diff --git a/examples/load_signals.rs b/examples/load_signals.rs
index f51f4bf..bbc65a6 100644
--- a/examples/load_signals.rs
+++ b/examples/load_signals.rs
@@ -14,6 +14,11 @@ use wellen::*;
 struct Args {
     #[arg(value_name = "FSTFILE", index = 1)]
     filename: String,
+    #[arg(
+        long,
+        help = "only parse the file, but do not actually load the signals"
+    )]
+    skip_load: bool,
 }
 
 fn print_size_of_full_vs_reduced_names(hierarchy: &Hierarchy) {
@@ -80,6 +85,10 @@ fn main() {
     );
     print_size_of_full_vs_reduced_names(wave.hierarchy());
 
+    if args.skip_load {
+        return;
+    }
+
     // load every signal individually
     let mut signal_load_times = Vec::new();
     let mut signal_sizes = Vec::new();
diff --git a/src/ghw/common.rs b/src/ghw/common.rs
index 371a2ed..e51ea96 100644
--- a/src/ghw/common.rs
+++ b/src/ghw/common.rs
@@ -233,28 +233,22 @@ impl GhwSignalInfo {
     }
 }
 
+pub type GhwDecodeInfo = (GhwSignals, Vec<GhwVecInfo>);
+
 /// Contains information needed in order to decode value changes.
 #[derive(Debug, Default)]
-pub struct GhwDecodeInfo {
+pub struct GhwSignals {
     /// Type and signal reference info. Indexed by `GhwSignalId`
     signals: Vec<GhwSignalInfo>,
-    /// Vector info. Indexed by `GhwVecId`.
-    vectors: Vec<GhwVecInfo>,
 }
 
-impl GhwDecodeInfo {
-    pub fn new(signals: Vec<GhwSignalInfo>, vectors: Vec<GhwVecInfo>) -> Self {
-        Self { signals, vectors }
-    }
-    pub fn is_empty(&self) -> bool {
-        self.signals.is_empty()
+impl GhwSignals {
+    pub fn new(signals: Vec<GhwSignalInfo>) -> Self {
+        Self { signals }
     }
     pub fn get_info(&self, signal_id: GhwSignalId) -> &GhwSignalInfo {
         &self.signals[signal_id.index()]
     }
-    pub fn vectors(&self) -> &[GhwVecInfo] {
-        &self.vectors
-    }
     pub fn signal_len(&self) -> usize {
         self.signals.len()
     }
@@ -435,6 +429,6 @@ mod tests {
         // This is in comparison to ghwdump which stores at least two 8-bit pointers per signal.
         assert_eq!(std::mem::size_of::<GhwSignalInfo>(), 8);
 
-        assert_eq!(std::mem::size_of::<GhwVecInfo>(), 16);
+        assert_eq!(std::mem::size_of::<GhwVecInfo>(), 20);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/ghw/hierarchy.rs b/src/ghw/hierarchy.rs
index bdac196..11d8510 100644
--- a/src/ghw/hierarchy.rs
+++ b/src/ghw/hierarchy.rs
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ pub(crate) fn read_hierarchy(
 ) -> Result<(GhwDecodeInfo, Hierarchy)> {
     let mut tables = GhwTables::default();
     let mut strings = Vec::new();
-    let mut decode = GhwDecodeInfo::default();
+    let mut decode: Option<GhwDecodeInfo> = None;
     let mut hb = HierarchyBuilder::new(FileFormat::Ghw);
 
     // GHW seems to always uses fs
@@ -182,12 +182,12 @@ pub(crate) fn read_hierarchy(
             GHW_HIERARCHY_SECTION => {
                 let dec = read_hierarchy_section(header, &mut tables, input, &mut hb)?;
                 debug_assert!(
-                    decode.is_empty(),
+                    decode.is_none(),
                     "unexpected second hierarchy section:\n{:?}\n{:?}",
                     decode,
                     dec
                 );
-                decode = dec;
+                decode = Some(dec);
             }
             GHW_END_OF_HEADER_SECTION => {
                 break; // done
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ pub(crate) fn read_hierarchy(
         }
     }
     let hierarchy = hb.finish();
-    Ok((decode, hierarchy))
+    Ok((decode.unwrap(), hierarchy))
 }
 
