diff --git a/Sources/_StringProcessing/Engine/InstPayload.swift b/Sources/_StringProcessing/Engine/InstPayload.swift
index 550fa4915..0a4df998c 100644
--- a/Sources/_StringProcessing/Engine/InstPayload.swift
+++ b/Sources/_StringProcessing/Engine/InstPayload.swift
@@ -552,7 +552,7 @@ struct QuantifyPayload: RawRepresentable {
   }
 
   var builtinCC: _CharacterClassModel.Representation {
-    _CharacterClassModel.Representation(rawValue: self.rawValue & 0xFF)!
+    _uncheckedRawEnum(self.rawValue & 0xFF)
   }
   var builtinIsInverted: Bool {
     (self.rawValue >> 9) & 1 == 1
@@ -596,8 +596,7 @@ struct CharacterClassPayload: RawRepresentable {
     self.rawValue & CharacterClassPayload.scalarBit != 0
   }
   var cc: _CharacterClassModel.Representation {
-    _CharacterClassModel.Representation.init(
-      rawValue: self.rawValue & CharacterClassPayload.ccMask).unsafelyUnwrapped
+    _uncheckedRawEnum(self.rawValue & CharacterClassPayload.ccMask)
   }
 }
 
@@ -636,8 +635,7 @@ struct AssertionPayload: RawRepresentable {
   }
 
   var kind: DSLTree.Atom.Assertion {
-    return .init(
-      rawValue: self.rawValue & AssertionPayload.assertionKindMask).unsafelyUnwrapped
+    _uncheckedRawEnum(self.rawValue & AssertionPayload.assertionKindMask)
   }
   var anchorsMatchNewlines: Bool { self.rawValue & AssertionPayload.anchorBit != 0 }
   var usesSimpleUnicodeBoundaries: Bool {
diff --git a/Sources/_StringProcessing/Engine/Instruction.swift b/Sources/_StringProcessing/Engine/Instruction.swift
index 80bfd9b05..66416106d 100644
--- a/Sources/_StringProcessing/Engine/Instruction.swift
+++ b/Sources/_StringProcessing/Engine/Instruction.swift
@@ -279,9 +279,9 @@ extension Instruction {
 
   var opcode: OpCode {
     get {
-      OpCode(
-        rawValue: (rawValue & _opcodeMask) &>> 56
-      ).unsafelyUnwrapped
+      // Every instruction is built from a real case, with the payload inside 56 bits,
+      // so the opcode byte is always a valid case index.
+      _uncheckedRawEnum(rawValue &>> 56)
     }
     set {
       assert(newValue != .invalid, "consider hoisting this")
diff --git a/Sources/_StringProcessing/Utility/Misc.swift b/Sources/_StringProcessing/Utility/Misc.swift
index d63370b55..749288672 100644
--- a/Sources/_StringProcessing/Utility/Misc.swift
+++ b/Sources/_StringProcessing/Utility/Misc.swift
@@ -76,4 +76,18 @@ extension String {
   }
 }
 
-
+/// Converts a raw value into a single-byte enum without going through
+/// its checked initializer.
+///
+/// - Precondition: `rawValue` is the raw value of a case of `T`, and `T` is
+///   a no-payload enum laid out as a single byte.
+@inline(__always)
+//@unsafe
+internal func _uncheckedRawEnum<T: RawRepresentable>(
+  _ rawValue: UInt64, as _: T.Type = T.self
+) -> T where T.RawValue == UInt64 {
+  let result = unsafeBitCast(UInt8(truncatingIfNeeded: rawValue), to: T.self)
+  assert(result.rawValue == rawValue,
+         "\(T.self) is no longer laid out as its contiguous case index")
+  return result
+}