diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 80f3b9fce..dfd334502 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ arrayvec = { version = "0.4.6", default-features = false }
 byteorder = { version = "1.0", default-features = false }
 fallible-iterator = { version = "0.2.0", default-features = false }
 indexmap = { version = "1.0.2", optional = true }
+smallvec = { version = "0.6.10", default-features = false }
 stable_deref_trait = { version = "1.1.0", default-features = false }
 
 [dev-dependencies]
@@ -41,3 +42,7 @@ write = ["std", "indexmap"]
 std = ["fallible-iterator/std", "stable_deref_trait/std"]
 alloc = ["fallible-iterator/alloc", "stable_deref_trait/alloc"]
 default = ["read", "write", "std"]
+
+[profile.bench]
+debug = true
+codegen-units = 1
diff --git a/src/constants.rs b/src/constants.rs
index 00e6f9993..bdff87163 100644
--- a/src/constants.rs
+++ b/src/constants.rs
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ dw!(
 /// The tag encodings for DIE attributes.
 ///
 /// See Section 7.5.3, Table 7.3.
-DwTag(u64) {
+DwTag(u16) {
     DW_TAG_null = 0x00,
 
     DW_TAG_array_type = 0x01,
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ dw!(
 /// The attribute encodings for DIE attributes.
 ///
 /// See Section 7.5.4, Table 7.5.
-DwAt(u64) {
+DwAt(u16) {
     DW_AT_null = 0x00,
 
     DW_AT_sibling = 0x01,
@@ -617,7 +617,7 @@ dw!(
 /// The attribute form encodings for DIE attributes.
 ///
 /// See Section 7.5.6, Table 7.6.
-DwForm(u64) {
+DwForm(u16) {
     DW_FORM_null = 0x00,
 
     DW_FORM_addr = 0x01,
diff --git a/src/leb128.rs b/src/leb128.rs
index aef21eb25..6a2f454fd 100644
--- a/src/leb128.rs
+++ b/src/leb128.rs
@@ -87,6 +87,29 @@ pub mod read {
         }
     }
 
+    /// Read an LEB128 u16 from the given `Reader` and
+    /// return it or an error if reading failed.
+    pub fn u16<R: Reader>(r: &mut R) -> Result<u16> {
+        let byte = r.read_u8()?;
+        let mut result = u16::from(low_bits_of_byte(byte));
+        if byte & CONTINUATION_BIT == 0 {
+            return Ok(result);
+        }
+
+        let byte = r.read_u8()?;
+        result |= u16::from(low_bits_of_byte(byte)) << 7;
+        if byte & CONTINUATION_BIT == 0 {
+            return Ok(result);
+        }
+
+        let byte = r.read_u8()?;
+        if byte > 0x03 {
+            return Err(Error::BadUnsignedLeb128);
+        }
+        result += u16::from(byte) << 14;
+        Ok(result)
+    }
+
     /// Read a signed LEB128 number from the given `Reader` and
     /// return it or an error if reading failed.
     pub fn signed<R: Reader>(r: &mut R) -> Result<i64> {
@@ -516,4 +539,36 @@ mod tests {
             1u64
         );
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_read_u16() {
+        for (buf, val) in [
+            (&[2][..], 2),
+            (&[0x7f][..], 0x7f),
+            (&[0x80, 1][..], 0x80),
+            (&[0x81, 1][..], 0x81),
+            (&[0x82, 1][..], 0x82),
+            (&[0xff, 0x7f][..], 0x3fff),
+            (&[0x80, 0x80, 1][..], 0x4000),
+            (&[0xff, 0xff, 1][..], 0x7fff),
+            (&[0xff, 0xff, 3][..], 0xffff),
+        ]
+        .iter()
+        {
+            let mut readable = EndianSlice::new(buf, NativeEndian);
+            assert_eq!(*val, read::u16(&mut readable).expect("Should read number"));
+        }
+
+        for buf in [
+            &[0x80][..],
+            &[0x80, 0x80][..],
+            &[0x80, 0x80, 4][..],
+            &[0x80, 0x80, 0x80, 3][..],
+        ]
+        .iter()
+        {
+            let mut readable = EndianSlice::new(buf, NativeEndian);
+            assert!(read::u16(&mut readable).is_err(), format!("{:?}", buf));
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/read/abbrev.rs b/src/read/abbrev.rs
index ef75f6934..16b258f9b 100644
--- a/src/read/abbrev.rs
+++ b/src/read/abbrev.rs
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 use crate::collections::btree_map;
 use crate::vec::Vec;
+use smallvec::SmallVec;
 
