diff --git a/Data/Reflection.hs b/Data/Reflection.hs
--- a/Data/Reflection.hs
+++ b/Data/Reflection.hs
@@ -1,22 +1,41 @@
-{-# LANGUAGE Rank2Types, TypeFamilies #-}
+-- CPP is provided by default-extensions, because it may not work in some compilers to #ifdef a pragma otherwise
+{-# LANGUAGE CPP #-}
+{-# LANGUAGE Rank2Types #-}
+{-# LANGUAGE ScopedTypeVariables #-}
+{-# LANGUAGE TypeFamilies #-}
+#ifdef __GLASGOW_HASKELL__
+{-# LANGUAGE MagicHash #-}
+#endif
 {-# OPTIONS_GHC -fno-cse -fno-full-laziness -fno-float-in -fno-warn-unused-binds #-}
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 -- |
 -- Module     : Data.Reflection
--- Copyright  : 2009-2012 Edward Kmett, 2004 Oleg Kiselyov and Chung-chieh Shan
+-- Copyright  : 2009-2012 Edward Kmett,
+--              2012 Elliott Hird,
+--              2004 Oleg Kiselyov and Chung-chieh Shan
 -- License    : BSD3
 --
 -- Maintainer  : Edward Kmett <ekmett@gmail.com>
 -- Stability   : experimental
--- Portability : non-portable (rank-2 types, type families)
+-- Portability : non-portable (rank-2 types, type families, scoped type variables)
 --
 -- Based on the Functional Pearl: Implicit Configurations paper by
 -- Oleg Kiselyov and Chung-chieh Shan.
 --
 -- <http://www.cs.rutgers.edu/~ccshan/prepose/prepose.pdf>
 --
--- Modified to minimize extensions and work with Data.Proxy rather than
--- explicit scoped type variables and undefined values by Edward Kmett.
+-- The approach from the paper was modified to work with Data.Proxy and streamline
+-- the API by Edward Kmett and Elliott Hird.
+--
+-- Usage reduces to using two combinators, 'reify' and 'reflect'.
+--
+-- > ghci> reify 6 (\p -> reflect p + reflect p) :: Int
+-- > 12
+--
+-- The argument passed along by reify is just a @data Proxy t =
+-- Proxy@, so all of the information needed to reconstruct your value
+-- has been moved to the type level.  This enables it to be used when
+-- constructing instances (see @examples/Monoid.hs@).
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 module Data.Reflection
@@ -24,94 +43,132 @@
     -- * Reifying any term at the type level
       Reified(..)
     , reify
-    -- * Reifying integral values at the type level
-    , ReifiedNum(..)
-    , reifyIntegral
     ) where
 
 import Foreign.Ptr
 import Foreign.StablePtr
 import System.IO.Unsafe
 import Control.Applicative
-import Prelude hiding (succ, pred)
 import Data.Proxy
-
-newtype Zero = Zero Zero deriving (Show)
-newtype Twice s = Twice (Twice s) deriving (Show)
-newtype SuccTwice s = SuccTwice (SuccTwice s) deriving (Show)
-newtype PredTwice s = PredTwice (PredTwice s) deriving (Show)
-
-class ReifiedNum s where
-  reflectNum :: Num a => p s -> a
-
-instance ReifiedNum Zero where
-  reflectNum = pure 0
-
-instance ReifiedNum s => ReifiedNum (Twice s) where
-  reflectNum p = 2 * reflectNum (pop p)
+import Data.Bits
+#ifdef __GLASGOW_HASKELL__
+import GHC.Word
+#endif
 
-instance ReifiedNum s => ReifiedNum (SuccTwice s) where
-  reflectNum p = 2 * reflectNum (pop p) + 1
+class B s where
+  reflectByte :: p s -> IntPtr
 
-instance ReifiedNum s => ReifiedNum (PredTwice s) where
-  reflectNum p = 2 * reflectNum (pop p) - 1
+#define CAT(a,b) a/**/b
 