 /// adds all enums to the hierarchy and
@@ -716,12 +716,12 @@ fn read_hierarchy_section(
     // declared signals, may be composite
     let expected_num_declared_vars = header.read_u32(&mut &hdr[8..12])?;
     let max_signal_id = header.read_u32(&mut &hdr[12..16])?;
-    println!("Max signal id: {max_signal_id}");
-    println!("expected_num_declared_vars {expected_num_declared_vars}");
+    // println!("Max signal id: {max_signal_id}");
+    // println!("expected_num_declared_vars {expected_num_declared_vars}");
 
     let mut num_declared_vars = 0;
     let mut index_string_cache = IndexCache::new();
-    let mut signal_info = GhwSignals::new(max_signal_id);
+    let mut signal_info = GhwSignalTracker::new(max_signal_id);
 
     loop {
         let kind = GhwHierarchyKind::try_from_primitive(read_u8(input)?)?;
@@ -771,10 +771,10 @@ fn read_hierarchy_section(
         }
     }
 
-    println!("Wellen Signal Refs: {}", signal_info.signal_ref_count);
+    // println!("Wellen Signal Refs: {}", signal_info.signal_ref_count);
     let decode_info = signal_info.into_decode_info();
-    println!("GHW Signals: {}", decode_info.signal_len());
-    println!("Vectors: {}", decode_info.vectors().len());
+    // println!("GHW Signals: {}", decode_info.0.signal_len());
+    // println!("Vectors: {}", decode_info.1.len());
 
     Ok(decode_info)
 }
@@ -865,7 +865,7 @@ fn read_hierarchy_var(
     tables: &mut GhwTables,
     input: &mut impl BufRead,
     kind: GhwHierarchyKind,
-    signals: &mut GhwSignals,
+    signals: &mut GhwSignalTracker,
     index_string_cache: &mut IndexCache,
     h: &mut HierarchyBuilder,
 ) -> Result<()> {
@@ -906,7 +906,7 @@ fn get_index_string(
 /// information that is needed in order to map the bit-wise signal encoding
 /// in a GHW to the bit-vector signal encoding used in our `wellen` wavemem.
 #[derive(Debug)]
-struct GhwSignals {
+struct GhwSignalTracker {
     signals: Vec<Option<GhwSignalInfo>>,
     signal_ref_count: usize,
     vectors: Vec<GhwVecInfo>,
@@ -922,7 +922,7 @@ struct AliasInfo {
     next: Option<NonZeroU32>,
 }
 
-impl GhwSignals {
+impl GhwSignalTracker {
     fn new(max_signal_id: u32) -> Self {
         let signals = vec![None; max_signal_id as usize];
         Self {
@@ -936,7 +936,7 @@ impl GhwSignals {
     fn into_decode_info(self) -> GhwDecodeInfo {
         let mut signals: Vec<_> = self.signals.into_iter().flatten().collect();
         signals.shrink_to_fit();
-        GhwDecodeInfo::new(signals, self.vectors)
+        (GhwSignals::new(signals), self.vectors)
     }
 
     fn max_signal_id(&self) -> usize {
@@ -1096,7 +1096,7 @@ fn add_var(
     tables: &GhwTables,
     input: &mut impl BufRead,
     kind: GhwHierarchyKind,
-    signals: &mut GhwSignals,
+    signals: &mut GhwSignalTracker,
     index_string_cache: &mut IndexCache,
     h: &mut HierarchyBuilder,
     name: HierarchyStringId,
diff --git a/src/ghw/mod.rs b/src/ghw/mod.rs
index 19ba1f9..2cd922f 100644
--- a/src/ghw/mod.rs
+++ b/src/ghw/mod.rs
@@ -38,6 +38,6 @@ fn read_internal(input: &mut (impl BufRead + Seek)) -> std::result::Result<Wavef
     // TODO: use actual section positions
 
