diff --git a/flate/_gen/gen_inflate.go b/flate/_gen/gen_inflate.go
index 64ff1aad4c..33f1400576 100644
--- a/flate/_gen/gen_inflate.go
+++ b/flate/_gen/gen_inflate.go
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ readLiteral:
 			dict.writeByte(byte(v))
 			if dict.availWrite() == 0 {
 				f.toRead = dict.readFlush()
-				f.step = (*decompressor).$FUNCNAME$
+				f.step = $FUNCNAME$
 				f.stepState = stateInit
 				f.b, f.nb = fb, fnb
 				return
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ copyHistory:
 
 		if dict.availWrite() == 0 || f.copyLen > 0 {
 			f.toRead = dict.readFlush()
-			f.step = (*decompressor).$FUNCNAME$ // We need to continue this work
+			f.step = $FUNCNAME$ // We need to continue this work
 			f.stepState = stateDict
 			f.b, f.nb = fb, fnb
 			return
@@ -291,13 +291,13 @@ copyHistory:
 		s = strings.Replace(s, "$TYPE$", t, -1)
 		f.WriteString(s)
 	}
-	f.WriteString("func (f *decompressor) huffmanBlockDecoder() func() {\n")
+	f.WriteString("func (f *decompressor) huffmanBlockDecoder() {\n")
 	f.WriteString("\tswitch f.r.(type) {\n")
 	for i, t := range types {
 		f.WriteString("\t\tcase " + t + ":\n")
-		f.WriteString("\t\t\treturn f.huffman" + names[i] + "\n")
+		f.WriteString("\t\t\tf.huffman" + names[i] + "()\n")
 	}
 	f.WriteString("\t\tdefault:\n")
-	f.WriteString("\t\t\treturn f.huffmanGenericReader\n")
+	f.WriteString("\t\t\tf.huffmanGenericReader()\n")
 	f.WriteString("\t}\n}\n")
 }
diff --git a/flate/inflate.go b/flate/inflate.go
index 414c0bea9f..2f410d64f5 100644
--- a/flate/inflate.go
+++ b/flate/inflate.go
@@ -120,8 +120,9 @@ func (h *huffmanDecoder) init(lengths []int) bool {
 	const sanity = false
 
 	if h.chunks == nil {
-		h.chunks = &[huffmanNumChunks]uint16{}
+		h.chunks = new([huffmanNumChunks]uint16)
 	}
+
 	if h.maxRead != 0 {
 		*h = huffmanDecoder{chunks: h.chunks, links: h.links}
 	}
@@ -175,6 +176,7 @@ func (h *huffmanDecoder) init(lengths []int) bool {
 	}
 
 	h.maxRead = min
+
 	chunks := h.chunks[:]
 	for i := range chunks {
 		chunks[i] = 0
@@ -202,8 +204,7 @@ func (h *huffmanDecoder) init(lengths []int) bool {
 			if cap(h.links[off]) < numLinks {
 				h.links[off] = make([]uint16, numLinks)
 			} else {
-				links := h.links[off][:0]
-				h.links[off] = links[:numLinks]
+				h.links[off] = h.links[off][:numLinks]
 			}
 		}
 	} else {
@@ -277,7 +278,7 @@ func (h *huffmanDecoder) init(lengths []int) bool {
 	return true
 }
 
-// The actual read interface needed by NewReader.
+// Reader is the actual read interface needed by NewReader.
 // If the passed in io.Reader does not also have ReadByte,
 // the NewReader will introduce its own buffering.
 type Reader interface {
@@ -285,6 +286,18 @@ type Reader interface {
 	io.ByteReader
 }
 
+type step uint8
+
+const (
+	copyData step = iota + 1
+	nextBlock
+	huffmanBytesBuffer
+	huffmanBytesReader
+	huffmanBufioReader
+	huffmanStringsReader
+	huffmanGenericReader
+)
+
 // Decompress state.
 type decompressor struct {
 	// Input source.
@@ -303,7 +316,7 @@ type decompressor struct {
 
 	// Next step in the decompression,
 	// and decompression state.
-	step      func(*decompressor)
+	step      step
 	stepState int
 	err       error
 	toRead    []byte
@@ -342,7 +355,7 @@ func (f *decompressor) nextBlock() {
 		// compressed, fixed Huffman tables
 		f.hl = &fixedHuffmanDecoder
 		f.hd = nil
-		f.huffmanBlockDecoder()()
+		f.huffmanBlockDecoder()
 		if debugDecode {
 			fmt.Println("predefinied huffman block")
 		}
@@ -353,7 +366,7 @@ func (f *decompressor) nextBlock() {
 		}
 		f.hl = &f.h1
 		f.hd = &f.h2
-		f.huffmanBlockDecoder()()
+		f.huffmanBlockDecoder()
 		if debugDecode {
 			fmt.Println("dynamic huffman block")
 		}
@@ -379,14 +392,16 @@ func (f *decompressor) Read(b []byte) (int, error) {
 		if f.err != nil {
 			return 0, f.err
 		}
-		f.step(f)
+
+		f.doStep()
+
 		if f.err != nil && len(f.toRead) == 0 {
 			f.toRead = f.dict.readFlush() // Flush what's left in case of error
 		}
 	}
 }
 