-reifyIntegral :: Integral a => a -> (forall s. ReifiedNum s => Proxy s -> w) -> w
-reifyIntegral i k = case quotRem i 2 of
-    (0, 0) -> zero k
-    (j, 0) -> reifyIntegral j (k . twice)
-    (j, 1) -> reifyIntegral j (k . succTwice)
-    (j,-1) -> reifyIntegral j (k . predTwice)
-    _      -> undefined
+#define BYTES(GO) \
+  GO(0) GO(1) GO(2) GO(3) GO(4) GO(5) GO(6) GO(7) GO(8) GO(9) GO(10) GO(11) \
+  GO(12) GO(13) GO(14) GO(15) GO(16) GO(17) GO(18) GO(19) GO(20) GO(21) GO(22) \
+  GO(23) GO(24) GO(25) GO(26) GO(27) GO(28) GO(29) GO(30) GO(31) GO(32) GO(33) \
+  GO(34) GO(35) GO(36) GO(37) GO(38) GO(39) GO(40) GO(41) GO(42) GO(43) GO(44) \
+  GO(45) GO(46) GO(47) GO(48) GO(49) GO(50) GO(51) GO(52) GO(53) GO(54) GO(55) \
+  GO(56) GO(57) GO(58) GO(59) GO(60) GO(61) GO(62) GO(63) GO(64) GO(65) GO(66) \
+  GO(67) GO(68) GO(69) GO(70) GO(71) GO(72) GO(73) GO(74) GO(75) GO(76) GO(77) \
+  GO(78) GO(79) GO(80) GO(81) GO(82) GO(83) GO(84) GO(85) GO(86) GO(87) GO(88) \
+  GO(89) GO(90) GO(91) GO(92) GO(93) GO(94) GO(95) GO(96) GO(97) GO(98) GO(99) \
+  GO(100) GO(101) GO(102) GO(103) GO(104) GO(105) GO(106) GO(107) GO(108) \
+  GO(109) GO(110) GO(111) GO(112) GO(113) GO(114) GO(115) GO(116) GO(117) \
+  GO(118) GO(119) GO(120) GO(121) GO(122) GO(123) GO(124) GO(125) GO(126) \
+  GO(127) GO(128) GO(129) GO(130) GO(131) GO(132) GO(133) GO(134) GO(135) \
+  GO(136) GO(137) GO(138) GO(139) GO(140) GO(141) GO(142) GO(143) GO(144) \
+  GO(145) GO(146) GO(147) GO(148) GO(149) GO(150) GO(151) GO(152) GO(153) \
+  GO(154) GO(155) GO(156) GO(157) GO(158) GO(159) GO(160) GO(161) GO(162) \
+  GO(163) GO(164) GO(165) GO(166) GO(167) GO(168) GO(169) GO(170) GO(171) \
+  GO(172) GO(173) GO(174) GO(175) GO(176) GO(177) GO(178) GO(179) GO(180) \
+  GO(181) GO(182) GO(183) GO(184) GO(185) GO(186) GO(187) GO(188) GO(189) \
+  GO(190) GO(191) GO(192) GO(193) GO(194) GO(195) GO(196) GO(197) GO(198) \
+  GO(199) GO(200) GO(201) GO(202) GO(203) GO(204) GO(205) GO(206) GO(207) \
+  GO(208) GO(209) GO(210) GO(211) GO(212) GO(213) GO(214) GO(215) GO(216) \
+  GO(217) GO(218) GO(219) GO(220) GO(221) GO(222) GO(223) GO(224) GO(225) \
+  GO(226) GO(227) GO(228) GO(229) GO(230) GO(231) GO(232) GO(233) GO(234) \
+  GO(235) GO(236) GO(237) GO(238) GO(239) GO(240) GO(241) GO(242) GO(243) \
+  GO(244) GO(245) GO(246) GO(247) GO(248) GO(249) GO(250) GO(251) GO(252) \
+  GO(253) GO(254) GO(255)
 
-pop :: p (f s) -> Proxy s
-pop _ = Proxy
-{-# INLINE pop #-}
+#define GO(n) \
+  newtype CAT(T,n) = CAT(T,n) CAT(T,n); \
+  instance B CAT(T,n) where { \
+    reflectByte _ = n \
+  };
+BYTES(GO)
+#undef GO
 
-twice :: p s -> Proxy (Twice s)
-twice _ = Proxy
+impossible :: a
+impossible = error "Data.Reflection.reifyByte: impossible"
 
-succTwice :: p s -> Proxy (SuccTwice s)
-succTwice _ = Proxy
+reifyByte :: Word8 -> (forall s. B s => Proxy s -> w) -> w
+#ifdef __GLASGOW_HASKELL__
+reifyByte (W8# w) k = case w of {
+#define GO(n) n## -> k (Proxy :: Proxy CAT(T,n));
+BYTES(GO)
+#undef GO
+_ -> impossible
+}
+#else
+reifyByte w k = case w of {
+#define GO(n) n -> k (Proxy :: Proxy CAT(T,n));
+BYTES(GO)
+#undef GO
+_ -> impossible
+}
+#endif
 
