diff --git a/src/block/compress.rs b/src/block/compress.rs
index c60fe017..04c85e43 100644
--- a/src/block/compress.rs
+++ b/src/block/compress.rs
@@ -521,7 +521,14 @@ fn push_u16(output: &mut impl Sink, el: u16) {
 #[inline(always)] // (always) necessary otherwise compiler fails to inline it
 #[cfg(feature = "safe-encode")]
 fn copy_literals_wild(output: &mut impl Sink, input: &[u8], input_start: usize, len: usize) {
-    output.extend_from_slice_wild(&input[input_start..input_start + len], len)
+    // Pass a wider slice (+8 bytes) so that slice_copy can use efficient fixed-size copy
+    // paths for small literals, matching the unsafe version's behavior of unconditionally
+    // copying 8/16/24 bytes. This is safe because:
+    // - MFLIMIT guarantees at least 12 bytes of input after `input_start + len`
+    // - get_maximum_output_size provides sufficient output capacity margin
+    debug_assert!(input_start + len + 8 <= input.len());
+    debug_assert!(output.pos() + len + 8 <= output.capacity());
+    output.extend_from_slice_wild(&input[input_start..input_start + len + 8], len)
 }
 
 #[inline]
diff --git a/src/block/decompress_safe.rs b/src/block/decompress_safe.rs
index df298f7f..fc8c4398 100644
--- a/src/block/decompress_safe.rs
+++ b/src/block/decompress_safe.rs
@@ -138,8 +138,11 @@ pub(crate) fn decompress_internal<const USE_DICT: bool, S: Sink>(
             output.extend_from_slice_wild(input, literal_length);
             input_pos += literal_length;
 
-            // clone as we don't want to mutate
-            let offset = read_u16(input, &mut literal_length.clone())? as usize;
+            // Read the offset directly from the input array.
+            // `input` is &[u8; 16] and `literal_length` is at most 14 (guaranteed by
+            // does_token_fit), so literal_length + 1 <= 15 is always in bounds.
+            let offset =
+                u16::from_le_bytes([input[literal_length], input[literal_length + 1]]) as usize;
             input_pos += 2;
 
             let mut match_length = MINMATCH + (token & 0xF) as usize;