diff --git a/p2p/ipld/read.go b/p2p/ipld/read.go
index e08136499a..d58255c76b 100644
--- a/p2p/ipld/read.go
+++ b/p2p/ipld/read.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package ipld
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"math"
 	"math/rand"
@@ -246,8 +245,8 @@ func GetLeafData(
 
 func leafPath(index, total uint32) ([]string, error) {
 	// ensure that the total is a power of two
-	if total != nextPowerOf2(total) {
-		return nil, errors.New("expected total to be a power of 2")
+	if !isPowerOf2(total) {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("expected total to be a power of 2, got %d", total)
 	}
 
 	if total == 0 {
@@ -269,29 +268,7 @@ func leafPath(index, total uint32) ([]string, error) {
 	return path, nil
 }
 
-// nextPowerOf2 returns the next lowest power of 2 unless the input is a power
-// of two, in which case it returns the input
-func nextPowerOf2(v uint32) uint32 {
-	if v == 1 {
-		return 1
-	}
-	// keep track of the input
-	i := v
-
-	// find the next highest power using bit mashing
-	v--
-	v |= v >> 1
-	v |= v >> 2
-	v |= v >> 4
-	v |= v >> 8
-	v |= v >> 16
-	v++
-
-	// check if the input was the next highest power
-	if i == v {
-		return v
-	}
-
-	// return the next lowest power
-	return v / 2
+// isPowerOf2 returns checks if a given number is a power of two
+func isPowerOf2(v uint32) bool {
+	return math.Ceil(math.Log2(float64(v))) == math.Floor(math.Log2(float64(v)))
 }
diff --git a/p2p/ipld/read_test.go b/p2p/ipld/read_test.go
index 715597298f..aca4b46780 100644
--- a/p2p/ipld/read_test.go
+++ b/p2p/ipld/read_test.go
@@ -58,36 +58,41 @@ func TestLeafPath(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestNextPowerOf2(t *testing.T) {
+func Test_isPowerOf2(t *testing.T) {
 	type test struct {
 		input    uint32
-		expected uint32
+		expected bool
 	}
 	tests := []test{
 		{
 			input:    2,
-			expected: 2,
+			expected: true,
 		},
 		{
 			input:    11,
-			expected: 8,
+			expected: false,
 		},
 		{
 			input:    511,
-			expected: 256,
+			expected: false,
+		},
+
+		{
+			input:    0,
+			expected: true,
 		},
 		{
 			input:    1,
-			expected: 1,
+			expected: true,
 		},
 		{
-			input:    0,
-			expected: 0,
+			input:    16,
+			expected: true,
 		},
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
-		res := nextPowerOf2(tt.input)
-		assert.Equal(t, tt.expected, res)
+		res := isPowerOf2(tt.input)
+		assert.Equal(t, tt.expected, res, fmt.Sprintf("input was %d", tt.input))
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/types/block.go b/types/block.go
index a77a6e58f4..481fdc9105 100644
--- a/types/block.go
+++ b/types/block.go
@@ -1381,9 +1381,9 @@ func (data *Data) ComputeShares() (NamespacedShares, int) {
 	msgShares := data.Messages.splitIntoShares()
 	curLen := len(txShares) + len(intermRootsShares) + len(evidenceShares) + len(msgShares)
 
-	// FIXME(ismail): this is not a power of two
-	// see: https://github.com/lazyledger/lazyledger-specs/issues/80 and
-	wantLen := getNextSquareNum(curLen)
+	// find the number of shares needed to create a square that has a power of
+	// two width
+	wantLen := paddedLen(curLen)
 
 	// ensure that the min square size is used
 	if wantLen < minSharecount {
@@ -1400,10 +1400,32 @@ func (data *Data) ComputeShares() (NamespacedShares, int) {
 		tailShares...), curLen
 }
 
-func getNextSquareNum(length int) int {
-	width := int(math.Ceil(math.Sqrt(float64(length))))
-	// TODO(ismail): make width a power of two instead
-	return width * width
+// paddedLen calculates the number of shares needed to make a power of 2 square
+// given the current number of shares
+func paddedLen(length int) int {
+	width := uint32(math.Ceil(math.Sqrt(float64(length))))
+	width = nextHighestPowerOf2(width)
+	return int(width * width)
+}
+
+// nextPowerOf2 returns the next highest power of 2 unless the input is a power
+// of two, in which case it returns the input
+func nextHighestPowerOf2(v uint32) uint32 {
+	if v == 0 {
+		return 0
+	}
+
+	// find the next highest power using bit mashing
+	v--
+	v |= v >> 1
+	v |= v >> 2
+	v |= v >> 4
+	v |= v >> 8
+	v |= v >> 16
+	v++
+
+	// return the next highest power
+	return v
 }
 
 type Message struct {
diff --git a/types/block_test.go b/types/block_test.go
index 7cc9432426..667e1c303a 100644
--- a/types/block_test.go
+++ b/types/block_test.go
@@ -1398,6 +1398,70 @@ func TestPutBlock(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestPaddedLength(t *testing.T) {
+	type test struct {
+		input, expected int
+	}
+	tests := []test{
+		{0, 0},
+		{1, 1},
+		{2, 4},
+		{4, 4},
+		{5, 16},
+		{11, 16},
+		{128, 256},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		res := paddedLen(tt.input)
+		assert.Equal(t, tt.expected, res)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestNextHighestPowerOf2(t *testing.T) {
+	type test struct {
+		input    uint32
+		expected uint32
+	}
+	tests := []test{
+		{
+			input:    2,
+			expected: 2,
+		},
+		{
+			input:    11,
+			expected: 16,
+		},
+		{
+			input:    511,
+			expected: 512,
+		},
+		{
+			input:    1,
+			expected: 1,
+		},
+		{
+			input:    0,
+			expected: 0,
+		},
+		{
+			input:    5,
+			expected: 8,
+		},
+		{
+			input:    6,
+			expected: 8,
+		},
+		{
+			input:    16,
+			expected: 16,
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		res := nextHighestPowerOf2(tt.input)
+		assert.Equal(t, tt.expected, res)
+	}
+}
+
 func generateRandomMsgOnlyData(msgCount int) Data {
 	out := make([]Message, msgCount)
 	for i, msg := range generateRandNamespacedRawData(msgCount, NamespaceSize, MsgShareSize-2) {