-predTwice :: p s -> Proxy (PredTwice s)
-predTwice _ = Proxy
+class Reified s where
+  type Reflected s
+  reflect :: p s -> Reflected s
 
-zero :: (Proxy Zero -> a) -> a
-zero k = k Proxy
+newtype Stable b0 b1 b2 b3 b4 b5 b6 b7 a =
+  Stable (Stable b0 b1 b2 b3 b4 b5 b6 b7 a)
 
-newtype Stable s a = Stable (Stable s a)
+stable :: p b0 -> p b1 -> p b2 -> p b3 -> p b4 -> p b5 -> p b6 -> p b7
+       -> Proxy (Stable b0 b1 b2 b3 b4 b5 b6 b7 a)
+stable _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ = Proxy
+{-# INLINE stable #-}
 
 stablePtrToIntPtr :: StablePtr a -> IntPtr
 stablePtrToIntPtr = ptrToIntPtr . castStablePtrToPtr
+{-# INLINE stablePtrToIntPtr #-}
 
 intPtrToStablePtr :: IntPtr -> StablePtr a
 intPtrToStablePtr = castPtrToStablePtr . intPtrToPtr
-
-class Reified s where
-  type Reflected s
-  reflect :: p s -> Reflected s
-
-stable :: p s -> Proxy (Stable s a)
-stable _ = Proxy
-
-unstable :: (p (Stable s a) -> a) -> Proxy s
-unstable _ = Proxy
+{-# INLINE intPtrToStablePtr #-}
 
-instance ReifiedNum s => Reified (Stable s a) where
-  type Reflected (Stable s a) = a
-  reflect = r where
-      r = unsafePerformIO $ pure <$> deRefStablePtr p <* freeStablePtr p
-      p = intPtrToStablePtr $ reflectNum $ unstable r
+instance (B b0, B b1, B b2, B b3, B b4, B b5, B b6, B b7)
+    => Reified (Stable b0 b1 b2 b3 b4 b5 b6 b7 a) where
+  type Reflected (Stable b0 b1 b2 b3 b4 b5 b6 b7 a) = a
+  reflect = unsafePerformIO $ const <$> deRefStablePtr p <* freeStablePtr p where
+    p = intPtrToStablePtr $
+      reflectByte (Proxy :: Proxy b0) .|.
+      (reflectByte (Proxy :: Proxy b1) `shiftL` 8) .|.
+      (reflectByte (Proxy :: Proxy b2) `shiftL` 16) .|.
+      (reflectByte (Proxy :: Proxy b3) `shiftL` 24) .|.
+      (reflectByte (Proxy :: Proxy b4) `shiftL` 32) .|.
+      (reflectByte (Proxy :: Proxy b5) `shiftL` 40) .|.
+      (reflectByte (Proxy :: Proxy b6) `shiftL` 48) .|.
+      (reflectByte (Proxy :: Proxy b7) `shiftL` 56)
   {-# NOINLINE reflect #-}
 
--- This had to be moved to the top level, due to an apparent bug in the ghc inliner introduced in ghc 7.0.x
+-- This had to be moved to the top level, due to an apparent bug in
+-- the ghc inliner introduced in ghc 7.0.x
 reflectBefore :: Reified s => (Proxy s -> b) -> proxy s -> b
-reflectBefore f = let b = f Proxy in b `seq` const b
+reflectBefore f = const $! f Proxy
 {-# NOINLINE reflectBefore #-}
 
