diff --git a/coding_test.go b/coding_test.go
index 8961acc..f4196fe 100644
--- a/coding_test.go
+++ b/coding_test.go
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import (
 
 func TestSimple(t *testing.T) {
 	msg := []byte("this is a test. this is only a test.")
-	encoded := coding.Encode(seeds.ChatHeap(), msg)
+	encoded := coding.Encode(seeds.ChatState(), msg)
 	t.Logf("orig=%d encoded=%d", len(msg), len(encoded))
 }
 
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ func TestSMS(t *testing.T) {
 
 	for s.Scan() {
 		msg := s.Bytes()
-		e := coding.Encode(seeds.ChatHeap(), msg)
+		e := coding.Encode(seeds.ChatState(), msg)
 		orig += len(msg)
 		encoded += len(e)
 	}
diff --git a/encode.go b/encode.go
index 4136a8a..99d12a6 100644
--- a/encode.go
+++ b/encode.go
@@ -6,15 +6,15 @@ import (
 	"github.com/icza/bitio"
 	"github.com/samber/lo"
 	"github.com/securemesh/coding/codes"
-	"github.com/securemesh/coding/heap"
+	"github.com/securemesh/coding/state"
 )
 
-func Encode(h *heap.Heap, msg []byte) []byte {
+func Encode(st *state.State, msg []byte) []byte {
 	buf := &bytes.Buffer{}
 	w := bitio.NewWriter(buf)
 
 	for _, b := range msg {
-		index := h.IncrementSymbol(b)
+		index := st.IncrementSymbol(b)
 		code := codes.CodeForIndex(index)
 		lo.Must0(w.WriteBits(uint64(code.Value), uint8(code.Bits)))
 	}
diff --git a/genseed/genseed.go b/genseed/genseed.go
index 772ea12..2c74acd 100644
--- a/genseed/genseed.go
+++ b/genseed/genseed.go
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/samber/lo"
 	"github.com/securemesh/coding"
-	"github.com/securemesh/coding/heap"
+	"github.com/securemesh/coding/state"
 	"github.com/securemesh/coding/seeds"
 )
 
@@ -18,56 +18,66 @@ func main() {
 		return len(sample)
 	}))
 
-	def := heap.NewHeap()
+	def := state.NewState()
 	log.Printf("def=%d [%s]", totalLength(def, samples), def)
 
-	chat := seeds.ChatHeap()
+	chat := seeds.ChatState()
 	log.Printf("chat=%d [%s]", totalLength(chat, samples), chat)
 
-	opt := optimize(heap.NewHeap(), samples)
+	chatOpt := optimize(chat, samples)
+	if chatOpt == nil {
+		log.Printf("\toptimal from further additions")
+	} else {
+		log.Printf("\tnot optimal [%s]", chatOpt)
+	}
+
+	opt := optimize(state.NewState(), samples)
 	log.Printf("opt=%d [%s]", totalLength(opt, samples), opt)
 }
 
-func optimize(h *heap.Heap, samples [][]byte) *heap.Heap {
+func optimize(st *state.State, samples [][]byte) *state.State {
+	var best *state.State
+
 	for true {
-		better := optimize2(h, samples)
+		better := optimize2(st, samples)
 		if better == nil {
-			return h
+			return best
 		}
-		h = better
-		log.Printf("\titer=%d [%s]", totalLength(h, samples), h)
+		best = better
+		st = better
+		log.Printf("\titer=%d [%s]", totalLength(st, samples), st)
 	}
 
-	return h
+	return st
 }
 
 type sampleResult struct {
-	heap *heap.Heap
+	state *state.State
 	score int
 }
 
-func optimize2(baseHeap *heap.Heap, samples [][]byte) *heap.Heap {
+func optimize2(baseState *state.State, samples [][]byte) *state.State {
 	ch := make(chan sampleResult, 100)
 
 	for i := 0; i < 256; i++ {
 		s := byte(i)
 		go func () {
-			h := baseHeap.Clone()
-			h.IncrementSymbol(s)
+			st := baseState.Clone()
+			st.IncrementSymbol(s)
 			ch <- sampleResult{
-				heap: h,
-				score: totalLength(h, samples),
+				state: st,
+				score: totalLength(st, samples),
 			}
 		}()
 	}
 