 use crate::common::{DebugAbbrevOffset, SectionId};
 use crate::constants;
@@ -173,6 +174,9 @@ impl Abbreviations {
     }
 }
 
+// Length of 5 based on benchmark results for both x86-64 and i686.
+type Attributes = SmallVec<[AttributeSpecification; 5]>;
+
 /// An abbreviation describes the shape of a `DebuggingInformationEntry`'s type:
 /// its code, tag type, whether it has children, and its set of attributes.
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
@@ -180,7 +184,7 @@ pub struct Abbreviation {
     code: u64,
     tag: constants::DwTag,
     has_children: constants::DwChildren,
-    attributes: Vec<AttributeSpecification>,
+    attributes: Attributes,
 }
 
 impl Abbreviation {
@@ -193,7 +197,7 @@ impl Abbreviation {
         code: u64,
         tag: constants::DwTag,
         has_children: constants::DwChildren,
-        attributes: Vec<AttributeSpecification>,
+        attributes: Attributes,
     ) -> Abbreviation {
         assert_ne!(code, 0);
         Abbreviation {
@@ -230,7 +234,7 @@ impl Abbreviation {
 
     /// Parse an abbreviation's tag.
     fn parse_tag<R: Reader>(input: &mut R) -> Result<constants::DwTag> {
-        let val = input.read_uleb128()?;
+        let val = input.read_uleb128_u16()?;
         if val == 0 {
             Err(Error::AbbreviationTagZero)
         } else {
@@ -251,8 +255,8 @@ impl Abbreviation {
 
     /// Parse a series of attribute specifications, terminated by a null attribute
     /// specification.
-    fn parse_attributes<R: Reader>(input: &mut R) -> Result<Vec<AttributeSpecification>> {
-        let mut attrs = Vec::new();
+    fn parse_attributes<R: Reader>(input: &mut R) -> Result<Attributes> {
+        let mut attrs = SmallVec::new();
 
         while let Some(attr) = AttributeSpecification::parse(input)? {
             attrs.push(attr);
@@ -373,7 +377,7 @@ impl AttributeSpecification {
 
     /// Parse an attribute's form.
     fn parse_form<R: Reader>(input: &mut R) -> Result<constants::DwForm> {
-        let val = input.read_uleb128()?;
+        let val = input.read_uleb128_u16()?;
         if val == 0 {
             Err(Error::AttributeFormZero)
         } else {
@@ -384,10 +388,10 @@ impl AttributeSpecification {
     /// Parse an attribute specification. Returns `None` for the null attribute
     /// specification, `Some` for an actual attribute specification.
     fn parse<R: Reader>(input: &mut R) -> Result<Option<AttributeSpecification>> {
-        let name = input.read_uleb128()?;
+        let name = input.read_uleb128_u16()?;
         if name == 0 {
             // Parse the null attribute specification.
-            let form = input.read_uleb128()?;
+            let form = input.read_uleb128_u16()?;
             return if form == 0 {
                 Ok(None)
             } else {
@@ -414,6 +418,7 @@ pub mod tests {
     use crate::endianity::LittleEndian;
     use crate::read::{EndianSlice, Error};
     use crate::test_util::GimliSectionMethods;
+    use smallvec::smallvec;
     #[cfg(target_pointer_width = "32")]
     use std::u32;
     use test_assembler::Section;
@@ -428,7 +433,7 @@ pub mod tests {
 
