diff --git a/src/asherah.cc b/src/asherah.cc
index 7e57eea..8fe5abd 100644
--- a/src/asherah.cc
+++ b/src/asherah.cc
@@ -435,10 +435,9 @@ class Asherah : public Napi::Addon<Asherah> {
 
       Napi::Number item_size = info[0].ToNumber();
       int32_t value = item_size.Int32Value();
-      if (value < 0) {
-        NapiUtils::ThrowException(env,
-            "set_max_stack_alloc_item_size: value must be non-negative");
-      }
+      // Clamp to reasonable range without branching
+      constexpr int32_t MAX_STACK_SIZE = 1048576; // 1MB max
+      value = std::max(0, std::min(value, MAX_STACK_SIZE));
       maximum_stack_alloc_size = static_cast<size_t>(value);
     } catch (Napi::Error &e) {
       e.ThrowAsJavaScriptException();
@@ -743,6 +742,13 @@ class Asherah : public Napi::Addon<Asherah> {
     const size_t est_envelope_overhead = 185;
     const double base64_overhead = 1.34;
 
+    // Only check for overflow if suspiciously large (> 1TB)
+    if (unlikely(data_byte_len > 1099511627776ULL)) {
+      if (data_byte_len > SIZE_MAX / 2) {
+        throw std::invalid_argument("Data size too large for encryption");
+      }
+    }
+
     // Add one rather than using std::ceil to round up
     size_t est_data_byte_len =
         size_t(double(data_byte_len + est_encryption_overhead) *
diff --git a/src/cobhan_buffer.h b/src/cobhan_buffer.h
index 623494c..802656b 100644
--- a/src/cobhan_buffer.h
+++ b/src/cobhan_buffer.h
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include <sstream>   // for std::ostringstream
 #include <stdexcept> // for std::runtime_error, std::invalid_argument
 #include <string>    // for std::string
+#include "hints.h"   // for unlikely
 
 #ifdef _WIN32
 #include <windows.h> // for SecureZeroMemory
@@ -119,6 +120,12 @@ class CobhanBuffer {
   }
 
   static size_t AllocationSizeToMaxDataSize(size_t allocation_len_bytes) {
+    // Check for buffer underflow with unlikely hint
+    constexpr size_t min_size = cobhan_header_size_bytes + canary_size_bytes + safety_padding_bytes;
+    if (unlikely(allocation_len_bytes < min_size)) {
+      throw std::invalid_argument("Buffer allocation size too small");
+    }
+    
     size_t data_len_bytes = allocation_len_bytes - cobhan_header_size_bytes -
                             canary_size_bytes - safety_padding_bytes;
     if (data_len_bytes > max_int32_size) {
diff --git a/src/scoped_allocate.h b/src/scoped_allocate.h
index ce94cfe..73aef82 100644
--- a/src/scoped_allocate.h
+++ b/src/scoped_allocate.h
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 
 #ifdef USE_SCOPED_ALLOCATE_BUFFER
 
+#include "hints.h" // for unlikely macro
+
 /*
   This macro allows us to allocate a buffer either on the stack or on the heap.
   If the requested buffer size is less than max_stack_alloc_size, we create the