-	var best *heap.Heap = nil
-	bestScore := totalLength(baseHeap, samples)
+	var best *state.State = nil
+	bestScore := totalLength(baseState, samples)
 
 	for i := 0; i < 256; i++ {
 		res := <-ch
 		if res.score < bestScore {
-			best = res.heap
+			best = res.state
 			bestScore = res.score
 		}
 	}
@@ -75,9 +85,9 @@ func optimize2(baseHeap *heap.Heap, samples [][]byte) *heap.Heap {
 	return best
 }
 
-func totalLength(heap *heap.Heap, samples [][]byte) int {
+func totalLength(st *state.State, samples [][]byte) int {
 	return lo.SumBy(samples, func(sample []byte) int {
-		return len(coding.Encode(heap.Clone(), sample))
+		return len(coding.Encode(st.Clone(), sample))
 	})
 }
 
diff --git a/heap/heap.go b/heap/heap.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 79deb3d..0000000
--- a/heap/heap.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,86 +0,0 @@
-package heap
-
-import (
-	"fmt"
-	"maps"
-	"slices"
-	"strings"
-)
-
-type node struct {
-	symbol byte
-	count  int
-}
-
-type Heap struct {
-	nodes    [256]node
-	bySymbol map[byte]int
-}
-
-func NewHeap() *Heap {
-	h := &Heap{
-		bySymbol: map[byte]int{},
-	}
-
-	for i := 0; i < 256; i++ {
-		h.nodes[i].symbol = byte(i)
-		h.bySymbol[byte(i)] = i
-	}
-
-	return h
-}
-
-func (h Heap) Clone() *Heap {
-	return &Heap{
-		nodes:    h.nodes,
-		bySymbol: maps.Clone(h.bySymbol),
-	}
-}
-
-func (h *Heap) IncrementSymbol(symbol byte) int {
-	nodeIndex := h.bySymbol[symbol]
-	h.nodes[nodeIndex].count++
-
-	iterIndex := nodeIndex
-	for iterIndex != 0 {
-		parentIndex := h.parentIndex(iterIndex)
-
-		if h.nodes[iterIndex].count < h.nodes[parentIndex].count || (h.nodes[iterIndex].count == h.nodes[parentIndex].count && h.nodes[iterIndex].symbol > h.nodes[parentIndex].symbol) {
-			break
-		}
-
-		h.nodes[iterIndex], h.nodes[parentIndex] = h.nodes[parentIndex], h.nodes[iterIndex]
-		h.bySymbol[h.nodes[iterIndex].symbol] = iterIndex
-		h.bySymbol[h.nodes[parentIndex].symbol] = parentIndex
-		iterIndex = parentIndex
-	}
-
-	return nodeIndex
-}
-
-func (h Heap) String() string {
-	nodes := []node{}
-
-	for _, node := range h.nodes {
-		if node.count == 0 {
-			continue
-		}
-
-		nodes = append(nodes, node)
-	}
-
-	slices.SortStableFunc(nodes, func(a, b node) int { return int(a.symbol) - int(b.symbol) })
-	slices.SortStableFunc(nodes, func(a, b node) int { return a.count - b.count })
-
-	strs := []string{}
-
-	for _, node := range nodes {
-		strs = append(strs, fmt.Sprintf("{%#U}=%d", node.symbol, node.count))
-	}
-
-	return strings.Join(strs, ", ")
-}
-
-func (h Heap) parentIndex(nodeIndex int) int {
-	return (nodeIndex - 1) / 2
-}
diff --git a/seeds/seeds.go b/seeds/seeds.go
index 01c1b84..e5dd082 100644
--- a/seeds/seeds.go
+++ b/seeds/seeds.go
@@ -1,41 +1,39 @@
 package seeds
 
 import (
-	"github.com/securemesh/coding/heap"
+	"github.com/securemesh/coding/state"
 )
 
