diff --git a/libc/stdio/local.h b/libc/stdio/local.h
index 2fc12a0..a5eb636 100644
--- a/libc/stdio/local.h
+++ b/libc/stdio/local.h
@@ -290,17 +290,21 @@
 
 #define WCIO_GET(fp) (_EXT(fp) ? &(_EXT(fp)->_wcio) : (struct wchar_io_data*)0)
 
-#define _SET_ORIENTATION(fp, mode)                                 \
-  do {                                                             \
-    struct wchar_io_data* _wcio = WCIO_GET(fp);                    \
-    if (_wcio && _wcio->wcio_mode == 0) _wcio->wcio_mode = (mode); \
+#define ORIENT_BYTES (-1)
+#define ORIENT_UNKNOWN 0
+#define ORIENT_CHARS 1
+
+#define _SET_ORIENTATION(fp, mode)                                              \
+  do {                                                                          \
+    struct wchar_io_data* _wcio = WCIO_GET(fp);                                 \
+    if (_wcio && _wcio->wcio_mode == ORIENT_UNKNOWN) _wcio->wcio_mode = (mode); \
   } while (0)
 
 #define WCIO_FREE(fp)                           \
   do {                                          \
     struct wchar_io_data* _wcio = WCIO_GET(fp); \
     if (_wcio) {                                \
-      _wcio->wcio_mode = 0;                     \
+      _wcio->wcio_mode = ORIENT_UNKNOWN;        \
       _wcio->wcio_ungetwc_inbuf = 0;            \
     }                                           \
   } while (0)
diff --git a/libc/stdio/stdio.cpp b/libc/stdio/stdio.cpp
index 645aefa..f18cd81 100644
--- a/libc/stdio/stdio.cpp
+++ b/libc/stdio/stdio.cpp
@@ -773,7 +773,7 @@
 char* fgets_unlocked(char* buf, int n, FILE* fp) {
   if (n <= 0) __fortify_fatal("fgets: buffer size %d <= 0", n);
 
-  _SET_ORIENTATION(fp, -1);
+  _SET_ORIENTATION(fp, ORIENT_BYTES);
 
   char* s = buf;
   n--; // Leave space for NUL.
@@ -903,7 +903,7 @@
     errno = EBADF;
     return EOF;
   }
-  _SET_ORIENTATION(fp, -1);
+  _SET_ORIENTATION(fp, ORIENT_BYTES);
   if (--fp->_w >= 0 || (fp->_w >= fp->_lbfsize && c != '\n')) {
     return (*fp->_p++ = c);
   }
@@ -1098,7 +1098,7 @@
   size_t total = desired_total;
   if (total == 0) return 0;
 
-  _SET_ORIENTATION(fp, -1);
+  _SET_ORIENTATION(fp, ORIENT_BYTES);
 
   // TODO: how can this ever happen?!
   if (fp->_r < 0) fp->_r = 0;
@@ -1165,7 +1165,7 @@
   __siov iov = { .iov_base = const_cast<void*>(buf), .iov_len = n };
   __suio uio = { .uio_iov = &iov, .uio_iovcnt = 1, .uio_resid = n };
 
-  _SET_ORIENTATION(fp, -1);
+  _SET_ORIENTATION(fp, ORIENT_BYTES);
 
   // The usual case is success (__sfvwrite returns 0); skip the divide if this happens,
   // since divides are generally slow.
diff --git a/libc/stdio/vfprintf.cpp b/libc/stdio/vfprintf.cpp
index 54ca7a7..12cceeb 100644
--- a/libc/stdio/vfprintf.cpp
+++ b/libc/stdio/vfprintf.cpp
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@
 #define CHAR_TYPE_inf "inf"
 #define CHAR_TYPE_NAN "NAN"
 #define CHAR_TYPE_nan "nan"
-#define CHAR_TYPE_ORIENTATION -1
+#define CHAR_TYPE_ORIENTATION ORIENT_BYTES
 
