diff --git a/lib/exec.c b/lib/exec.c
index de00741..8690da7 100644
--- a/lib/exec.c
+++ b/lib/exec.c
@@ -64,7 +64,6 @@ static HCL_INLINE const char* proc_state_to_string (int state)
 	(HCL_OOP_TO_SMOOI((x)->heap_ftime_sec) == HCL_OOP_TO_SMOOI((y)->heap_ftime_sec) && HCL_OOP_TO_SMOOI((x)->heap_ftime_nsec) < HCL_OOP_TO_SMOOI((y)->heap_ftime_nsec)) \
 )
 
-
 #define LOAD_IP(hcl, v_ctx) ((hcl)->ip = HCL_OOP_TO_SMOOI((v_ctx)->ip))
 #define STORE_IP(hcl, v_ctx) ((v_ctx)->ip = HCL_SMOOI_TO_OOP((hcl)->ip))
 
@@ -1356,6 +1355,7 @@ static int start_initial_process_and_context (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_ooi_t initial_ip)
 
 	HCL_ASSERT (hcl, proc == hcl->processor->active);
 	hcl->initial_context = proc->initial_context;
+
 	return activate_context(hcl, 0);
 }
 
@@ -1671,7 +1671,8 @@ static int execute (hcl_t* hcl)
 				b1 = bcode & 0x7; /* low 3 bits */
 			push_literal:
 				LOG_INST_1 (hcl, "push_literal @%zu", b1);
-				HCL_STACK_PUSH (hcl, hcl->active_function->literal_frame[b1]);
+				//HCL_STACK_PUSH (hcl, hcl->active_function->literal_frame[b1]);
+				HCL_STACK_PUSH (hcl, hcl->code.lit.arr->slot[b1]);
 				break;
 
 			/* ------------------------------------------------- */
@@ -1698,6 +1699,7 @@ static int execute (hcl_t* hcl)
 
 				b1 = bcode & 0x3; /* low 2 bits */
 			handle_object:
+				/*ass = hcl->code.lit.arr->slot[b1];*/
 				ass = (hcl_oop_cons_t)hcl->active_function->literal_frame[b1];
 				HCL_ASSERT (hcl, HCL_IS_CONS(hcl, ass));
 
@@ -1935,6 +1937,7 @@ static int execute (hcl_t* hcl)
 				FETCH_BYTE_CODE_TO (hcl, b2);
 
 			handle_objvar:
+				/*t = hcl->code.lit.arr->slot[b2];*/
 				t = (hcl_oop_oop_t)hcl->active_function->literal_frame[b2];
 				HCL_ASSERT (hcl, HCL_OBJ_GET_FLAGS_TYPE(t) == HCL_OBJ_TYPE_OOP);
 				HCL_ASSERT (hcl, b1 < HCL_OBJ_GET_SIZE(t));
diff --git a/lib/gc.c b/lib/gc.c
index 5286727..a6bd488 100644
--- a/lib/gc.c
+++ b/lib/gc.c
@@ -120,7 +120,6 @@ static HCL_INLINE hcl_oow_t get_payload_bytes (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_oop_t oop)
 {
 	hcl_oow_t nbytes_aligned;
 
-#if defined(HCL_USE_OBJECT_TRAILER)
 	if (HCL_OBJ_GET_FLAGS_TRAILER(oop))
 	{
 		hcl_oow_t nbytes;
@@ -146,12 +145,9 @@ static HCL_INLINE hcl_oow_t get_payload_bytes (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_oop_t oop)
 	}
 	else
 	{
-#endif
 		/* calculate the payload size in bytes */
 		nbytes_aligned = HCL_ALIGN(HCL_OBJ_BYTESOF(oop), HCL_SIZEOF(hcl_oop_t));
-#if defined(HCL_USE_OBJECT_TRAILER)
 	}
-#endif
 
 	return nbytes_aligned;
 }
@@ -214,32 +210,16 @@ static hcl_uint8_t* scan_new_heap (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_uint8_t* ptr)
 	{
 		hcl_oow_t i;
 		hcl_oow_t nbytes_aligned;
-		hcl_oop_t oop;
+		hcl_oop_t oop, tmp;
 
 		oop = (hcl_oop_t)ptr;
+		HCL_ASSERT (hcl, HCL_OOP_IS_POINTER(oop));
 
-	#if defined(HCL_USE_OBJECT_TRAILER)
-		if (HCL_OBJ_GET_FLAGS_TRAILER(oop))
-		{
-			hcl_oow_t nbytes;
+		nbytes_aligned = get_payload_bytes(hcl, oop);
 
-			HCL_ASSERT (hcl, HCL_OBJ_GET_FLAGS_TYPE(oop) == HCL_OBJ_TYPE_OOP);
-			HCL_ASSERT (hcl, HCL_OBJ_GET_FLAGS_UNIT(oop) == HCL_SIZEOF(hcl_oow_t));
-			HCL_ASSERT (hcl, HCL_OBJ_GET_FLAGS_EXTRA(oop) == 0); /* no 'extra' for an OOP object */
+		tmp = hcl_moveoop(hcl, HCL_OBJ_GET_CLASS(oop));
+		HCL_OBJ_SET_CLASS (oop, tmp);
 
