20ns    30.53ns    14.60ns
+sizeCtor(16)           205.65ns    36.78ns   289.87ns   110.44ns
+sizeCtor(128)          420.11ns    38.47ns   872.85ns   598.27ns
+sizeCtor(1024)           2.15us    77.12ns     4.50us     4.47us
+fillCtor(16)           227.79ns   100.11ns    13.44us    13.23us
+fillCtor(128)          457.34ns   387.14ns    17.44us    17.49us
+fillCtor(1024)           2.33us     2.67us    46.35us    46.18us
+reserve(16)            192.40ns    87.70ns   232.90ns    99.59ns
+reserve(128)           191.61ns    87.51ns   248.49ns   117.94ns
+reserve(1024)          230.65ns   108.48ns   266.32ns   122.62ns
+insertFront(16)          3.08us     3.04us   126.98us   111.87us
+insertFront(128)         3.08us     3.04us   128.31us   111.62us
+insertFront(1024)        3.14us     3.10us   129.76us   109.75us
+insertFront(10240)       3.72us     3.68us   153.54us   129.10us
+insertFront(102400)      9.35us     9.30us   386.54us   332.21us
+insertFront(1024000)   108.52us   109.90us     3.01ms     2.75ms
+pushBack(16)            17.18ns     4.28ns    43.32ns    22.47ns
+pushBack(128)           17.21ns     4.31ns    34.87ns    25.60ns
+pushBack(1024)          17.23ns     4.26ns    31.76ns    21.53ns
+pushBack(10240)         17.13ns     4.33ns    31.40ns    27.04ns
+pushBack(102400)        17.24ns     4.34ns    42.96ns    27.41ns
+pushBack(1024000)       18.77ns     6.00ns   100.87ns    88.54ns
+----------------------------------------------------------------
+*/
+
 template <typename T, size_t N>
-using small_vector = folly::small_vector<T, N>;
-// using small_vector = boost::container::small_vector<T, N>;
+using small_vector = boost::container::small_vector<T, N>;
 
 } // namespace dwarfs
diff --git a/src/dwarfs/performance_monitor.cpp b/src/dwarfs/performance_monitor.cpp
index fe3c985a..1ef1ff76 100644
--- a/src/dwarfs/performance_monitor.cpp
+++ b/src/dwarfs/performance_monitor.cpp
@@ -137,6 +137,11 @@ class performance_monitor_impl : public performance_monitor {
         , end{end}
         , context{ctx.begin(), ctx.end()} {}
 
+    // TODO: workaround for older boost small_vector
+    std::span<uint64_t const> context_span() const {
+      return std::span{context.data(), context.size()};
+    }
+
     timer_id id;
     time_type start;
     time_type end;
@@ -286,7 +291,7 @@ class performance_monitor_impl : public performance_monitor {
 
         for (auto const& ev : *evs) {
           events.emplace_back(ev.id, it->second, 'B', ev.start - start_time_,
-                              ev.context);
+                              ev.context_span());
           events.emplace_back(ev.id, it->second, 'E', ev.end - start_time_);
         }
       }