     let (decode_info, hierarchy) = hierarchy::read_hierarchy(&header, input)?;
-    let wave_mem = signals::read_signals(&header, &decode_info, &hierarchy, input)?;
+    let wave_mem = signals::read_signals(&header, decode_info, &hierarchy, input)?;
     Ok(Waveform::new(hierarchy, wave_mem))
 }
diff --git a/src/ghw/signals.rs b/src/ghw/signals.rs
index 4fb00e5..2dbe7ce 100644
--- a/src/ghw/signals.rs
+++ b/src/ghw/signals.rs
@@ -10,13 +10,14 @@ use std::io::BufRead;
 /// Reads the GHW signal values. `input` should be advanced until right after the end of hierarchy
 pub(crate) fn read_signals(
     header: &HeaderData,
-    info: &GhwDecodeInfo,
+    decode_info: GhwDecodeInfo,
     hierarchy: &Hierarchy,
     input: &mut impl BufRead,
 ) -> Result<Box<crate::wavemem::Reader>> {
+    let (info, vectors) = decode_info;
     // TODO: multi-threading
     let mut encoder = Encoder::new(hierarchy);
-    let mut vecs = VecBuffer::from_vec_info(info.vectors());
+    let mut vecs = VecBuffer::from_vec_info(vectors);
 
     // loop over signal sections
     loop {
@@ -26,9 +27,9 @@ pub(crate) fn read_signals(
         // read_sm_hdr
         match &mark {
             GHW_SNAPSHOT_SECTION => {
-                read_snapshot_section(header, info, &mut vecs, &mut encoder, input)?
+                read_snapshot_section(header, &info, &mut vecs, &mut encoder, input)?
             }
-            GHW_CYCLE_SECTION => read_cycle_section(header, info, &mut vecs, &mut encoder, input)?,
+            GHW_CYCLE_SECTION => read_cycle_section(header, &info, &mut vecs, &mut encoder, input)?,
             GHW_DIRECTORY_SECTION => {
                 // skip the directory by reading it
                 let _ = read_directory(header, input)?;
@@ -49,7 +50,7 @@ pub(crate) fn read_signals(
 
 fn read_snapshot_section(
     header: &HeaderData,
-    info: &GhwDecodeInfo,
+    info: &GhwSignals,
     vecs: &mut VecBuffer,
     enc: &mut Encoder,
     input: &mut impl BufRead,
@@ -74,7 +75,7 @@ fn read_snapshot_section(
 
 fn read_cycle_section(
     header: &HeaderData,
-    info: &GhwDecodeInfo,
+    info: &GhwSignals,
     vecs: &mut VecBuffer,
     enc: &mut Encoder,
     input: &mut impl BufRead,
@@ -106,7 +107,7 @@ fn read_cycle_section(
 }
 
 fn read_cycle_signals(
-    info: &GhwDecodeInfo,
+    info: &GhwSignals,
     vecs: &mut VecBuffer,
     enc: &mut Encoder,
     input: &mut impl BufRead,
@@ -138,7 +139,7 @@ fn finish_time_step(vecs: &mut VecBuffer, enc: &mut Encoder) {
 }
 
 fn read_signal_value(
-    info: &GhwDecodeInfo,
+    info: &GhwSignals,
     signal_id: GhwSignalId,
     vecs: &mut VecBuffer,
     enc: &mut Encoder,
@@ -167,18 +168,16 @@ fn read_signal_value(
             };
 
             let vec_id = signal_info.vec_id().unwrap();
-            let vec_info = &info.vectors()[vec_id.index()];
-            let bit = (signal_id.index() - vec_info.min().index()) as u32;
 
             // check to see if we already had a change to this same bit in the current time step
-            if vecs.is_second_change(vec_id, bit, value) {
+            if vecs.is_second_change(vec_id, signal_id, value) {
                 // immediately dispatch the change to properly reflect the delta cycle
                 let data = vecs.get_full_value_and_clear_changes(vec_id);
                 enc.raw_value_change(signal_ref, data, states);
             }
 
             // update value
-            vecs.update_value(vec_id, bit, value);
+            vecs.update_value(vec_id, signal_id, value);
 