     impl AbbrevSectionMethods for Section {
         fn abbrev(self, code: u64, tag: constants::DwTag, children: constants::DwChildren) -> Self {
-            self.uleb(code).uleb(tag.0).D8(children.0)
+            self.uleb(code).uleb(tag.0.into()).D8(children.0)
         }
 
         fn abbrev_null(self) -> Self {
@@ -436,12 +441,12 @@ pub mod tests {
         }
 
         fn abbrev_attr(self, name: constants::DwAt, form: constants::DwForm) -> Self {
-            self.uleb(name.0).uleb(form.0)
+            self.uleb(name.0.into()).uleb(form.0.into())
         }
 
         fn abbrev_attr_implicit_const(self, name: constants::DwAt, value: i64) -> Self {
-            self.uleb(name.0)
-                .uleb(constants::DW_FORM_implicit_const.0)
+            self.uleb(name.0.into())
+                .uleb(constants::DW_FORM_implicit_const.0.into())
                 .sleb(value)
         }
 
@@ -473,7 +478,7 @@ pub mod tests {
             1,
             constants::DW_TAG_compile_unit,
             constants::DW_CHILDREN_yes,
-            vec![
+            smallvec![
                 AttributeSpecification::new(
                     constants::DW_AT_producer,
                     constants::DW_FORM_strp,
@@ -491,7 +496,7 @@ pub mod tests {
             2,
             constants::DW_TAG_subprogram,
             constants::DW_CHILDREN_no,
-            vec![AttributeSpecification::new(
+            smallvec![AttributeSpecification::new(
                 constants::DW_AT_name,
                 constants::DW_FORM_string,
                 None,
@@ -509,17 +514,17 @@ pub mod tests {
 
     #[test]
     fn test_abbreviations_insert() {
-        fn abbrev(code: u64) -> Abbreviation {
+        fn abbrev(code: u16) -> Abbreviation {
             Abbreviation::new(
-                code,
+                code.into(),
                 constants::DwTag(code),
                 constants::DW_CHILDREN_no,
-                vec![],
+                smallvec![],
             )
         }
 
-        fn assert_abbrev(abbrevs: &Abbreviations, code: u64) {
-            let abbrev = abbrevs.get(code).unwrap();
+        fn assert_abbrev(abbrevs: &Abbreviations, code: u16) {
+            let abbrev = abbrevs.get(code.into()).unwrap();
             assert_eq!(abbrev.tag(), constants::DwTag(code));
         }
 
@@ -579,15 +584,15 @@ pub mod tests {
         fn abbrev(code: u64) -> Abbreviation {
             Abbreviation::new(
                 code,
-                constants::DwTag(code),
+                constants::DwTag(code as u16),
                 constants::DW_CHILDREN_no,
-                vec![],
+                smallvec![],
             )
         }
 
         fn assert_abbrev(abbrevs: &Abbreviations, code: u64) {
             let abbrev = abbrevs.get(code).unwrap();
-            assert_eq!(abbrev.tag(), constants::DwTag(code));
+            assert_eq!(abbrev.tag(), constants::DwTag(code as u16));
         }
 
