diff --git a/simdnbt/src/borrow/compound.rs b/simdnbt/src/borrow/compound.rs
index 8f42ed9..229d53e 100644
--- a/simdnbt/src/borrow/compound.rs
+++ b/simdnbt/src/borrow/compound.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use std::{hint::unreachable_unchecked, mem::MaybeUninit};
+use std::mem::MaybeUninit;
 
 use crate::{
     common::{
@@ -34,9 +34,9 @@ impl<'a: 'tape, 'tape> NbtCompound<'a, 'tape> {
     ) -> Result<(), NonRootError> {
         let index_of_compound_element = tapes.main.len();
 
-        stack.push(ParsingStackElement::Compound {
-            index_of_compound_element: index_of_compound_element as u32,
-        })?;
+        stack.push(ParsingStackElement::compound(
+            index_of_compound_element as u32,
+        ))?;
         tapes.main.push(TapeElement::new_with_approx_len_and_offset(
             TapeTagKind::Compound,
             // these get overwritten later
@@ -233,10 +233,36 @@ impl<'a: 'tape, 'tape> Iterator for NbtCompoundIter<'a, 'tape> {
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Copy, Clone)]
-pub(crate) enum ParsingStackElement {
-    Compound { index_of_compound_element: u32 },
-    ListOfCompounds { index_of_list_element: u32 },
-    ListOfLists { index_of_list_element: u32 },
+pub(crate) struct ParsingStackElement {
+    pub kind: ParsingStackElementKind,
+    pub index: u32,
+}
+#[derive(Debug, Copy, Clone)]
+#[repr(u32)]
+pub(crate) enum ParsingStackElementKind {
+    Compound,
+    ListOfCompounds,
+    ListOfLists,
+}
+impl ParsingStackElement {
+    pub fn compound(index_of_compound_element: u32) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            kind: ParsingStackElementKind::Compound,
+            index: index_of_compound_element,
+        }
+    }
+    pub fn list_of_compounds(index_of_list_element: u32) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            kind: ParsingStackElementKind::ListOfCompounds,
+            index: index_of_list_element,
+        }
+    }
+    pub fn list_of_lists(index_of_list_element: u32) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            kind: ParsingStackElementKind::ListOfLists,
+            index: index_of_list_element,
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 pub struct ParsingStack {
@@ -411,12 +437,7 @@ pub(crate) fn read_tag_in_compound<'a>(
 
 #[inline(always)]
 fn handle_compound_end(tapes: &mut Tapes, stack: &mut ParsingStack) {
-    let ParsingStackElement::Compound {
-        index_of_compound_element,
-    } = stack.pop()
-    else {
-        unsafe { unreachable_unchecked() };
-    };
+    let index_of_compound_element = stack.pop().index;
     let index_after_end_element = tapes.main.len();
 
     unsafe {
diff --git a/simdnbt/src/borrow/list.rs b/simdnbt/src/borrow/list.rs
index cab9256..3b9207a 100644
--- a/simdnbt/src/borrow/list.rs
+++ b/simdnbt/src/borrow/list.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use std::{hint::unreachable_unchecked, marker::PhantomData, mem};
+use std::{marker::PhantomData, mem};
 
 use crate::{
     common::{
@@ -99,9 +99,9 @@ impl<'a, 'tape> NbtList<'a, 'tape> {
                 // length estimate + tape index offset to the end of the list
                 let index_of_list_element = tapes.main.len();
 
-                stack.push(ParsingStackElement::ListOfLists {
-                    index_of_list_element: index_of_list_element as u32,
-                })?;
+                stack.push(ParsingStackElement::list_of_lists(
+                    index_of_list_element as u32,
+                ))?;
                 stack.set_list_length(length);
                 TapeElement::new_with_approx_len_and_offset(
                     TapeTagKind::ListList,
@@ -115,9 +115,9 @@ impl<'a, 'tape> NbtList<'a, 'tape> {
                 // length estimate + tape index offset to the end of the compound
                 let index_of_list_element = tapes.main.len();
 
