diff --git a/huff0/bitwriter.go b/huff0/bitwriter.go
index bda4021efd..6bce4e87d4 100644
--- a/huff0/bitwriter.go
+++ b/huff0/bitwriter.go
@@ -43,6 +43,11 @@ func (b *bitWriter) addBits16Clean(value uint16, bits uint8) {
 func (b *bitWriter) encSymbol(ct cTable, symbol byte) {
 	enc := ct[symbol]
 	b.bitContainer |= uint64(enc.val) << (b.nBits & 63)
+	if false {
+		if enc.nBits == 0 {
+			panic("nbits 0")
+		}
+	}
 	b.nBits += enc.nBits
 }
 
@@ -54,6 +59,14 @@ func (b *bitWriter) encTwoSymbols(ct cTable, av, bv byte) {
 	sh := b.nBits & 63
 	combined := uint64(encA.val) | (uint64(encB.val) << (encA.nBits & 63))
 	b.bitContainer |= combined << sh
+	if false {
+		if encA.nBits == 0 {
+			panic("nbitsA 0")
+		}
+		if encB.nBits == 0 {
+			panic("nbitsB 0")
+		}
+	}
 	b.nBits += encA.nBits + encB.nBits
 }
 
diff --git a/huff0/compress.go b/huff0/compress.go
index 0843cb014f..f9ed5f8306 100644
--- a/huff0/compress.go
+++ b/huff0/compress.go
@@ -77,8 +77,11 @@ func compress(in []byte, s *Scratch, compressor func(src []byte) ([]byte, error)
 		// Each symbol present maximum once or too well distributed.
 		return nil, false, ErrIncompressible
 	}
-
-	if s.Reuse == ReusePolicyPrefer && canReuse {
+	if s.Reuse == ReusePolicyMust && !canReuse {
+		// We must reuse, but we can't.
+		return nil, false, ErrIncompressible
+	}
+	if (s.Reuse == ReusePolicyPrefer || s.Reuse == ReusePolicyMust) && canReuse {
 		keepTable := s.cTable
 		keepTL := s.actualTableLog
 		s.cTable = s.prevTable
@@ -90,6 +93,9 @@ func compress(in []byte, s *Scratch, compressor func(src []byte) ([]byte, error)
 			s.OutData = s.Out
 			return s.Out, true, nil
 		}
+		if s.Reuse == ReusePolicyMust {
+			return nil, false, ErrIncompressible
+		}
 		// Do not attempt to re-use later.
 		s.prevTable = s.prevTable[:0]
 	}
diff --git a/huff0/compress_test.go b/huff0/compress_test.go
index ac264a5a18..f389e912aa 100644
--- a/huff0/compress_test.go
+++ b/huff0/compress_test.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"math/rand"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"reflect"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
@@ -265,6 +266,95 @@ func TestCompress1X(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestCompress1XMustReuse(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, test := range testfiles {
+		t.Run(test.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			var s Scratch
+			buf0, err := test.fn()
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			if len(buf0) > BlockSizeMax {
+				buf0 = buf0[:BlockSizeMax]
+			}
+			b, re, err := Compress1X(buf0, &s)
+			if err != test.err1X {
+				t.Errorf("want error %v (%T), got %v (%T)", test.err1X, test.err1X, err, err)
+			}
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Log(test.name, err.Error())
+				return
+			}
+			if b == nil {
+				t.Error("got no output")
+				return
+			}
+
+			min := s.minSize(len(buf0))
+			if len(s.OutData) < min {
+				t.Errorf("output data length (%d) below shannon limit (%d)", len(s.OutData), min)
+			}
+			if len(s.OutTable) == 0 {
+				t.Error("got no table definition")
+			}
+			if re {
+				t.Error("claimed to have re-used.")
+			}
+			if len(s.OutData) == 0 {
+				t.Error("got no data output")
+			}
+			t.Logf("%s: %d -> %d bytes (%.2f:1) re:%t (table: %d bytes)", test.name, len(buf0), len(b), float64(len(buf0))/float64(len(b)), re, len(s.OutTable))
+			table := s.OutTable
+			prevTable := s.prevTable
+			for i, v := range prevTable {
+				// Clear unused sections for comparison
+				if v.nBits == 0 {
+					prevTable[i].val = 0
+				}
+			}
+			b = s.OutData
+			actl := s.actualTableLog
+
+			// Use only the table data to recompress.
+			s = Scratch{}
