diff --git a/lfs.c b/lfs.c
index 67d7dc43..b5bda9e0 100644
--- a/lfs.c
+++ b/lfs.c
@@ -3487,6 +3487,8 @@ static lfsr_data_t lfsr_data_frombtree(const lfsr_btree_t *btree,
         uint8_t buffer[static LFSR_BTREE_DSIZE]);
 static lfsr_data_t lfsr_data_frommptr(const lfs_block_t mptr[static 2],
         uint8_t buffer[static LFSR_MPTR_DSIZE]);
+static lfsr_data_t lfsr_data_frombranch(const lfsr_rbyd_t *branch,
+        uint8_t buffer[static LFSR_BRANCH_DSIZE]);
 
 static int lfsr_rbyd_appendrattr_(lfs_t *lfs, lfsr_rbyd_t *rbyd,
         lfsr_rattr_t rattr) {
@@ -3520,7 +3522,9 @@ static int lfsr_rbyd_appendrattr_(lfs_t *lfs, lfsr_rbyd_t *rbyd,
                                         LFSR_BTREE_DSIZE,
                                         LFS_MAX(
                                             LFSR_MPTR_DSIZE,
-                                            LFSR_ECKSUM_DSIZE)))))))];
+                                            LFS_MAX(
+                                                LFSR_BRANCH_DSIZE,
+                                                LFSR_ECKSUM_DSIZE))))))))];
             struct {
                 lfsr_data_t datas[2];
                 uint8_t buf[LFSR_LEB128_DSIZE];
@@ -3609,6 +3613,15 @@ static int lfsr_rbyd_appendrattr_(lfs_t *lfs, lfsr_rbyd_t *rbyd,
         data_count = size;
         break;
 
+    // branch?
+    case LFSR_TAG_BRANCH:;
+    case LFSR_TAG_SHRUB | LFSR_TAG_BRANCH:;
+        data = lfsr_data_frombranch(rattr.u.etc, ctx.u.buf);
+        size = lfsr_data_size(data);
+        datas = ctx.u.buf;
+        data_count = size;
+        break;
+
     // ecksum?
     case LFSR_TAG_ECKSUM:;
         data = lfsr_data_fromecksum(rattr.u.etc, ctx.u.buf);
@@ -5445,7 +5458,7 @@ static int lfsr_btree_parent(lfs_t *lfs, const lfsr_btree_t *btree,
 typedef struct lfsr_bscratch {
     lfsr_rattr_t rattrs[4];
     lfsr_data_t split_data;
-    uint8_t buf[2*LFSR_BRANCH_DSIZE];
+    lfsr_rbyd_t branches[2];
 } lfsr_bscratch_t;
 
