diff --git a/src/crypto/asm/cn_main_loop.S b/src/crypto/asm/cn_main_loop.S
index 1e5610d1..1d52f206 100644
--- a/src/crypto/asm/cn_main_loop.S
+++ b/src/crypto/asm/cn_main_loop.S
@@ -23,10 +23,7 @@ FN_PREFIX(cnv2_mainloop_ivybridge_asm):
 	#include "cn2/cnv2_main_loop_ivybridge.inc"
 	add rsp, 48
 	ret 0
-	nop
-	nop
-	nop
-	nop
+	mov eax, 0xDEADC0DE
 
 ALIGN(64)
 FN_PREFIX(cnv2_mainloop_ryzen_asm):
@@ -35,10 +32,7 @@ FN_PREFIX(cnv2_mainloop_ryzen_asm):
 	#include "cn2/cnv2_main_loop_ryzen.inc"
 	add rsp, 48
 	ret 0
-	nop
-	nop
-	nop
-	nop
+	mov eax, 0xDEADC0DE
 
 ALIGN(64)
 FN_PREFIX(cnv2_mainloop_bulldozer_asm):
@@ -47,10 +41,7 @@ FN_PREFIX(cnv2_mainloop_bulldozer_asm):
 	#include "cn2/cnv2_main_loop_bulldozer.inc"
 	add rsp, 48
 	ret 0
-	nop
-	nop
-	nop
-	nop
+	mov eax, 0xDEADC0DE
 
 ALIGN(64)
 FN_PREFIX(cnv2_double_mainloop_sandybridge_asm):
@@ -60,7 +51,4 @@ FN_PREFIX(cnv2_double_mainloop_sandybridge_asm):
 	#include "cn2/cnv2_double_main_loop_sandybridge.inc"
 	add rsp, 48
 	ret 0
-	nop
-	nop
-	nop
-	nop
+	mov eax, 0xDEADC0DE
diff --git a/src/crypto/asm/cn_main_loop.asm b/src/crypto/asm/cn_main_loop.asm
index 47b4df9e..2b7a1f46 100644
--- a/src/crypto/asm/cn_main_loop.asm
+++ b/src/crypto/asm/cn_main_loop.asm
@@ -8,40 +8,28 @@ ALIGN(64)
 cnv2_mainloop_ivybridge_asm PROC
 	INCLUDE cn2/cnv2_main_loop_ivybridge.inc
 	ret 0
-	nop
-	nop
-	nop
-	nop
+	mov eax, 0xDEADC0DE
 cnv2_mainloop_ivybridge_asm ENDP
 
 ALIGN(64)
 cnv2_mainloop_ryzen_asm PROC
 	INCLUDE cn2/cnv2_main_loop_ryzen.inc
 	ret 0
-	nop
-	nop
-	nop
-	nop
+	mov eax, 0xDEADC0DE
 cnv2_mainloop_ryzen_asm ENDP
 
 ALIGN(64)
 cnv2_mainloop_bulldozer_asm PROC
 	INCLUDE cn2/cnv2_main_loop_bulldozer.inc
 	ret 0
-	nop
-	nop
-	nop
-	nop
+	mov eax, 0xDEADC0DE
 cnv2_mainloop_bulldozer_asm ENDP
 
 ALIGN(64)
 cnv2_double_mainloop_sandybridge_asm PROC
 	INCLUDE cn2/cnv2_double_main_loop_sandybridge.inc
 	ret 0
-	nop
-	nop
-	nop
-	nop
+	mov eax, 0xDEADC0DE
 cnv2_double_mainloop_sandybridge_asm ENDP
 
 _TEXT_CNV2_MAINLOOP ENDS
diff --git a/src/crypto/asm/win64/cn_main_loop.S b/src/crypto/asm/win64/cn_main_loop.S
index 90e43470..bb0a581d 100644
--- a/src/crypto/asm/win64/cn_main_loop.S
+++ b/src/crypto/asm/win64/cn_main_loop.S
@@ -10,34 +10,22 @@ ALIGN(64)
 cnv2_mainloop_ivybridge_asm:
 	#include "../cn2/cnv2_main_loop_ivybridge.inc"
 	ret 0
-	nop
-	nop
-	nop
-	nop
+	mov eax, 0xDEADC0DE
 
 ALIGN(64)
 cnv2_mainloop_ryzen_asm:
 	#include "../cn2/cnv2_main_loop_ryzen.inc"
 	ret 0
-	nop
-	nop
-	nop
-	nop
+	mov eax, 0xDEADC0DE
 
 ALIGN(64)
 cnv2_mainloop_bulldozer_asm:
 	#include "../cn2/cnv2_main_loop_bulldozer.inc"
 	ret 0
-	nop
-	nop
-	nop
-	nop
+	mov eax, 0xDEADC0DE
 
 ALIGN(64)
 cnv2_double_mainloop_sandybridge_asm:
 	#include "../cn2/cnv2_double_main_loop_sandybridge.inc"
 	ret 0
-	nop
-	nop
-	nop
-	nop
+	mov eax, 0xDEADC0DE
diff --git a/src/crypto/asm/win64/cn_main_loop.asm b/src/crypto/asm/win64/cn_main_loop.asm
index 9c8a6ea9..40cb1cac 100644
--- a/src/crypto/asm/win64/cn_main_loop.asm
+++ b/src/crypto/asm/win64/cn_main_loop.asm
@@ -8,40 +8,28 @@ ALIGN 64
 cnv2_mainloop_ivybridge_asm PROC
 	INCLUDE cn2/cnv2_main_loop_ivybridge.inc
 	ret 0
-	nop
-	nop
-	nop
-	nop
+	mov eax, 0xDEADC0DE
 cnv2_mainloop_ivybridge_asm ENDP
 
 ALIGN 64
 cnv2_mainloop_ryzen_asm PROC
 	INCLUDE cn2/cnv2_main_loop_ryzen.inc
 	ret 0
-	nop
-	nop
-	nop
-	nop
+	mov eax, 0xDEADC0DE
 cnv2_mainloop_ryzen_asm ENDP
 
 ALIGN 64
 cnv2_mainloop_bulldozer_asm PROC
 	INCLUDE cn2/cnv2_main_loop_bulldozer.inc
 	ret 0
-	nop
-	nop
-	nop
-	nop
+	mov eax, 0xDEADC0DE
 cnv2_mainloop_bulldozer_asm ENDP
 
 ALIGN 64
 cnv2_double_mainloop_sandybridge_asm PROC
 	INCLUDE cn2/cnv2_double_main_loop_sandybridge.inc
 	ret 0
-	nop
-	nop
-	nop
-	nop
+	mov eax, 0xDEADC0DE
 cnv2_double_mainloop_sandybridge_asm ENDP
 
 _TEXT_CNV2_MAINLOOP ENDS
diff --git a/src/workers/CpuThread.cpp b/src/workers/CpuThread.cpp
index 5b7016e4..082effe2 100644
--- a/src/workers/CpuThread.cpp
+++ b/src/workers/CpuThread.cpp
@@ -69,9 +69,10 @@ static void patchCode(T dst, U src, const uint32_t iterations, const uint32_t ma
 #   endif
 
     size_t size = 0;
-    while (*(uint32_t*)(p + size) != 0x90909090) {
+    while (*(uint32_t*)(p + size) != 0xDEADC0DE) {
         ++size;
     }
+    size += sizeof(uint32_t);
 
     memcpy((void*) dst, (const void*) src, size);