diff --git a/src/core/Buffer.cc b/src/core/Buffer.cc
index c5225fd..80fe4b4 100644
--- a/src/core/Buffer.cc
+++ b/src/core/Buffer.cc
@@ -56,16 +56,14 @@ bool Buffer::load_from_file(const char * filename)
     m_piece_table = std::make_shared<PieceTable>(m_file_buffer, m_file_buffer_size);
     for (auto it = text_loader.begin(); it != text_loader.end(); it++)
     {
-        auto pd_n = m_piece_table->add_piece_descriptor();
-        PieceTable::PieceDescriptor & pd = pd_n.second;
-        pd.prev = m_piece_table->end_descriptor->prev;
-        pd.next = PIECE_DESCRIPTOR_INDEX_END;
-        pd.start = it->first - m_file_buffer;
-        pd.length = it->second;
-        pd.n_chars = it->second; /* TODO: fix this for other encodings */
-        pd.eol = 1u;
-        (*m_piece_table)[m_piece_table->end_descriptor->prev].next = pd_n.first;
-        m_piece_table->end_descriptor->prev = pd_n.first;
+        PieceTable::PieceDescriptor * pd = m_piece_table->add_piece_descriptor();
+        pd->prev = m_piece_table->end_descriptor->prev;
+        pd->next = m_piece_table->end_descriptor;
+        pd->start = it->first;
+        pd->length = it->second;
+        pd->n_chars = it->second | PIECE_DESCRIPTOR_N_CHARS_EOL_FLAG_MASK; /* TODO: fix this for other encodings */
+        m_piece_table->end_descriptor->prev->next = pd;
+        m_piece_table->end_descriptor->prev = pd;
     }
 
     return true;
diff --git a/src/core/PieceTable.cc b/src/core/PieceTable.cc
index 440109b..1e65596 100644
--- a/src/core/PieceTable.cc
+++ b/src/core/PieceTable.cc
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ PieceTable::PieceTable(const uint8_t * file_buffer, unsigned long file_buffer_si
     m_file_buffer_size = file_buffer_size;
     start_descriptor = &m_piece_descriptors[PIECE_DESCRIPTOR_INDEX_START];
     end_descriptor = &m_piece_descriptors[PIECE_DESCRIPTOR_INDEX_END];
-    start_descriptor->next = PIECE_DESCRIPTOR_INDEX_END;
-    end_descriptor->prev = PIECE_DESCRIPTOR_INDEX_START;
+    start_descriptor->next = end_descriptor;
+    end_descriptor->prev = start_descriptor;
     m_piece_descriptor_index = 2u;
 }
diff --git a/src/core/PieceTable.h b/src/core/PieceTable.h
index e2a0da0..c8cc5fc 100644
--- a/src/core/PieceTable.h
+++ b/src/core/PieceTable.h
@@ -8,17 +8,39 @@
 #define PIECE_DESCRIPTOR_INDEX_START    0u
 #define PIECE_DESCRIPTOR_INDEX_END      1u
 
+#define PIECE_DESCRIPTOR_N_CHARS_EOL_FLAG_MASK  0x80000000u
+
 class PieceTable
 {
 public:
     struct PieceDescriptor
     {
-        uint32_t prev;
-        uint32_t next;
-        uint32_t start;
+        /** The previous piece descriptor in the chain. */
+        PieceDescriptor * prev;
+
+        /** The next piece descriptor in the chain. */
+        PieceDescriptor * next;
+
+        /** Text that the piece describes. */
+        uint8_t * start;
+
+        /** Length of the text (in bytes). */
         uint32_t length;
+
+        /**
+         * Number of characters in the text.
+         * Also, the highest bit is the eol flag.
+         */
         uint32_t n_chars;
-        uint32_t eol;
+
+        /** Get the number of characters pointed to by this descriptor. */
+        uint32_t get_n_chars() { return n_chars & (~PIECE_DESCRIPTOR_N_CHARS_EOL_FLAG_MASK); }
+
+        /** Get whether this descriptor is the end of a line. */
+        bool eol() { return (n_chars & PIECE_DESCRIPTOR_N_CHARS_EOL_FLAG_MASK) != 0u; }
+
+        /** Toggle whether this descriptor is the end of a line. */
+        void toggle_eol() { n_chars ^= PIECE_DESCRIPTOR_N_CHARS_EOL_FLAG_MASK; }
     };
 
     struct ChangeDescriptor
@@ -31,12 +53,9 @@ public:
 
     PieceTable(const uint8_t * file_buffer, unsigned long file_buffer_size);
 
-    std::pair<uint32_t, PieceDescriptor &> add_piece_descriptor()
+    PieceDescriptor * add_piece_descriptor()
     {
-        uint32_t index = m_piece_descriptor_index;
-        m_piece_descriptor_index++;
-        PieceDescriptor & pd = m_piece_descriptors[index];
-        return std::pair<uint32_t, PieceDescriptor &>(index, pd);
+        return &m_piece_descriptors[m_piece_descriptor_index++];
     }
 
     PieceDescriptor & operator[](uint32_t index)