         let mut abbrevs = Abbreviations::empty();
@@ -624,7 +629,7 @@ pub mod tests {
             1,
             constants::DW_TAG_compile_unit,
             constants::DW_CHILDREN_yes,
-            vec![
+            smallvec![
                 AttributeSpecification::new(
                     constants::DW_AT_producer,
                     constants::DW_FORM_strp,
@@ -642,7 +647,7 @@ pub mod tests {
             2,
             constants::DW_TAG_subprogram,
             constants::DW_CHILDREN_no,
-            vec![AttributeSpecification::new(
+            smallvec![AttributeSpecification::new(
                 constants::DW_AT_name,
                 constants::DW_FORM_string,
                 None,
@@ -728,7 +733,7 @@ pub mod tests {
             1,
             constants::DW_TAG_subprogram,
             constants::DW_CHILDREN_no,
-            vec![AttributeSpecification::new(
+            smallvec![AttributeSpecification::new(
                 constants::DW_AT_name,
                 constants::DW_FORM_string,
                 None,
@@ -756,7 +761,7 @@ pub mod tests {
             1,
             constants::DW_TAG_subprogram,
             constants::DW_CHILDREN_no,
-            vec![AttributeSpecification::new(
+            smallvec![AttributeSpecification::new(
                 constants::DW_AT_name,
                 constants::DW_FORM_implicit_const,
                 Some(-42),
diff --git a/src/read/line.rs b/src/read/line.rs
index 267e17bcc..65c5b0a6d 100644
--- a/src/read/line.rs
+++ b/src/read/line.rs
@@ -1695,7 +1695,7 @@ impl FileEntryFormat {
                 path_count += 1;
             }
 
-            let form = constants::DwForm(input.read_uleb128()?);
+            let form = constants::DwForm(input.read_uleb128_u16()?);
 
             format.push(FileEntryFormat { content_type, form });
         }
diff --git a/src/read/reader.rs b/src/read/reader.rs
index 4694caed1..dc281f724 100644
--- a/src/read/reader.rs
+++ b/src/read/reader.rs
@@ -391,6 +391,11 @@ pub trait Reader: Debug + Clone {
         leb128::read::unsigned(self)
     }
 
+    /// Read an unsigned LEB128 encoded u16.
+    fn read_uleb128_u16(&mut self) -> Result<u16> {
+        leb128::read::u16(self)
+    }
+
     /// Read a signed LEB128 encoded integer.
     fn read_sleb128(&mut self) -> Result<i64> {
         leb128::read::signed(self)
diff --git a/src/read/unit.rs b/src/read/unit.rs
index d64abf31e..a31463ad1 100644
--- a/src/read/unit.rs
+++ b/src/read/unit.rs
@@ -1862,7 +1862,7 @@ pub(crate) fn parse_attribute<'unit, 'abbrev, R: Reader>(
     loop {
         let value = match form {
             constants::DW_FORM_indirect => {
-                let dynamic_form = input.read_uleb128()?;
+                let dynamic_form = input.read_uleb128_u16()?;
                 form = constants::DwForm(dynamic_form);
                 continue;
             }
@@ -3128,6 +3128,7 @@ mod tests {
     };
     use crate::test_util::GimliSectionMethods;
     use crate::vec::Vec;
+    use smallvec::smallvec;
     use std;
     use std::cell::Cell;
     use test_assembler::{Endian, Label, LabelMaker, Section};
@@ -4416,7 +4417,7 @@ mod tests {
 
         let bytes_written = {
             let mut writable = &mut buf[..];
-            leb128::write::unsigned(&mut writable, constants::DW_FORM_udata.0)
+            leb128::write::unsigned(&mut writable, constants::DW_FORM_udata.0.into())
                 .expect("should write udata")
                 + leb128::write::unsigned(&mut writable, 9_999_999).expect("should write value")
         };
@@ -4445,7 +4446,7 @@ mod tests {
             42,
             constants::DW_TAG_subprogram,
             constants::DW_CHILDREN_yes,
-            vec![
+            smallvec![
                 AttributeSpecification::new(constants::DW_AT_name, constants::DW_FORM_string, None),
                 AttributeSpecification::new(constants::DW_AT_low_pc, constants::DW_FORM_addr, None),
                 AttributeSpecification::new(
@@ -4556,7 +4557,7 @@ mod tests {
             42,
             constants::DW_TAG_subprogram,
             constants::DW_CHILDREN_yes,
-            vec![
+            smallvec![
                 AttributeSpecification::new(constants::DW_AT_name, constants::DW_FORM_string, None),
                 AttributeSpecification::new(constants::DW_AT_low_pc, constants::DW_FORM_addr, None),
                 AttributeSpecification::new(
diff --git a/src/read/value.rs b/src/read/value.rs
index b1fc5d0aa..e64c29100 100644
--- a/src/read/value.rs
+++ b/src/read/value.rs
@@ -912,6 +912,7 @@ mod tests {
         Abbreviation, AttributeSpecification, DebuggingInformationEntry, EndianSlice, UnitHeader,
         UnitOffset,
     };
+    use smallvec::smallvec;
 