 // core btree algorithm
@@ -5834,16 +5847,14 @@ static int lfsr_btree_commit__(lfs_t *lfs, lfsr_btree_t *btree,
         rattr_count_ = 0;
         // new root?
         if (!lfsr_rbyd_trunk(&parent)) {
-            bscratch->rattrs[rattr_count_++] = LFSR_RATTR(
+            bscratch->branches[0] = rbyd__;
+            bscratch->rattrs[rattr_count_++] = LFSR_RATTR__(
                     LFSR_TAG_BRANCH, +rbyd__.weight,
-                    LFSR_DATA_BRANCH(
-                        &rbyd__,
-                        &bscratch->buf[0*LFSR_BRANCH_DSIZE]));
-            bscratch->rattrs[rattr_count_++] = LFSR_RATTR(
+                    &bscratch->branches[0], LFSR_BRANCH_DSIZE);
+            bscratch->branches[1] = sibling;
+            bscratch->rattrs[rattr_count_++] = LFSR_RATTR__(
                     LFSR_TAG_BRANCH, +sibling.weight,
-                    LFSR_DATA_BRANCH(
-                        &sibling,
-                        &bscratch->buf[1*LFSR_BRANCH_DSIZE]));
+                    &bscratch->branches[1], LFSR_BRANCH_DSIZE);
             if (lfsr_tag_suptype(split_tag) == LFSR_TAG_NAME) {
                 bscratch->rattrs[rattr_count_++] = LFSR_RATTR_CAT_(
                         LFSR_TAG_NAME, 0,
@@ -5852,21 +5863,19 @@ static int lfsr_btree_commit__(lfs_t *lfs, lfsr_btree_t *btree,
         // split root?
         } else {
             bid_ -= pid - (rbyd_.weight-1);
-            bscratch->rattrs[rattr_count_++] = LFSR_RATTR(
+            bscratch->branches[0] = rbyd__;
+            bscratch->rattrs[rattr_count_++] = LFSR_RATTR__(
                     LFSR_TAG_BRANCH, 0,
-                    LFSR_DATA_BRANCH(
-                        &rbyd__,
-                        &bscratch->buf[0*LFSR_BRANCH_DSIZE]));
+                    &bscratch->branches[0], LFSR_BRANCH_DSIZE);
             if (rbyd__.weight != rbyd_.weight) {
                 bscratch->rattrs[rattr_count_++] = LFSR_RATTR(
                         LFSR_TAG_GROW, -rbyd_.weight + rbyd__.weight,
                         LFSR_DATA_NULL());
             }
-            bscratch->rattrs[rattr_count_++] = LFSR_RATTR(
+            bscratch->branches[1] = sibling;
+            bscratch->rattrs[rattr_count_++] = LFSR_RATTR__(
                     LFSR_TAG_BRANCH, +sibling.weight,
-                    LFSR_DATA_BRANCH(
-                        &sibling,
-                        &bscratch->buf[1*LFSR_BRANCH_DSIZE]));
+                    &bscratch->branches[1], LFSR_BRANCH_DSIZE);
             if (lfsr_tag_suptype(split_tag) == LFSR_TAG_NAME) {
                 bscratch->rattrs[rattr_count_++] = LFSR_RATTR_CAT_(
                         LFSR_TAG_NAME, 0,
@@ -5947,9 +5956,10 @@ static int lfsr_btree_commit__(lfs_t *lfs, lfsr_btree_t *btree,
         bid_ -= pid - (rbyd_.weight-1);
         bscratch->rattrs[rattr_count_++] = LFSR_RATTR(
                 LFSR_TAG_RM, -sibling.weight, LFSR_DATA_NULL());
-        bscratch->rattrs[rattr_count_++] = LFSR_RATTR(
+        bscratch->branches[0] = rbyd__;
+        bscratch->rattrs[rattr_count_++] = LFSR_RATTR__(
                 LFSR_TAG_BRANCH, 0,
-                LFSR_DATA_BRANCH(&rbyd__, bscratch->buf));
+                &bscratch->branches[0], LFSR_BRANCH_DSIZE);
         if (rbyd__.weight != rbyd_.weight) {
             bscratch->rattrs[rattr_count_++] = LFSR_RATTR(
                     LFSR_TAG_GROW, -rbyd_.weight + rbyd__.weight,
@@ -5987,9 +5997,10 @@ static int lfsr_btree_commit__(lfs_t *lfs, lfsr_btree_t *btree,
             bscratch->rattrs[rattr_count_++] = LFSR_RATTR(
                     LFSR_TAG_RM, -rbyd_.weight, LFSR_DATA_NULL());
         } else {
-            bscratch->rattrs[rattr_count_++] = LFSR_RATTR(
+            bscratch->branches[0] = rbyd__;
+            bscratch->rattrs[rattr_count_++] = LFSR_RATTR__(
                     LFSR_TAG_BRANCH, 0,
-                    LFSR_DATA_BRANCH(&rbyd__, bscratch->buf));
+                    &bscratch->branches[0], LFSR_BRANCH_DSIZE);
             if (rbyd__.weight != rbyd_.weight) {
                 bscratch->rattrs[rattr_count_++] = LFSR_RATTR(
                         LFSR_TAG_GROW, -rbyd_.weight + rbyd__.weight,