             // check to see if we need to report a change
             if vecs.full_signal_has_changed(vec_id) {
@@ -224,6 +223,7 @@ struct VecBufferInfo {
     bits: u32,
     states: States,
     signal_ref: SignalRef,
+    min_index: u32,
 }
 
 impl VecBufferInfo {
@@ -242,28 +242,33 @@ impl VecBufferInfo {
 }
 
 impl VecBuffer {
-    fn from_vec_info(vectors: &[GhwVecInfo]) -> Self {
-        let mut info = Vec::with_capacity(vectors.len());
+    fn from_vec_info(vectors: Vec<GhwVecInfo>) -> Self {
         let mut data_start = 0;
         let mut bit_change_start = 0;
 
-        for vector in vectors.iter() {
-            let bits = vector.bits();
-            let states = if vector.is_two_state() {
-                States::Two
-            } else {
-                States::Nine
-            };
-            info.push(VecBufferInfo {
-                data_start: data_start as u32,
-                bit_change_start: bit_change_start as u32,
-                bits,
-                states,
-                signal_ref: vector.signal_ref(),
-            });
-            data_start += (bits as usize).div_ceil(states.bits_in_a_byte());
-            bit_change_start += (bits as usize).div_ceil(8);
-        }
+        let mut info = vectors
+            .into_iter()
+            .map(|vector| {
+                let bits = vector.bits();
+                let states = if vector.is_two_state() {
+                    States::Two
+                } else {
+                    States::Nine
+                };
+                let info = VecBufferInfo {
+                    data_start: data_start as u32,
+                    bit_change_start: bit_change_start as u32,
+                    bits,
+                    states,
+                    signal_ref: vector.signal_ref(),
+                    min_index: vector.min().index() as u32,
+                };
+                data_start += (bits as usize).div_ceil(states.bits_in_a_byte());
+                bit_change_start += (bits as usize).div_ceil(8);
+                info
+            })
+            .collect::<Vec<_>>();
+        info.shrink_to_fit();
 
         let data = vec![0; data_start];
         let bit_change = vec![0; bit_change_start];
@@ -292,14 +297,16 @@ impl VecBuffer {
     }
 
     #[inline]
-    fn is_second_change(&self, vector_id: GhwVecId, bit: u32, value: u8) -> bool {
+    fn is_second_change(&self, vector_id: GhwVecId, signal_id: GhwSignalId, value: u8) -> bool {
         let info = &self.info[vector_id.index()];
+        let bit = signal_id.index() as u32 - info.min_index;
         self.has_bit_changed(info, bit) && self.get_value(info, bit) != value
     }
 
     #[inline]
-    fn update_value(&mut self, vector_id: GhwVecId, bit: u32, value: u8) {
+    fn update_value(&mut self, vector_id: GhwVecId, signal_id: GhwSignalId, value: u8) {
         let info = &self.info[vector_id.index()];
+        let bit = signal_id.index() as u32 - info.min_index;
         let is_a_real_change = self.get_value(info, bit) != value;
         if is_a_real_change {
             Self::mark_bit_changed(&mut self.bit_change, info, bit);
diff --git a/src/wavemem.rs b/src/wavemem.rs
index 5d21f9d..6f8004c 100644
--- a/src/wavemem.rs
+++ b/src/wavemem.rs
@@ -944,7 +944,30 @@ fn check_min_state(value: &[u8], states: States) -> States {
     States::from_value(union)
 }
 
+/// picks a specialized compress implementation
 fn compress(value: &[u8], in_states: States, out_states: States, bits: usize, out: &mut Vec<u8>) {
+    match (in_states, out_states) {
+        (States::Nine, States::Two) => {
+            compress_template(value, States::Nine, States::Two, bits, out)
+        }
+        (States::Four, States::Two) => {
+            compress_template(value, States::Four, States::Two, bits, out)
+        }
+        (States::Nine, States::Four) => {
+            compress_template(value, States::Nine, States::Four, bits, out)
+        }
+        _ => unreachable!("Cannot compress {in_states:?} => {out_states:?}"),
+    }
+}
+
+#[inline]
+fn compress_template(
+    value: &[u8],
+    in_states: States,
+    out_states: States,
+    bits: usize,
+    out: &mut Vec<u8>,
+) {
     debug_assert!(in_states.bits_in_a_byte() < out_states.bits_in_a_byte());
     let mut working_byte = 0u8;
     for bit in (0..bits).rev() {