 #define PRINT(ptr, len)                          \
   do {                                           \
@@ -361,14 +361,14 @@
         if (dtoaresult) __freedtoa(dtoaresult);
         if (flags & LONGDBL) {
           fparg.ldbl = GETARG(long double);
-          dtoaresult = cp = __hldtoa(fparg.ldbl, xdigs, prec, &expt, &signflag, &dtoaend);
+          dtoaresult = __hldtoa(fparg.ldbl, xdigs, prec, &expt, &signflag, &dtoaend);
           if (dtoaresult == nullptr) {
             errno = ENOMEM;
             goto error;
           }
         } else {
           fparg.dbl = GETARG(double);
-          dtoaresult = cp = __hdtoa(fparg.dbl, xdigs, prec, &expt, &signflag, &dtoaend);
+          dtoaresult = __hdtoa(fparg.dbl, xdigs, prec, &expt, &signflag, &dtoaend);
           if (dtoaresult == nullptr) {
             errno = ENOMEM;
             goto error;
@@ -398,14 +398,14 @@
         if (dtoaresult) __freedtoa(dtoaresult);
         if (flags & LONGDBL) {
           fparg.ldbl = GETARG(long double);
-          dtoaresult = cp = __ldtoa(&fparg.ldbl, expchar ? 2 : 3, prec, &expt, &signflag, &dtoaend);
+          dtoaresult = __ldtoa(&fparg.ldbl, expchar ? 2 : 3, prec, &expt, &signflag, &dtoaend);
           if (dtoaresult == nullptr) {
             errno = ENOMEM;
             goto error;
           }
         } else {
           fparg.dbl = GETARG(double);
-          dtoaresult = cp = __dtoa(fparg.dbl, expchar ? 2 : 3, prec, &expt, &signflag, &dtoaend);
+          dtoaresult = __dtoa(fparg.dbl, expchar ? 2 : 3, prec, &expt, &signflag, &dtoaend);
           if (dtoaresult == nullptr) {
             errno = ENOMEM;
             goto error;
@@ -413,6 +413,13 @@
           if (expt == 9999) expt = INT_MAX;
         }
       fp_common:
+#if CHAR_TYPE_ORIENTATION == ORIENT_BYTES
+        cp = dtoaresult;
+#else
+        free(convbuf);
+        cp = convbuf = helpers::mbsconv(dtoaresult, -1);
+        if (cp == nullptr) goto error;
+#endif
         if (signflag) sign = '-';
         if (expt == INT_MAX) { /* inf or nan */
           if (*cp == 'N') {
@@ -425,7 +432,7 @@
           break;
         }
         flags |= FPT;
-        ndig = dtoaend - cp;
+        ndig = dtoaend - dtoaresult;
         if (ch == 'g' || ch == 'G') {
           if (expt > -4 && expt <= prec) {
             /* Make %[gG] smell like %[fF] */
@@ -662,6 +669,7 @@
     } else { /* glue together f_p fragments */
       if (decimal_point == nullptr) decimal_point = nl_langinfo(RADIXCHAR);
       if (!expchar) { /* %[fF] or sufficiently short %[gG] */
+        CHAR_TYPE* end = cp + ndig;
         if (expt <= 0) {
           PRINT(zeroes, 1);
           if (prec || flags & ALT) PRINT(decimal_point, 1);
@@ -669,11 +677,11 @@
           /* already handled initial 0's */
           prec += expt;
         } else {
-          PRINTANDPAD(cp, dtoaend, lead, zeroes);
+          PRINTANDPAD(cp, end, lead, zeroes);
           cp += lead;
           if (prec || flags & ALT) PRINT(decimal_point, 1);
         }
-        PRINTANDPAD(cp, dtoaend, prec, zeroes);
+        PRINTANDPAD(cp, end, prec, zeroes);
       } else { /* %[eE] or sufficiently long %[gG] */
         if (prec > 1 || flags & ALT) {
           buf[0] = *cp++;
diff --git a/libc/stdio/vfscanf.cpp b/libc/stdio/vfscanf.cpp
index d05a3a6..dfd001d 100644
--- a/libc/stdio/vfscanf.cpp
+++ b/libc/stdio/vfscanf.cpp
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@
   void* allocation = nullptr; // Allocated but unassigned result for %mc/%ms/%m[.
   size_t capacity = 0; // Number of char/wchar_t units allocated in `allocation`.
 