-			nbytes = HCL_OBJ_BYTESOF(oop) + HCL_SIZEOF(hcl_oow_t) + \
-			         (hcl_oow_t)((hcl_oop_oop_t)oop)->slot[HCL_OBJ_GET_SIZE(oop)];
-			nbytes_aligned = HCL_ALIGN (nbytes, HCL_SIZEOF(hcl_oop_t));
-		}
-		else
-		{
-	#endif
-			nbytes_aligned = HCL_ALIGN (HCL_OBJ_BYTESOF(oop), HCL_SIZEOF(hcl_oop_t));
-	#if defined(HCL_USE_OBJECT_TRAILER)
-		}
-	#endif
-
-		HCL_OBJ_SET_CLASS (oop, hcl_moveoop(hcl, HCL_OBJ_GET_CLASS(oop)));
 		if (HCL_OBJ_GET_FLAGS_TYPE(oop) == HCL_OBJ_TYPE_OOP)
 		{
 			hcl_oop_oop_t xtmp;
@@ -308,9 +288,9 @@ void hcl_gc (hcl_t* hcl)
 	old_nil = hcl->_nil;
 
 	/* move _nil and the root object table */
-	hcl->_nil               = hcl_moveoop(hcl, hcl->_nil);
-	hcl->_true              = hcl_moveoop(hcl, hcl->_true);
-	hcl->_false             = hcl_moveoop(hcl, hcl->_false);
+	hcl->_nil = hcl_moveoop(hcl, hcl->_nil);
+	hcl->_true = hcl_moveoop(hcl, hcl->_true);
+	hcl->_false = hcl_moveoop(hcl, hcl->_false);
 
 	for (i = 0; i < HCL_COUNTOF(syminfo); i++)
 	{
@@ -356,6 +336,8 @@ void hcl_gc (hcl_t* hcl)
 		hcl->active_context = (hcl_oop_context_t)hcl_moveoop(hcl, (hcl_oop_t)hcl->active_context);
 	if (hcl->initial_function)
 		hcl->initial_function = (hcl_oop_function_t)hcl_moveoop(hcl, (hcl_oop_t)hcl->initial_function);
+	if (hcl->active_function)
+		hcl->active_function = (hcl_oop_function_t)hcl_moveoop(hcl, (hcl_oop_t)hcl->active_function);
 
 	if (hcl->last_retv) hcl->last_retv = hcl_moveoop(hcl, hcl->last_retv);
 
diff --git a/lib/hcl-prv.h b/lib/hcl-prv.h
index 3a4c79c..e9ecdd3 100644
--- a/lib/hcl-prv.h
+++ b/lib/hcl-prv.h
@@ -42,12 +42,6 @@
 #define HCL_KARATSUBA_CUTOFF 32
 #define HCL_KARATSUBA_CUTOFF_DEBUG 3
 
-/* define this to allow an pointer(OOP) object to have trailing bytes 
- * this is used to embed bytes codes into the back of a compile method
- * object instead of putting in in a separate byte array. */
-#define HCL_USE_OBJECT_TRAILER
-
-
 #if defined(HCL_BUILD_DEBUG)
 #define HCL_DEBUG_LEXER 1
 #define HCL_DEBUG_VM_PROCESSOR 1
@@ -715,7 +709,6 @@ hcl_oop_t hcl_allocoopobj (
 	hcl_oow_t size
 );
 
-#if defined(HCL_USE_OBJECT_TRAILER)
 hcl_oop_t hcl_allocoopobjwithtrailer (
 	hcl_t*           hcl,
 	int              brand,
@@ -723,7 +716,6 @@ hcl_oop_t hcl_allocoopobjwithtrailer (
 	const hcl_oob_t* tptr,
 	hcl_oow_t        tlen
 );
-#endif
 
 hcl_oop_t hcl_alloccharobj (
 	hcl_t*            hcl,
diff --git a/lib/obj.c b/lib/obj.c
index d6b7f91..b3c7585 100644
--- a/lib/obj.c
+++ b/lib/obj.c
@@ -92,7 +92,6 @@ hcl_oop_t hcl_allocoopobj (hcl_t* hcl, int brand, hcl_oow_t size)
 	return alloc_oop_array(hcl, brand, size, 0);
 }
 
-#if defined(HCL_USE_OBJECT_TRAILER)
 hcl_oop_t hcl_allocoopobjwithtrailer (hcl_t* hcl, int brand, hcl_oow_t size, const hcl_oob_t* bptr, hcl_oow_t blen)
 {
 	hcl_oop_oop_t hdr;
@@ -104,7 +103,7 @@ hcl_oop_t hcl_allocoopobjwithtrailer (hcl_t* hcl, int brand, hcl_oow_t size, con
 	nbytes_aligned = HCL_ALIGN(nbytes, HCL_SIZEOF(hcl_oop_t)); 
 
 	hdr = (hcl_oop_oop_t)hcl_allocbytes(hcl, HCL_SIZEOF(hcl_obj_t) + nbytes_aligned);
-	if (!hdr) return HCL_NULL;
+	if (HCL_UNLIKELY(!hdr)) return HCL_NULL;
 
 	hdr->_flags = HCL_OBJ_MAKE_FLAGS(HCL_OBJ_TYPE_OOP, HCL_SIZEOF(hcl_oop_t), 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0);
 	HCL_OBJ_SET_SIZE (hdr, size);
@@ -127,7 +126,6 @@ hcl_oop_t hcl_allocoopobjwithtrailer (hcl_t* hcl, int brand, hcl_oow_t size, con
 
 	return (hcl_oop_t)hdr;
 }
-#endif
 
 static HCL_INLINE hcl_oop_t alloc_numeric_array (hcl_t* hcl, int brand, const void* ptr, hcl_oow_t len, hcl_obj_type_t type, hcl_oow_t unit, int extra, int ngc)
 {