diff --git a/apps/lib/parse.asm b/apps/lib/parse.asm
index bf59f4e..c129dd5 100644
--- a/apps/lib/parse.asm
+++ b/apps/lib/parse.asm
@@ -17,29 +17,32 @@
 ; same conditions as parseLiteral.
 ; Sets Z on success, unset on error.
 
-; 55 bytes, 32 cycles in first loop
-; 90 cycles overhead + up to 69 cycles if length >= 5
-; 140 cycles in loop
+; 55 bytes
+; 107 cycles overhead + up to 45 cycles if length >= 5
+; 136 cycles in loop
+; first digit is skipped in overhead
 parseDecimal:
 	push 	hl
 
-.skip:	; Skips leading zeroes
-	ld	a, (hl)
-	inc	hl
-	cp	'0'
-	jr	z, .skip
-
+	ld 	a, (hl)
+	add	a, 0xc6	; converts '0'-'9' to 0-9
+	sub	0xf6	; carries if out of range
 	exx		; preserve bc, hl, de
-	ld	hl, 0
-	ld	b, 5	; Carries can only occur for decimals >=5 in length
-	jr	.start
+	ld	h, 0
+	ld	l, a	; load first digit in without multiplying
+	ld	b, 4	; Carries can only occur for decimals >=5 in length
+	jr	c, .error
 
 .loop:
-	ld	c, a		; c holds current digit
-	exx	;swap hl back in to get address
-	ld	a, (hl)	; a checks if following digit is null at end of loop
-	inc	hl
 	exx
+	inc hl
+	ld a, (hl)
+	exx
+
+	add	a, 0xc6	; converts '0'-'9' to 0-9
+	sub	0xf6	; carries if out of range
+	jr	c, .error
+	
 	add	hl, hl	; x2
 	ld	d, h
 	ld	e, l		; de is x2
@@ -47,16 +50,9 @@ parseDecimal:
 	add	hl, hl	; x8
 	add	hl, de	; x10
 	ld	d, 0
-	ld	e, c
+	ld	e, a
 	add	hl, de
 	jr	c, .error	; if hl was 0x1999, it may carry here
-	; This check could be taken outside the loop, but at the cost of 6 bytes
-
-.start:
-	add	a, 0xc6	; converts '0'-'9' to 0-9
-	sub	0xf6	; carries if out of range
-	jr	c, .error
-
 	djnz	.loop
 
 
@@ -71,8 +67,7 @@ parseDecimal:
 	sub 	0xd0	; if a is null, set Z
 			; a is checked for null before any errors
 .end:
-	push	hl
-	pop	ix
+	push	hl \ pop ix
 	exx	; restore original de and bc
 	pop	hl	
 	ret