 reify :: a -> (forall s. (Reified s, Reflected s ~ a) => Proxy s -> w) -> w
-reify a k = unsafePerformIO $ do
-    p <- newStablePtr a
-    reifyIntegral (stablePtrToIntPtr p) (reflectBefore (fmap return k) . stable)
-{-# NOINLINE reify #-}
+reify a k = unsafeDupablePerformIO $ do
+  p <- newStablePtr a
+  let n = stablePtrToIntPtr p
+  reifyByte (fromIntegral n) $ \s0 ->
+    reifyByte (fromIntegral (n `shiftR` 8)) $ \s1 ->
+      reifyByte (fromIntegral (n `shiftR` 16)) $ \s2 ->
+        reifyByte (fromIntegral (n `shiftR` 24)) $ \s3 ->
+          reifyByte (fromIntegral (n `shiftR` 32)) $ \s4 ->
+            reifyByte (fromIntegral (n `shiftR` 40)) $ \s5 ->
+              reifyByte (fromIntegral (n `shiftR` 48)) $ \s6 ->
+                reifyByte (fromIntegral (n `shiftR` 56)) $ \s7 ->
+                  reflectBefore (fmap return k) $
+                    stable s0 s1 s2 s3 s4 s5 s6 s7
diff --git a/README b/README
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+reflection
+==========
+
+This package provides an implementation of the ideas presented in the paper
+
+  Oleg Kiselyov and Chung-Chieh Shan, "Functional Pearl: Implicit Configurations"
+  <http://www.cs.rutgers.edu/~ccshan/prepose/prepose.pdf>
+
+However, the API has been modified to use @Rank2Types@ and @TypeFamilies@ and the
+implementation has been streamlined to improve performance.
diff --git a/examples/Benchmark.hs b/examples/Benchmark.hs
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/Benchmark.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+import Criterion.Main
+
+import qualified Data.Reflection as Old
+import qualified Data.NewReflection as New
+
+old :: [Int] -> [Int]
+old = map (\x -> Old.reify x Old.reflect)
+
+new :: [Int] -> [Int]
+new = map (\x -> New.reify x New.reflect)
+
+main :: IO ()
+main = defaultMain
+    [ bench "old" $ nf old [1..100000]
+    , bench "new" $ nf new [1..100000]
+    ]
diff --git a/reflection.cabal b/reflection.cabal
--- a/reflection.cabal
+++ b/reflection.cabal
@@ -1,33 +1,32 @@
 name:           reflection
-version:        0.8
+version:        0.9
 license:        BSD3
 license-file:   LICENSE
 author:         Edward A. Kmett, Oleg Kiselyov and Chung-chieh Shan
 maintainer:     Edward A. Kmett <ekmett@gmail.com>
 stability:      experimental
-homepage:       http://www.cs.rutgers.edu/~ccshan/prepose/prepose.pdf
+homepage:       http://github.com/ekmett/reflection
 category:       Data, Reflection, Dependent Types
 synopsis:       Functional Pearl: Implicit Configurations
-copyright:      2009 Edward A. Kmett, 2004 Oleg Kiselyov and Chung-chieh Shan
+copyright:      2009-2012 Edward A. Kmett,
+                2012 Elliott Hird,
+                2004 Oleg Kiselyov and Chung-chieh Shan
 build-type:     Simple
-cabal-version:  >= 1.6
+cabal-version:  >= 1.10
 description:
   This package provides an implementation of the ideas presented in the paper
-  "Functional Pearl: Implicit Configurations" by Oleg Kiselyov and
-  Chung-chieh Shan. However, the API has been modified to use @Rank2Types@ and
-  @TypeFamilies@
+  \"Functional Pearl: Implicit Configurations\" by Oleg Kiselyov and
+  Chung-chieh Shan. However, the API has been modified to use @Rank2Types@ and @TypeFamilies@ and
+  the implementation has been streamlined to improve performance.
   .
-  Usage reduces to using two combinators.
+  The original paper can be obtained from <http://www.cs.rutgers.edu/~ccshan/prepose/prepose.pdf>
   .
-  > reify :: a -> (forall s. (Reified s, Reflected s ~ a) => Proxy s -> w) -> w
-  > reflect :: Reified s => p s -> Reflected s
+  /Changes in 0.9/:
   .
-  > ghci> reify 6 (\p -> reflect p + reflect p) :: Int
-  > 12
+  * Faster internal implementation.
   .
-  The argument passed along by reify is just a @data Proxy t = Proxy@, so all of the
-  information needed to reconstruct your value has been moved to the type level.
-  This enables it to be used when constructing instances (See @examples/Monoid.hs@).
+  * Removed @ReifiedNum@, @reflectNum@, and @reifyIntegral@; @reify@ and @reflect@ are
+    considerably faster than the special case combinators were.
   .
   /Changes in 0.8/:
   .
@@ -72,14 +71,22 @@
     reduces the need for helper functions and scoped type variables in user
     code.
 
-extra-source-files: examples/Monoid.hs examples/Constraints.hs
+extra-source-files:
+  examples/Monoid.hs
+  examples/Constraints.hs
+  examples/Benchmark.hs
+  README
 
 source-repository head
   type: git
   location: git://github.com/ekmett/reflection.git
 
 library
-  other-extensions: Rank2Types, TypeFamilies
+  default-language: Haskell2010
+  default-extensions: CPP
+  other-extensions: Rank2Types, TypeFamilies, ScopedTypeVariables
+  if impl(ghc)
+    other-extensions: MagicHash
   build-depends:
     base >= 4 && < 5,
     tagged >= 0.2.3 && < 0.3
