diff --git a/src/ds/bits.h b/src/ds/bits.h
index e6721cd..2503606 100644
--- a/src/ds/bits.h
+++ b/src/ds/bits.h
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 #  include <emmintrin.h>
 #  define ALWAYSINLINE __attribute__((always_inline))
 #  define NOINLINE __attribute__((noinline))
-#  define SNMALLOC_SLOW_PATH NOINLINE
+#  define SNMALLOC_SLOW_PATH NOINLINE __attribute__((section(".text,slow")))
 #  define SNMALLOC_FAST_PATH inline ALWAYSINLINE
 #  define SNMALLOC_PURE __attribute__((const))
 #  ifdef __clang__
diff --git a/src/mem/alloc.h b/src/mem/alloc.h
index 94d209d..43e6ff7 100644
--- a/src/mem/alloc.h
+++ b/src/mem/alloc.h
@@ -1072,7 +1072,7 @@ namespace snmalloc
       assert(sizeclass < NUM_SMALL_CLASSES);
       auto& fl = small_fast_free_lists[sizeclass];
       auto head = fl.value;
-      if (likely((reinterpret_cast<size_t>(head) & 1) == 0))
+      if (likely(head != nullptr))
       {
         void* p = head;
         // Read the next slot from the memory that's about to be allocated.
diff --git a/src/mem/metaslab.h b/src/mem/metaslab.h
index a7a60b9..7295324 100644
--- a/src/mem/metaslab.h
+++ b/src/mem/metaslab.h
@@ -146,10 +146,10 @@ namespace snmalloc
     {
 #ifndef NDEBUG
       size_t length = 0;
-      void* curr = pointer_offset(slab, head);
-      void* curr_slow = pointer_offset(slab, head);
+      void* curr = (head == 1) ? nullptr : pointer_offset(slab, head);
+      void* curr_slow = (head == 1) ? nullptr : pointer_offset(slab, head);
       bool both = false;
-      while ((reinterpret_cast<size_t>(curr) & 1) == 0)
+      while (curr != nullptr)
       {
         curr = follow_next(curr);
         if (both)
@@ -200,8 +200,8 @@ namespace snmalloc
       UNUSED(length);
 
       // Walk bump-free-list-segment accounting for unused space
-      void* curr = pointer_offset(slab, head);
-      while ((address_cast(curr) & 1) == 0)
+      void* curr = (head == 1) ? nullptr : pointer_offset(slab, head);
+      while (curr != nullptr)
       {
         // Check we are looking at a correctly aligned block
         void* start = curr;
diff --git a/src/mem/slab.h b/src/mem/slab.h
index 24c4fe2..0845d7c 100644
--- a/src/mem/slab.h
+++ b/src/mem/slab.h
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ namespace snmalloc
   struct FreeListHead
   {
     // Use a value with bottom bit set for empty list.
-    void* value = pointer_offset<void*>(nullptr, 1);
+    void* value = nullptr;
   };
 
   class Slab
@@ -98,7 +98,8 @@ namespace snmalloc
             }
             else
             {
-              Metaslab::store_next(curr, pointer_offset(this, bumpptr));
+              Metaslab::store_next(
+                curr, (bumpptr == 1) ? nullptr : pointer_offset(this, bumpptr));
             }
             curr = pointer_offset(this, bumpptr);
             bumpptr = newbumpptr;
@@ -106,7 +107,7 @@ namespace snmalloc
           }
 
           assert(curr != nullptr);
-          Metaslab::store_next(curr, pointer_offset<void*>(nullptr, 1));
+          Metaslab::store_next(curr, nullptr);
         }
       }
 
@@ -177,7 +178,8 @@ namespace snmalloc
       assert(meta.valid_head(is_short()));
 
       // Set the next pointer to the previous head.
-      Metaslab::store_next(p, pointer_offset(this, head));
+      Metaslab::store_next(
+        p, (head == 1) ? nullptr : pointer_offset(this, head));
       meta.debug_slab_invariant(is_short(), this);
       return true;
     }