-                stack.push(ParsingStackElement::ListOfCompounds {
-                    index_of_list_element: index_of_list_element as u32,
-                })?;
+                stack.push(ParsingStackElement::list_of_compounds(
+                    index_of_list_element as u32,
+                ))?;
                 stack.set_list_length(length);
                 TapeElement::new_with_approx_len_and_offset(
                     TapeTagKind::CompoundList,
@@ -831,12 +831,7 @@ pub fn read_list_in_list<'a>(
     tapes: &mut Tapes<'a>,
     stack: &mut ParsingStack,
 ) -> Result<(), NonRootError> {
-    let ParsingStackElement::ListOfLists {
-        index_of_list_element,
-    } = stack.peek()
-    else {
-        unsafe { unreachable_unchecked() };
-    };
+    let index_of_list_element = stack.peek().index;
 
     let remaining = stack.remaining_elements_in_list();
 
@@ -864,12 +859,7 @@ pub(crate) fn read_compound_in_list<'a>(
     tapes: &mut Tapes<'a>,
     stack: &mut ParsingStack,
 ) -> Result<(), NonRootError> {
-    let ParsingStackElement::ListOfCompounds {
-        index_of_list_element,
-    } = stack.peek()
-    else {
-        unsafe { unreachable_unchecked() };
-    };
+    let index_of_list_element = stack.peek().index;
 
     let remaining = stack.remaining_elements_in_list();
 
diff --git a/simdnbt/src/borrow/mod.rs b/simdnbt/src/borrow/mod.rs
index eb42410..024b0e4 100644
--- a/simdnbt/src/borrow/mod.rs
+++ b/simdnbt/src/borrow/mod.rs
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ use std::{
 };
 
 use byteorder::ReadBytesExt;
+use compound::ParsingStackElementKind;
 use tape::{UnalignedU16, UnalignedU32, UnalignedU64};
 
 use crate::{
@@ -56,9 +57,7 @@ pub fn read<'a>(data: &mut Cursor<&'a [u8]>) -> Result<Nbt<'a>, Error> {
     ));
 
     let mut stack = ParsingStack::new();
-    stack.push(ParsingStackElement::Compound {
-        index_of_compound_element: 0,
-    })?;
+    stack.push(ParsingStackElement::compound(0))?;
 
     read_with_stack(&mut data, &mut tapes, &mut stack)?;
 
@@ -88,9 +87,7 @@ pub fn read_compound<'a>(data: &mut Cursor<&'a [u8]>) -> Result<BaseNbtCompound<
 
     let mut data = ReaderFromCursor::new(data);
 
-    stack.push(ParsingStackElement::Compound {
-        index_of_compound_element: 0,
-    })?;
+    stack.push(ParsingStackElement::compound(0))?;
 
     tapes.main.push(TapeElement::new_with_approx_len_and_offset(
         TapeTagKind::Compound,
@@ -146,12 +143,10 @@ fn read_with_stack<'a>(
 ) -> Result<(), Error> {
     while !stack.is_empty() {
         let top = stack.peek_mut();
-        match top {
-            ParsingStackElement::Compound { .. } => read_tag_in_compound(data, tapes, stack)?,
-            ParsingStackElement::ListOfCompounds { .. } => {
-                read_compound_in_list(data, tapes, stack)?
-            }
-            ParsingStackElement::ListOfLists { .. } => read_list_in_list(data, tapes, stack)?,
+        match top.kind {
+            ParsingStackElementKind::Compound => read_tag_in_compound(data, tapes, stack)?,
+            ParsingStackElementKind::ListOfCompounds => read_compound_in_list(data, tapes, stack)?,
+            ParsingStackElementKind::ListOfLists => read_list_in_list(data, tapes, stack)?,
         }
     }