diff --git a/simdnbt/benches/nbt.rs b/simdnbt/benches/nbt.rs
index efb135a..5705fbd 100644
--- a/simdnbt/benches/nbt.rs
+++ b/simdnbt/benches/nbt.rs
@@ -50,10 +50,11 @@ fn bench_file(filename: &str, c: &mut Criterion) {
 static GLOBAL: mimalloc::MiMalloc = mimalloc::MiMalloc;
 
 fn bench(c: &mut Criterion) {
-    // bench_file("bigtest.nbt", c);
-    // bench_file("simple_player.dat", c);
+    bench_file("bigtest.nbt", c);
+    bench_file("simple_player.dat", c);
     bench_file("complex_player.dat", c);
-    // bench_file("level.dat", c);
+    bench_file("level.dat", c);
+
     // bench_file("stringtest.nbt", c);
     // bench_file("inttest16.nbt", c);
 
diff --git a/simdnbt/src/borrow/compound.rs b/simdnbt/src/borrow/compound.rs
index 26bc9c3..f1675eb 100644
--- a/simdnbt/src/borrow/compound.rs
+++ b/simdnbt/src/borrow/compound.rs
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ impl<'a> NbtCompound<'a> {
             return Err(Error::MaxDepthExceeded);
         }
 
-        let alloc_mut = unsafe { alloc.get().as_mut().unwrap() };
+        let alloc_mut = unsafe { alloc.get().as_mut().unwrap_unchecked() };
 
         let mut tags = alloc_mut.start_named_tags(depth);
         loop {
@@ -43,14 +43,26 @@ impl<'a> NbtCompound<'a> {
             if tag_type == END_ID {
                 break;
             }
-            let tag_name = read_string(data)?;
 
-            tags.push((
-                tag_name,
-                NbtTag::read_with_type(data, alloc, tag_type, depth)?,
-            ));
+            let tag_name = match read_string(data) {
+                Ok(name) => name,
+                Err(_) => {
+                    alloc_mut.finish_named_tags(tags, depth);
+                    // the only error read_string can return is UnexpectedEof, so this makes it
+                    // slightly faster
+                    return Err(Error::UnexpectedEof);
+                }
+            };
+            let tag = match NbtTag::read_with_type(data, alloc, tag_type, depth) {
+                Ok(tag) => tag,
+                Err(e) => {
+                    alloc_mut.finish_named_tags(tags, depth);
+                    return Err(e);
+                }
+            };
+            tags.push((tag_name, tag));
         }
-        let alloc_mut = unsafe { alloc.get().as_mut().unwrap() };
+        let alloc_mut = unsafe { alloc.get().as_mut().unwrap_unchecked() };
         let values = alloc_mut.finish_named_tags(tags, depth);
 
         Ok(Self { values })
diff --git a/simdnbt/src/borrow/list.rs b/simdnbt/src/borrow/list.rs
index f97302d..ca8dc65 100644
--- a/simdnbt/src/borrow/list.rs
+++ b/simdnbt/src/borrow/list.rs
@@ -80,7 +80,14 @@ impl<'a> NbtList<'a> {
                 let alloc_mut = unsafe { alloc.get().as_mut().unwrap() };
                 let mut tags = alloc_mut.start_unnamed_list_tags(depth);
                 for _ in 0..length {
-                    tags.push(NbtList::read(data, alloc, depth + 1)?)
+                    let tag = match NbtList::read(data, alloc, depth + 1) {
+                        Ok(tag) => tag,
+                        Err(e) => {
+                            alloc_mut.finish_unnamed_list_tags(tags, depth);
+                            return Err(e);
+                        }
+                    };
+                    tags.push(tag)
                 }
                 let alloc_mut = unsafe { alloc.get().as_mut().unwrap() };
                 alloc_mut.finish_unnamed_list_tags(tags, depth)
@@ -92,7 +99,14 @@ impl<'a> NbtList<'a> {
                 let alloc_mut = unsafe { alloc.get().as_mut().unwrap() };
                 let mut tags = alloc_mut.start_unnamed_compound_tags(depth);
                 for _ in 0..length {
-                    tags.push(NbtCompound::read_with_depth(data, alloc, depth + 1)?)
+                    let tag = match NbtCompound::read_with_depth(data, alloc, depth + 1) {
+                        Ok(tag) => tag,
+                        Err(e) => {
+                            alloc_mut.finish_unnamed_compound_tags(tags, depth);
+                            return Err(e);
+                        }
+                    };
+                    tags.push(tag);
                 }
                 let alloc_mut = unsafe { alloc.get().as_mut().unwrap() };
                 alloc_mut.finish_unnamed_compound_tags(tags, depth)
diff --git a/simdnbt/src/borrow/tag_alloc.rs b/simdnbt/src/borrow/tag_alloc.rs
index 4874074..2dae16e 100644
--- a/simdnbt/src/borrow/tag_alloc.rs
+++ b/simdnbt/src/borrow/tag_alloc.rs
@@ -261,6 +261,7 @@ pub struct ContiguousTagsAllocator<T> {
 }
 
 impl<T> ContiguousTagsAllocator<T> {
+    #[inline(never)]
     fn grow(&mut self) {
         let new_cap = if self.is_new_allocation {
             // this makes sure we don't allocate 0 bytes
@@ -297,6 +298,7 @@ impl<T> ContiguousTagsAllocator<T> {
         self.alloc.len = self.size;
     }
 
+    #[inline]
     pub fn push(&mut self, value: T) {
         // check if we need to reallocate
         if self.alloc.len == self.alloc.cap {
@@ -305,7 +307,8 @@ impl<T> ContiguousTagsAllocator<T> {
 
         // push the new tag
         unsafe {
-            std::ptr::write(self.alloc.ptr.as_ptr().add(self.alloc.len), value);
+            let end = self.alloc.ptr.as_ptr().add(self.alloc.len);
+            std::ptr::write(end, value);
         }
         self.alloc.len += 1;
         self.size += 1;