diff --git a/src/cvalue.h b/src/cvalue.h
index 8274e24..628f439 100644
--- a/src/cvalue.h
+++ b/src/cvalue.h
@@ -32,35 +32,46 @@ typedef union CValue {
     cosmo_Number num;
 } CValue;
 
-#define MASK_SIGN_BIT   ((uint64_t)1 << 63)
-#define MASK_TYPE       ((uint64_t)0xf)
-#define MASK_PAYLOAD    ((uint64_t)0xfffffffffff0)
+#define MASK_TYPE       ((uint64_t)0x7)
+#define MASK_PAYLOAD    ((uint64_t)0x0007fffffffffff8)
 
-#define MAKE_PAYLOAD(x) ((uint64_t)(x) << 4)
+// 3 bits (low bits) are reserved for the type
+#define MAKE_PAYLOAD(x) (((uint64_t)(x) << 3) & MASK_PAYLOAD)
+#define READ_PAYLOAD(x) (((x).data & MASK_PAYLOAD) >> 3)
 
 // The bits that must be set to indicate a quiet NaN.
-#define MASK_QUIETNAN        ((uint64_t)0x7ffc000000000000)
+#define MASK_QUIETNAN   ((uint64_t)0x7ff8000000000000)
+
+#define GET_TYPE(x) \
+    ((((x).data & MASK_QUIETNAN) == MASK_QUIETNAN) ? ((x).data & MASK_TYPE) : COSMO_TNUMBER)
 
 // sadly this requires a bit more than a simple macro :(
-static inline CosmoType GET_TYPE(CValue val) {
+/*static inline CosmoType GET_TYPE(CValue val) {
     // it's not not a number (its a number)
     if ((((val.data) & MASK_QUIETNAN) != MASK_QUIETNAN))
         return COSMO_TNUMBER;
 
-    if ((((val.data) & (MASK_QUIETNAN | MASK_SIGN_BIT)) == (MASK_QUIETNAN | MASK_SIGN_BIT)))
-        return COSMO_TOBJ;
-
     return (val.data & MASK_TYPE);
-}
+}*/
+
+#define SIG_MASK        (MASK_QUIETNAN | MASK_TYPE)
+#define BOOL_SIG        (MASK_QUIETNAN | COSMO_TBOOLEAN)
+#define OBJ_SIG         (MASK_QUIETNAN | COSMO_TOBJ)
+#define NIL_SIG         (MASK_QUIETNAN | COSMO_TNIL)
 
 #define cosmoV_newNumber(x)     ((CValue){.num = x})
-#define cosmoV_newObj(x)        ((CValue){.data = MASK_SIGN_BIT | MASK_QUIETNAN | (uint64_t)(uintptr_t)(x)})
+#define cosmoV_newObj(x)        ((CValue){.data = MASK_QUIETNAN | MAKE_PAYLOAD((uintptr_t)x) | COSMO_TOBJ})
 #define cosmoV_newBoolean(x)    ((CValue){.data = MASK_QUIETNAN | MAKE_PAYLOAD(x) | COSMO_TBOOLEAN})
 #define cosmoV_newNil()         ((CValue){.data = MASK_QUIETNAN | COSMO_TNIL})
 
 #define cosmoV_readNumber(x)    ((x).num)
-#define cosmoV_readBoolean(x)   ((bool)((x).data & MASK_PAYLOAD))
-#define cosmoV_readObj(x)       (((CObj*)(uintptr_t)(((x).data) & ~(MASK_SIGN_BIT | MASK_QUIETNAN))))
+#define cosmoV_readBoolean(x)   ((bool)READ_PAYLOAD(x))
+#define cosmoV_readObj(x)       ((CObj*)READ_PAYLOAD(x))
+
+#define IS_NUMBER(x)    (((x).data & MASK_QUIETNAN) != MASK_QUIETNAN)
+#define IS_BOOLEAN(x)   (((x).data & SIG_MASK) == BOOL_SIG)
+#define IS_NIL(x)       (((x).data & SIG_MASK) == NIL_SIG)
+#define IS_OBJ(x)       (((x).data & SIG_MASK) == OBJ_SIG)
 
 #else
 /*
@@ -90,13 +101,13 @@ typedef struct CValue {
 #define cosmoV_readBoolean(x)   ((bool)(x).val.b)
 #define cosmoV_readObj(x)       ((CObj*)(x).val.obj)
 
-#endif
-
 #define IS_NUMBER(x)    (GET_TYPE(x) == COSMO_TNUMBER)
 #define IS_BOOLEAN(x)   (GET_TYPE(x) == COSMO_TBOOLEAN)
 #define IS_NIL(x)       (GET_TYPE(x) == COSMO_TNIL)
 #define IS_OBJ(x)       (GET_TYPE(x) == COSMO_TOBJ)
 
+#endif
+
 typedef CValue* StkPtr;
 
 typedef struct CValueArray {