     #[test]
     #[rustfmt::skip]
@@ -932,7 +933,7 @@ mod tests {
             42,
             constants::DW_TAG_base_type,
             constants::DW_CHILDREN_no,
-            vec![
+            smallvec![
                 AttributeSpecification::new(
                     constants::DW_AT_byte_size,
                     constants::DW_FORM_udata,
diff --git a/src/write/abbrev.rs b/src/write/abbrev.rs
index 88c5e33d6..bf4faea4f 100644
--- a/src/write/abbrev.rs
+++ b/src/write/abbrev.rs
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ impl Abbreviation {
 
     /// Write the abbreviation to the `.debug_abbrev` section.
     pub fn write<W: Writer>(&self, w: &mut DebugAbbrev<W>) -> Result<()> {
-        w.write_uleb128(self.tag.0)?;
+        w.write_uleb128(self.tag.0.into())?;
         w.write_u8(if self.has_children {
             constants::DW_CHILDREN_yes.0
         } else {
@@ -94,8 +94,8 @@ impl AttributeSpecification {
     /// Write the attribute specification to the `.debug_abbrev` section.
     #[inline]
     pub fn write<W: Writer>(&self, w: &mut DebugAbbrev<W>) -> Result<()> {
-        w.write_uleb128(self.name.0)?;
-        w.write_uleb128(self.form.0)
+        w.write_uleb128(self.name.0.into())?;
+        w.write_uleb128(self.form.0.into())
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/write/line.rs b/src/write/line.rs
index 64397e9fe..74ef28a8e 100644
--- a/src/write/line.rs
+++ b/src/write/line.rs
@@ -574,7 +574,7 @@ impl LineProgram {
             w.write_u8(1)?;
             w.write_uleb128(u64::from(constants::DW_LNCT_path.0))?;
             let dir_form = self.directories.get_index(0).unwrap().form();
-            w.write_uleb128(dir_form.0)?;
+            w.write_uleb128(dir_form.0.into())?;
 
             // Directory entries.
             w.write_uleb128(self.directories.len() as u64)?;
@@ -596,20 +596,20 @@ impl LineProgram {
             w.write_u8(count)?;
             w.write_uleb128(u64::from(constants::DW_LNCT_path.0))?;
             let file_form = self.comp_file.0.form();
-            w.write_uleb128(file_form.0)?;
+            w.write_uleb128(file_form.0.into())?;
             w.write_uleb128(u64::from(constants::DW_LNCT_directory_index.0))?;
-            w.write_uleb128(constants::DW_FORM_udata.0)?;
+            w.write_uleb128(constants::DW_FORM_udata.0.into())?;
             if self.file_has_timestamp {
                 w.write_uleb128(u64::from(constants::DW_LNCT_timestamp.0))?;
-                w.write_uleb128(constants::DW_FORM_udata.0)?;
+                w.write_uleb128(constants::DW_FORM_udata.0.into())?;
             }
             if self.file_has_size {
                 w.write_uleb128(u64::from(constants::DW_LNCT_size.0))?;
-                w.write_uleb128(constants::DW_FORM_udata.0)?;
+                w.write_uleb128(constants::DW_FORM_udata.0.into())?;
             }
             if self.file_has_md5 {
                 w.write_uleb128(u64::from(constants::DW_LNCT_MD5.0))?;
-                w.write_uleb128(constants::DW_FORM_data16.0)?;
+                w.write_uleb128(constants::DW_FORM_data16.0.into())?;
             }
 
             // File name entries.