-// Support the io.WriteTo interface for io.Copy and friends.
+// WriteTo implements the io.WriteTo interface for io.Copy and friends.
 func (f *decompressor) WriteTo(w io.Writer) (int64, error) {
 	total := int64(0)
 	flushed := false
@@ -410,7 +425,7 @@ func (f *decompressor) WriteTo(w io.Writer) (int64, error) {
 			return total, f.err
 		}
 		if f.err == nil {
-			f.step(f)
+			f.doStep()
 		}
 		if len(f.toRead) == 0 && f.err != nil && !flushed {
 			f.toRead = f.dict.readFlush() // Flush what's left in case of error
@@ -631,7 +646,7 @@ func (f *decompressor) copyData() {
 
 	if f.dict.availWrite() == 0 || f.copyLen > 0 {
 		f.toRead = f.dict.readFlush()
-		f.step = (*decompressor).copyData
+		f.step = copyData
 		return
 	}
 	f.finishBlock()
@@ -644,7 +659,28 @@ func (f *decompressor) finishBlock() {
 		}
 		f.err = io.EOF
 	}
-	f.step = (*decompressor).nextBlock
+	f.step = nextBlock
+}
+
+func (f *decompressor) doStep() {
+	switch f.step {
+	case copyData:
+		f.copyData()
+	case nextBlock:
+		f.nextBlock()
+	case huffmanBytesBuffer:
+		f.huffmanBytesBuffer()
+	case huffmanBytesReader:
+		f.huffmanBytesReader()
+	case huffmanBufioReader:
+		f.huffmanBufioReader()
+	case huffmanStringsReader:
+		f.huffmanStringsReader()
+	case huffmanGenericReader:
+		f.huffmanGenericReader()
+	default:
+		panic("BUG: unexpected step state")
+	}
 }
 
 // noEOF returns err, unless err == io.EOF, in which case it returns io.ErrUnexpectedEOF.
@@ -747,7 +783,7 @@ func (f *decompressor) Reset(r io.Reader, dict []byte) error {
 		h1:       f.h1,
 		h2:       f.h2,
 		dict:     f.dict,
-		step:     (*decompressor).nextBlock,
+		step:     nextBlock,
 	}
 	f.dict.init(maxMatchOffset, dict)
 	return nil
@@ -768,7 +804,7 @@ func NewReader(r io.Reader) io.ReadCloser {
 	f.r = makeReader(r)
 	f.bits = new([maxNumLit + maxNumDist]int)
 	f.codebits = new([numCodes]int)
-	f.step = (*decompressor).nextBlock
+	f.step = nextBlock
 	f.dict.init(maxMatchOffset, nil)
 	return &f
 }
@@ -787,7 +823,7 @@ func NewReaderDict(r io.Reader, dict []byte) io.ReadCloser {
 	f.r = makeReader(r)
 	f.bits = new([maxNumLit + maxNumDist]int)
 	f.codebits = new([numCodes]int)
-	f.step = (*decompressor).nextBlock
+	f.step = nextBlock
 	f.dict.init(maxMatchOffset, dict)
 	return &f
 }
diff --git a/flate/inflate_gen.go b/flate/inflate_gen.go
index 61342b6b88..2b2f993f75 100644
--- a/flate/inflate_gen.go
+++ b/flate/inflate_gen.go
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ readLiteral:
 			dict.writeByte(byte(v))
 			if dict.availWrite() == 0 {
 				f.toRead = dict.readFlush()
-				f.step = (*decompressor).huffmanBytesBuffer
+				f.step = huffmanBytesBuffer
 				f.stepState = stateInit
 				f.b, f.nb = fb, fnb
 				return
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ copyHistory:
 
 		if dict.availWrite() == 0 || f.copyLen > 0 {
 			f.toRead = dict.readFlush()
-			f.step = (*decompressor).huffmanBytesBuffer // We need to continue this work
+			f.step = huffmanBytesBuffer // We need to continue this work
 			f.stepState = stateDict
 			f.b, f.nb = fb, fnb
 			return
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ readLiteral:
 			dict.writeByte(byte(v))
 			if dict.availWrite() == 0 {
 				f.toRead = dict.readFlush()
-				f.step = (*decompressor).huffmanBytesReader
+				f.step = huffmanBytesReader
 				f.stepState = stateInit
 				f.b, f.nb = fb, fnb
 				return
@@ -502,7 +502,7 @@ copyHistory:
 
