--- parrot-svn/src/packfile/pf_items.c	Tue Mar 10 08:05:04 2009
+++ parrot-andy/src/packfile/pf_items.c	Tue Mar 10 11:55:04 2009
@@ -1370,16 +1370,13 @@
         size_t i;
         mem_sys_memcopy(charcursor, s->strstart, s->bufused);
         charcursor += s->bufused;
-
-        if (s->bufused % sizeof (opcode_t)) {
-            for (i = 0; i < (sizeof (opcode_t) -
-                        (s->bufused % sizeof (opcode_t))); i++) {
-                *charcursor++ = 0;
-            }
+        /* Pad up to sizeof(opcode_t) boundary. */
+        while ( (unsigned long) (charcursor - (char *) cursor) % sizeof(opcode_t)) {
+            *charcursor++ = 0;
         }
     }
-    PARROT_ASSERT(((long)charcursor & 3) == 0);
-    cursor = (opcode_t *)charcursor;
+    PARROT_ASSERT(((unsigned long) (charcursor - (char *) cursor) % sizeof(opcode_t)) == 0);
+    cursor += (charcursor - (char *) cursor) / sizeof(opcode_t);
 
     return cursor;
 }