diff --git a/server/src/engine/core/index/key.rs b/server/src/engine/core/index/key.rs
index 4090c380..2b42fabc 100644
--- a/server/src/engine/core/index/key.rs
+++ b/server/src/engine/core/index/key.rs
@@ -110,6 +110,9 @@ impl PrimaryIndexKey {
             dc.as_raw()
         }
         .dwordqn_load_qw_nw();
+        if cfg!(debug_assertions) && tag < TagUnique::Bin {
+            assert_eq!(b, mem::ZERO_BLOCK.as_ptr() as usize);
+        }
         Self {
             tag,
             data: unsafe {
@@ -131,6 +134,9 @@ impl PrimaryIndexKey {
     }
     fn __compute_vdata_offset(&self) -> [usize; 2] {
         let (len, data) = self.data.dwordqn_load_qw_nw();
+        if cfg!(debug_assertions) && self.tag < TagUnique::Bin {
+            assert_eq!(data, mem::ZERO_BLOCK.as_ptr() as usize);
+        }
         let actual_len = (len as usize) * (self.tag >= TagUnique::Bin) as usize;
         [data, actual_len]
     }
diff --git a/server/src/engine/core/model/cell.rs b/server/src/engine/core/model/cell.rs
index effd8cfc..69c5d0e3 100644
--- a/server/src/engine/core/model/cell.rs
+++ b/server/src/engine/core/model/cell.rs
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ use {
             spec::{Dataspec1D, DataspecMeta1D},
             tag::{CUTag, DataTag, TagClass},
         },
-        mem::{DwordNN, DwordQN, NativeQword, WordIO},
+        mem::{DwordNN, DwordQN, NativeQword, SpecialPaddedWord, WordIO},
     },
     core::{fmt, mem, mem::ManuallyDrop, slice, str},
     parking_lot::RwLock,
@@ -49,7 +49,10 @@ impl Datacell {
     pub fn new_bool(b: bool) -> Self {
         unsafe {
             // UNSAFE(@ohsayan): Correct because we are initializing Self with the correct tag
-            Self::new(CUTag::BOOL, DataRaw::word(WordIO::store(b)))
+            Self::new(
+                CUTag::BOOL,
+                DataRaw::word(SpecialPaddedWord::store(b).dword_promote()),
+            )
         }
     }
     pub unsafe fn read_bool(&self) -> bool {
@@ -68,7 +71,10 @@ impl Datacell {
     pub fn new_uint(u: u64) -> Self {
         unsafe {
             // UNSAFE(@ohsayan): Correct because we are initializing Self with the correct tag
-            Self::new(CUTag::UINT, DataRaw::word(WordIO::store(u)))
+            Self::new(
+                CUTag::UINT,
+                DataRaw::word(SpecialPaddedWord::store(u).dword_promote()),
+            )
         }
     }
     pub unsafe fn read_uint(&self) -> u64 {
@@ -84,10 +90,13 @@ impl Datacell {
         self.try_uint().unwrap()
     }
     // sint
-    pub fn new_sint(u: i64) -> Self {
+    pub fn new_sint(i: i64) -> Self {
         unsafe {
             // UNSAFE(@ohsayan): Correct because we are initializing Self with the correct tag
-            Self::new(CUTag::SINT, DataRaw::word(WordIO::store(u)))
+            Self::new(
+                CUTag::SINT,
+                DataRaw::word(SpecialPaddedWord::store(i).dword_promote()),
+            )
         }
     }
     pub unsafe fn read_sint(&self) -> i64 {
@@ -106,7 +115,10 @@ impl Datacell {
     pub fn new_float(f: f64) -> Self {
         unsafe {
             // UNSAFE(@ohsayan): Correct because we are initializing Self with the correct tag
-            Self::new(CUTag::FLOAT, DataRaw::word(WordIO::store(f)))
+            Self::new(
+                CUTag::FLOAT,
+                DataRaw::word(SpecialPaddedWord::store(f).dword_promote()),
+            )
         }
     }
     pub unsafe fn read_float(&self) -> f64 {
diff --git a/server/src/engine/mem/mod.rs b/server/src/engine/mem/mod.rs
index d99940e0..4c318e9d 100644
--- a/server/src/engine/mem/mod.rs
+++ b/server/src/engine/mem/mod.rs
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ mod tests;
 pub use astr::AStr;
 pub use uarray::UArray;
 pub use vinline::VInline;
-pub use word::{DwordNN, DwordQN, QwordNNNN, TwordNNN, WordIO};
+pub use word::{DwordNN, DwordQN, QwordNNNN, TwordNNN, WordIO, ZERO_BLOCK};
 // imports
 use std::alloc::{self, Layout};
 
diff --git a/server/src/util/mod.rs b/server/src/util/mod.rs
index 42d8deec..042c74a8 100644
--- a/server/src/util/mod.rs
+++ b/server/src/util/mod.rs
@@ -24,8 +24,6 @@
  *
 */
 
-use std::mem::{self, ManuallyDrop};
-
 #[macro_use]
 mod macros;
 pub mod compiler;
@@ -41,7 +39,7 @@ use {
     core::{
         fmt::{self, Debug},
         marker::PhantomData,
-        mem::MaybeUninit,
+        mem::{self, MaybeUninit},
         ops::Deref,
     },
     std::process,
@@ -52,11 +50,7 @@ pub const IS_ON_CI: bool = option_env!("CI").is_some();
 const EXITCODE_ONE: i32 = 0x01;
 
 pub fn bx_to_vec<T>(bx: Box<[T]>) -> Vec<T> {
-    let mut md = ManuallyDrop::new(bx);
-    // damn you, miri
-    let ptr = md.as_mut_ptr() as usize as *mut T;
-    let len = md.len();
-    unsafe { Vec::from_raw_parts(ptr, len, len) }
+    Vec::from(bx)
 }
 
 /// # Unsafe unwrapping