 		if dict.availWrite() == 0 || f.copyLen > 0 {
 			f.toRead = dict.readFlush()
-			f.step = (*decompressor).huffmanBytesReader // We need to continue this work
+			f.step = huffmanBytesReader // We need to continue this work
 			f.stepState = stateDict
 			f.b, f.nb = fb, fnb
 			return
@@ -587,7 +587,7 @@ readLiteral:
 			dict.writeByte(byte(v))
 			if dict.availWrite() == 0 {
 				f.toRead = dict.readFlush()
-				f.step = (*decompressor).huffmanBufioReader
+				f.step = huffmanBufioReader
 				f.stepState = stateInit
 				f.b, f.nb = fb, fnb
 				return
@@ -753,7 +753,7 @@ copyHistory:
 
 		if dict.availWrite() == 0 || f.copyLen > 0 {
 			f.toRead = dict.readFlush()
-			f.step = (*decompressor).huffmanBufioReader // We need to continue this work
+			f.step = huffmanBufioReader // We need to continue this work
 			f.stepState = stateDict
 			f.b, f.nb = fb, fnb
 			return
@@ -838,7 +838,7 @@ readLiteral:
 			dict.writeByte(byte(v))
 			if dict.availWrite() == 0 {
 				f.toRead = dict.readFlush()
-				f.step = (*decompressor).huffmanStringsReader
+				f.step = huffmanStringsReader
 				f.stepState = stateInit
 				f.b, f.nb = fb, fnb
 				return
@@ -1004,7 +1004,7 @@ copyHistory:
 
 		if dict.availWrite() == 0 || f.copyLen > 0 {
 			f.toRead = dict.readFlush()
-			f.step = (*decompressor).huffmanStringsReader // We need to continue this work
+			f.step = huffmanStringsReader // We need to continue this work
 			f.stepState = stateDict
 			f.b, f.nb = fb, fnb
 			return
@@ -1089,7 +1089,7 @@ readLiteral:
 			dict.writeByte(byte(v))
 			if dict.availWrite() == 0 {
 				f.toRead = dict.readFlush()
-				f.step = (*decompressor).huffmanGenericReader
+				f.step = huffmanGenericReader
 				f.stepState = stateInit
 				f.b, f.nb = fb, fnb
 				return
@@ -1255,7 +1255,7 @@ copyHistory:
 
 		if dict.availWrite() == 0 || f.copyLen > 0 {
 			f.toRead = dict.readFlush()
-			f.step = (*decompressor).huffmanGenericReader // We need to continue this work
+			f.step = huffmanGenericReader // We need to continue this work
 			f.stepState = stateDict
 			f.b, f.nb = fb, fnb
 			return
@@ -1265,19 +1265,19 @@ copyHistory:
 	// Not reached
 }
 
-func (f *decompressor) huffmanBlockDecoder() func() {
+func (f *decompressor) huffmanBlockDecoder() {
 	switch f.r.(type) {
 	case *bytes.Buffer:
-		return f.huffmanBytesBuffer
+		f.huffmanBytesBuffer()
 	case *bytes.Reader:
-		return f.huffmanBytesReader
+		f.huffmanBytesReader()
 	case *bufio.Reader:
-		return f.huffmanBufioReader
+		f.huffmanBufioReader()
 	case *strings.Reader:
-		return f.huffmanStringsReader
+		f.huffmanStringsReader()
 	case Reader:
-		return f.huffmanGenericReader
+		f.huffmanGenericReader()
 	default:
-		return f.huffmanGenericReader
+		f.huffmanGenericReader()
 	}
 }
diff --git a/flate/reader_test.go b/flate/reader_test.go
index 37e9b912fe..6eedfb9b77 100644
--- a/flate/reader_test.go
+++ b/flate/reader_test.go
@@ -64,13 +64,14 @@ func benchmarkDecode(b *testing.B, testfile, level, n int) {
 	w.Close()
 	buf1 := compressed.Bytes()
 	buf0, compressed, w = nil, nil, nil
-	runtime.GC()
-	b.StartTimer()
 	r := NewReader(bytes.NewReader(buf1))
 	res := r.(Resetter)
+	runtime.GC()
+	b.StartTimer()
+
 	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
-		res.Reset(bytes.NewReader(buf1), nil)
-		io.Copy(io.Discard, r)
+		_ = res.Reset(bytes.NewReader(buf1), nil)
+		_, _ = io.Copy(io.Discard, r)
 	}
 }