diff --git a/ff/baby_bear.hpp b/ff/baby_bear.hpp
index 3e866c0..654f5f7 100644
--- a/ff/baby_bear.hpp
+++ b/ff/baby_bear.hpp
@@ -485,20 +485,69 @@ class __align__(16) bb31_4_t {
     {   c[0] -= b; return *this;   }
 
 private:
-    // don't bother with breaking these down, 1/x dominates.
-    inline bb31_t recip_b0(bb31_t beta) const
-    {   return c[0]*c[0] - beta*(c[1]*bb31_t{u[3]<<1} - c[2]*c[2]);   }
-    inline bb31_t recip_b2(bb31_t beta) const
-    {   return c[0]*bb31_t{u[2]<<1} - c[1]*c[1] - beta*(c[3]*c[3]);   }
-    inline bb31_4_t recip_ret(bb31_t b0, bb31_t b2, bb31_t beta) const
+    inline bb31_t recip_b0() const
+    {
+        union { uint64_t wl; uint32_t w[2]; };
+
+        // c[0]*c[0] - beta*(c[1]*bb31_t{u[3]<<1} - c[2]*c[2]);
+        wl  = u[1] * (uint64_t)(u[3]<<1);
+        wl += u[2] * (uint64_t)(MOD-u[2]);
+        wl += (w[0] * M) * (uint64_t)MOD;   final_sub(w[1]);
+        wl  = w[1] * (uint64_t)(MOD-BETA);
+        wl += u[0] * (uint64_t)u[0];
+        wl += (w[0] * M) * (uint64_t)MOD;
+
+        return bb31_t{final_sub(w[1])};
+    }
+
+    inline bb31_t recip_b2() const
+    {
+        union { uint64_t wl; uint32_t w[2]; };
+
+        // c[0]*bb31_t{u[2]<<1} - c[1]*c[1] - beta*(c[3]*c[3]);
+        wl  = u[3] * (uint64_t)u[3];
+        wl += (w[0] * M) * (uint64_t)MOD;   final_sub(w[1]);
+        wl  = w[1] * (uint64_t)(MOD-BETA);
+        wl += u[1] * (uint64_t)(MOD-u[1]);  final_sub(w[1]);
+        wl += u[0] * (uint64_t)(u[2]<<1);
+        wl += (w[0] * M) * (uint64_t)MOD;
+
+        return bb31_t{final_sub(w[1])};
+    }
+
+    inline bb31_4_t recip_ret(bb31_t b0, bb31_t b2) const
     {
         bb31_4_t ret;
-        bb31_t beta_b2 = beta*b2;
+        union { uint64_t wl; uint32_t w[2]; };
 
-        ret[0] = c[0]*b0 - c[2]*beta_b2;
-        ret[1] = c[3]*beta_b2 - c[1]*b0;
-        ret[2] = c[2]*b0 - c[0]*b2;
-        ret[3] = c[1]*b2 - c[3]*b0;
+        wl  = b2[0] * (uint64_t)BETA;
+        wl += (w[0] * M) * (uint64_t)MOD;   //final_sub(w[1]);
+
+        uint32_t beta_b2 = w[1];
+
+        // ret[0] = c[0]*b0 - c[2]*beta_b2;
+        wl  = u[0] * (uint64_t)b0[0];
+        wl += (MOD-u[2]) * (uint64_t)beta_b2;
+        wl += (w[0] * M) * (uint64_t)MOD;
+        ret.u[0] = final_sub(w[1]);
+
+        // ret[1] = c[3]*beta_b2 - c[1]b0;
+        wl  = u[3] * (uint64_t)beta_b2;
+        wl += (MOD-u[1]) * (uint64_t)b0[0];
+        wl += (w[0] * M) * (uint64_t)MOD;
+        ret.u[1] = final_sub(w[1]);
+
+        // ret[2] = c[2]*b0 - c[0]*b2;
+        wl  = u[2] * (uint64_t)b0[0];
+        wl += (MOD-u[0]) * (uint64_t)b2[0];
+        wl += (w[0] * M) * (uint64_t)MOD;
+        ret.u[2] = final_sub(w[1]);
+
+        // ret[3] = c[1]*b2 - c[3]*b0;
+        wl  = u[1] * (uint64_t)b2[0];
+        wl += (MOD-u[3]) * (uint64_t)b0[0];
+        wl += (w[0] * M) * (uint64_t)MOD;
+        ret.u[3] = final_sub(w[1]);
 
         return ret;
     }
@@ -508,15 +557,20 @@ class __align__(16) bb31_4_t {
     {
         const bb31_t beta{BETA};
 
-        bb31_t b0 = recip_b0(beta);
-        bb31_t b2 = recip_b2(beta);
+        bb31_t b0 = recip_b0();
+        bb31_t b2 = recip_b2();
 
+# if 0  // inefficient code generated by at least 12.5?
         bb31_t inv = 1/(b0*b0 - beta*b2*b2);
+# else
+        bb31_t inv = b0*b0 - beta*b2*b2;
+        inv = 1/inv;
+# endif
 
         b0 *= inv;
         b2 *= inv;
 
-        return recip_ret(b0, b2, beta);
+        return recip_ret(b0, b2);
     }
     friend inline bb31_4_t operator/(int one, const bb31_4_t& a)
     {   assert(one == 1); return a.reciprocal();   }
@@ -540,8 +594,8 @@ class __align__(16) bb31_4_t {
 
         for (size_t i = 0; i < N; i++) {
             bb31_4_t tmp = inp[i];
-            b0[i] = tmp.recip_b0(beta);
-            b2[i] = tmp.recip_b2(beta);
+            b0[i] = tmp.recip_b0();
+            b2[i] = tmp.recip_b2();
             bx[i] = b0[i]*b0[i] - beta*b2[i]*b2[i];
         }
 
@@ -553,7 +607,7 @@ class __align__(16) bb31_4_t {
             b0[i] *= inv[i];
             b2[i] *= inv[i];
             bb31_4_t tmp = inp[i];
-            out[i] = tmp.recip_ret(b0[i], b2[i], beta);
+            out[i] = tmp.recip_ret(b0[i], b2[i]);
         }
     }