+			s2 := &s
+			s.Reuse = ReusePolicyMust
+			s2, _, err = ReadTable(table, s2)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Error("Could not read table", err)
+				return
+			}
+			if !reflect.DeepEqual(prevTable, s2.prevTable) {
+				t.Errorf("prevtable mismatch.\ngot %v\nwant %v", s2.prevTable, prevTable)
+			}
+			if actl != s.actualTableLog {
+				t.Errorf("tablelog mismatch, want %d, got %d", actl, s.actualTableLog)
+			}
+			b2, reused, err := Compress1X(buf0, s2)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Error("Could not re-compress with prev table", err)
+			}
+			if !reused {
+				t.Error("didn't reuse...")
+				return
+			}
+			if len(b2) != len(b) {
+				t.Errorf("recompressed to different size, want %d, got %d", len(b), len(b2))
+				return
+			}
+
+			if !bytes.Equal(b, b2) {
+				for i := range b {
+					if b[i] != b2[i] {
+						t.Errorf("recompressed to different output. First mismatch at byte %d, (want %x != got %x)", i, b[i], b2[i])
+						return
+					}
+				}
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func TestCompress4X(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, test := range testfiles {
 		t.Run(test.name, func(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/huff0/decompress.go b/huff0/decompress.go
index a03b2634af..41703bba4d 100644
--- a/huff0/decompress.go
+++ b/huff0/decompress.go
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ const use8BitTables = true
 // The size of the input may be larger than the table definition.
 // Any content remaining after the table definition will be returned.
 // If no Scratch is provided a new one is allocated.
-// The returned Scratch can be used for decoding input using this table.
+// The returned Scratch can be used for encoding or decoding input using this table.
 func ReadTable(in []byte, s *Scratch) (s2 *Scratch, remain []byte, err error) {
 	s, err = s.prepare(in)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -58,8 +58,8 @@ func ReadTable(in []byte, s *Scratch) (s2 *Scratch, remain []byte, err error) {
 		s.symbolLen = uint16(oSize)
 		in = in[iSize:]
 	} else {
-		if len(in) <= int(iSize) {
-			return s, nil, errors.New("input too small for table")
+		if len(in) < int(iSize) {
+			return s, nil, fmt.Errorf("input too small for table, want %d bytes, have %d", iSize, len(in))
 		}
 		// FSE compressed weights
 		s.fse.DecompressLimit = 255
@@ -138,15 +138,33 @@ func ReadTable(in []byte, s *Scratch) (s2 *Scratch, remain []byte, err error) {
 	if len(s.dt.single) != tSize {
 		s.dt.single = make([]dEntrySingle, tSize)
 	}
+	cTable := s.prevTable
+	if cap(cTable) < maxSymbolValue+1 {
+		cTable = make([]cTableEntry, 0, maxSymbolValue+1)
+	}
+	cTable = cTable[:maxSymbolValue+1]
+	s.prevTable = cTable[:s.symbolLen]
+	s.prevTableLog = s.actualTableLog
+
 	for n, w := range s.huffWeight[:s.symbolLen] {
 		if w == 0 {
+			cTable[n] = cTableEntry{
+				val:   0,
+				nBits: 0,
+			}
 			continue
 		}
 		length := (uint32(1) << w) >> 1
 		d := dEntrySingle{
 			entry: uint16(s.actualTableLog+1-w) | (uint16(n) << 8),
 		}
+
 		rank := &rankStats[w]
+		cTable[n] = cTableEntry{
+			val:   uint16(*rank >> (w - 1)),
+			nBits: uint8(d.entry),
+		}
+
 		single := s.dt.single[*rank : *rank+length]
 		for i := range single {
 			single[i] = d
diff --git a/huff0/huff0.go b/huff0/huff0.go
index 177d6c4ea0..5dd66854b0 100644
--- a/huff0/huff0.go
+++ b/huff0/huff0.go
@@ -55,6 +55,9 @@ const (
 	// ReusePolicyNone will disable re-use of tables.
 	// This is slightly faster than ReusePolicyAllow but may produce larger output.
 	ReusePolicyNone
+
+	// ReusePolicyMust must allow reuse and produce smaller output.
+	ReusePolicyMust
 )
 
 type Scratch struct {