-var chatHeap = newHeapFromSeed([][]byte{
-	/* 01 */ []byte("\x07'(,-8?ACDFHJLMNPRSTUWYbcfgjkpxzê"),
-	/* 02 */ []byte("\n.dvw"),
-	/* 03 */ []byte("Ihlmor"),
-	/* 04 */ []byte("nu"),
-	/* 05 */ []byte("ey"),
-	/* 06 */ []byte("i"),
-	/* 07 */ []byte("s"),
-	/* 08 */ []byte(""),
+var chatState = newStateFromSeed([][]byte{
+	/* 01 */ []byte("',.0:?CIbgjkpvxz\xea"),
+	/* 02 */ []byte("\nfw"),
+	/* 03 */ []byte("cdmuy"),
+	/* 04 */ []byte("l"),
+	/* 05 */ []byte("r"),
+	/* 06 */ []byte("t"),
+	/* 07 */ []byte("ahos"),
+	/* 08 */ []byte("in"),
 	/* 09 */ []byte(""),
 	/* 10 */ []byte(""),
-	/* 11 */ []byte("at"),
+	/* 11 */ []byte(" "),
 	/* 12 */ []byte(""),
-	/* 13 */ []byte(""),
-	/* 14 */ []byte(""),
-	/* 15 */ []byte(" "),
+	/* 13 */ []byte("e"),
 })
 
-func ChatHeap() *heap.Heap {
-	return chatHeap.Clone()
+func ChatState() *state.State {
+	return chatState.Clone()
 }
 
-func newHeapFromSeed(seed [][]byte) *heap.Heap {
-	h := heap.NewHeap()
+func newStateFromSeed(seed [][]byte) *state.State {
+	st := state.NewState()
 
 	for i := range seed {
 		for _, s := range seed[i:] {
 			for _, b := range s {
-				h.IncrementSymbol(b)
+				st.IncrementSymbol(b)
 			}
 		}
 	}
 
-	return h
+	return st
 }
diff --git a/state/state.go b/state/state.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4e92eb6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/state/state.go
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+package state
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"maps"
+	"strings"
+)
+
+type node struct {
+	symbol byte
+	count  int
+}
+
+type State struct {
+	nodes    []*node
+	bySymbol map[byte]int
+}
+
+func NewState() *State {
+	st := &State{
+		bySymbol: map[byte]int{},
+	}
+
+	for i := 0; i < 256; i++ {
+		st.nodes = append(st.nodes, &node{
+			symbol: byte(i),
+		})
+
+		st.bySymbol[byte(i)] = i
+	}
+
+	return st
+}
+
+func (st State) Clone() *State {
+	st2 := &State{
+		bySymbol: maps.Clone(st.bySymbol),
+	}
+
+	for _, node := range st.nodes {
+		tmp := *node
+		st2.nodes = append(st2.nodes, &tmp)
+	}
+
+	return st2
+}
+
+// Returns old index
+func (st *State) IncrementSymbol(symbol byte) int {
+	nodeIndex := st.bySymbol[symbol]
+	st.nodes[nodeIndex].count++
+
+	for iterIndex := nodeIndex; iterIndex > 0; iterIndex-- {
+		prevIndex := iterIndex - 1
+		iterNode := st.nodes[iterIndex]
+		prevNode := st.nodes[prevIndex]
+
+		if prevNode.count > iterNode.count {
+			break
+		} else if prevNode.count == iterNode.count && prevNode.symbol < iterNode.symbol {
+			break
+		}
+
+		st.nodes[iterIndex] = prevNode
+		st.bySymbol[prevNode.symbol] = iterIndex
+
+		st.nodes[prevIndex] = iterNode
+		st.bySymbol[iterNode.symbol] = prevIndex
+	}
+
+	return nodeIndex
+}
+
+func (st State) String() string {
+	strs := []string{}
+
+	for _, node := range st.nodes {
+		if node.count == 0 {
+			break
+		}
+
+		strs = append(strs, fmt.Sprintf("{%#U}=%d", node.symbol, node.count))
+	}
+
+	return strings.Join(strs, ", ")
+}