diff --git a/zokrates_codegen/src/lib.rs b/zokrates_codegen/src/lib.rs
index 18335932e..de86a66a7 100644
--- a/zokrates_codegen/src/lib.rs
+++ b/zokrates_codegen/src/lib.rs
@@ -2020,49 +2020,31 @@ impl<'ast, T: Field> Flattener<'ast, T> {
 
             let from = std::cmp::max(from, to);
             let res = match self.bits_cache.entry(e.field.clone().unwrap()) {
-                Entry::Occupied(mut entry) => {
-                    let res: Vec<_> = entry.get().clone();
+                Entry::Occupied(entry) => {
+                    let mut res: Vec<_> = entry.get().clone();
 
-                    if res.len() > to {
-                        // if the result is bigger than `to`, we zero check the sum of higher bits up to `to`
-                        let bit_sum = res[..res.len() - to]
-                            .iter()
-                            .cloned()
-                            .fold(FlatExpression::from(T::zero()), |acc, e| {
-                                FlatExpression::add(acc, e)
-                            });
-
-                        // sum check
-                        statements_flattened.push_back(FlatStatement::condition(
-                            FlatExpression::value(T::from(0)),
-                            bit_sum,
-                            error,
-                        ));
-
-                        // truncate to the `to` lowest bits
-                        let bits = res[res.len() - to..].to_vec();
-                        assert_eq!(bits.len(), to);
-
-                        // update the entry
-                        entry.insert(
-                            (0..res.len() - to)
-                                .map(|_| FlatExpression::value(T::zero()))
-                                .chain(bits.clone())
-                                .collect(),
-                        );
+                    // only keep the last `to` values and return the sum of the others
+                    let sum = res
+                        .drain(0..res.len().saturating_sub(to))
+                        .fold(FlatExpression::from(T::zero()), |acc, e| {
+                            FlatExpression::add(acc, e)
+                        });
 
-                        return bits;
-                    }
+                    // force the sum to be 0
+                    statements_flattened.push_back(FlatStatement::condition(
+                        FlatExpression::value(T::from(0)),
+                        sum,
+                        error,
+                    ));
 
-                    // if result is smaller than `to` we pad it with zeroes on the left (big endian) to return `to` bits
-                    if res.len() < to {
-                        return (0..to - res.len())
-                            .map(|_| FlatExpression::value(T::zero()))
-                            .chain(res)
-                            .collect();
-                    }
+                    // sanity check that we have at most `to` values
+                    assert!(res.len() <= to);
 
-                    res
+                    // return the result left-padded to `to` values
+                    std::iter::repeat(FlatExpression::value(T::zero()))
+                        .take(to - res.len())
+                        .chain(res.clone())
+                        .collect()
                 }
                 Entry::Vacant(_) => {
                     let bits = (0..from).map(|_| self.use_sym()).collect::<Vec<_>>();
@@ -2700,7 +2682,7 @@ impl<'ast, T: Field> Flattener<'ast, T> {
                                 c.value,
                                 error.into(),
                             ),
-                            // c < e <=> 2^bw - 1 - e < 2^bw - 1 - c
+                            // c <= e <=> 2^bw - 1 - e <= 2^bw - 1 - c
                             (FlatExpression::Value(c), e) => {
                                 let max = T::from(2u32).pow(bitwidth) - T::one();
                                 self.enforce_constant_le_check(