-  _SET_ORIENTATION(fp, -1);
+  _SET_ORIENTATION(fp, ORIENT_BYTES);
 
   nassigned = 0;
   nread = 0;
diff --git a/libc/stdio/vfwprintf.cpp b/libc/stdio/vfwprintf.cpp
index 2f86b3c..d6f6a6b 100644
--- a/libc/stdio/vfwprintf.cpp
+++ b/libc/stdio/vfwprintf.cpp
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@
 #define CHAR_TYPE_inf L"inf"
 #define CHAR_TYPE_NAN L"NAN"
 #define CHAR_TYPE_nan L"nan"
-#define CHAR_TYPE_ORIENTATION 1
+#define CHAR_TYPE_ORIENTATION ORIENT_CHARS
 
 #define PRINT(ptr, len)                                          \
   do {                                                           \
@@ -355,10 +355,6 @@
         }
         if (prec < 0) prec = dtoaend - dtoaresult;
         if (expt == INT_MAX) ox[1] = '\0';
-        free(convbuf);
-        cp = convbuf = helpers::mbsconv(dtoaresult, -1);
-        if (cp == nullptr) goto error;
-        ndig = dtoaend - dtoaresult;
         goto fp_common;
       case 'e':
       case 'E':
@@ -395,11 +391,14 @@
           }
           if (expt == 9999) expt = INT_MAX;
         }
+      fp_common:
+#if CHAR_TYPE_ORIENTATION == ORIENT_BYTES
+        cp = dtoaresult;
+#else
         free(convbuf);
         cp = convbuf = helpers::mbsconv(dtoaresult, -1);
         if (cp == nullptr) goto error;
-        ndig = dtoaend - dtoaresult;
-      fp_common:
+#endif
         if (signflag) sign = '-';
         if (expt == INT_MAX) { /* inf or nan */
           if (*cp == 'N') {
@@ -412,6 +411,7 @@
           break;
         }
         flags |= FPT;
+        ndig = dtoaend - dtoaresult;
         if (ch == 'g' || ch == 'G') {
           if (expt > -4 && expt <= prec) {
             /* Make %[gG] smell like %[fF] */
@@ -652,6 +652,7 @@
     } else { /* glue together f_p fragments */
       if (decimal_point == nullptr) decimal_point = nl_langinfo(RADIXCHAR);
       if (!expchar) { /* %[fF] or sufficiently short %[gG] */
+        CHAR_TYPE* end = cp + ndig;
         if (expt <= 0) {
           PRINT(zeroes, 1);
           if (prec || flags & ALT) PRINT(decimal_point, 1);
@@ -659,11 +660,11 @@
           /* already handled initial 0's */
           prec += expt;
         } else {
-          PRINTANDPAD(cp, convbuf + ndig, lead, zeroes);
+          PRINTANDPAD(cp, end, lead, zeroes);
           cp += lead;
           if (prec || flags & ALT) PRINT(decimal_point, 1);
         }
-        PRINTANDPAD(cp, convbuf + ndig, prec, zeroes);
+        PRINTANDPAD(cp, end, prec, zeroes);
       } else { /* %[eE] or sufficiently long %[gG] */
         if (prec > 1 || flags & ALT) {
           buf[0] = *cp++;
diff --git a/libc/stdio/vfwscanf.cpp b/libc/stdio/vfwscanf.cpp
index 06f706a..5f21acd 100644
--- a/libc/stdio/vfwscanf.cpp
+++ b/libc/stdio/vfwscanf.cpp
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@
   char mbbuf[MB_LEN_MAX]; /* temporary mb. character buffer */
   mbstate_t mbs;
 
-  _SET_ORIENTATION(fp, 1);
+  _SET_ORIENTATION(fp, ORIENT_CHARS);
 
   nassigned = 0;
   nconversions = 0;