diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 5a88ae9..e742b0e 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ path = "src/main.rs"
 # for profiling
 debug = true
 
+# increases perf at the cost of compile-time
+codegen-units = 1
 lto = true
 
 [features]
diff --git a/benches/future_children.rs b/benches/future_children.rs
index f7a164a..99ae01a 100644
--- a/benches/future_children.rs
+++ b/benches/future_children.rs
@@ -4,24 +4,21 @@ use std::time::Duration;
 // use crate::future_move::FutureMove;
 use othello::{board::Board, future_moves::FutureMoves, piece::Piece};
 
-fn future_move_bench(depth: usize, expire: usize) {
+fn extend_layers_test(depth: usize, expire: usize) {
     let mut fut = FutureMoves::new(Piece::Black, depth, expire);
-    fut.update(&Board::new().starting_pos());
-    let _best_move = fut.best_move().inspect(|&(i, j)| {
-        if !fut.update_root_coord(i, j) {
-            panic!("update_root_coord failed");
-        }
-    });
+    fut.create_root_raw(Board::new().starting_pos());
+    fut.extend_layers();
 }
 
 fn criterion_benchmark(c: &mut Criterion) {
-    let mut group = c.benchmark_group("future_move (expire 4)");
-    group.measurement_time(Duration::from_secs(60));
+    const EXPIRE: usize = 4;
+    let mut group = c.benchmark_group(format!("extend_layers (expire {})", EXPIRE));
+    group.measurement_time(Duration::from_secs(10));
 
-    for (depth, expire) in [(2, 4), (3, 4), (4, 4), (5, 4), (6, 4)].iter() {
-        group.throughput(Throughput::Elements(*depth as u64));
-        group.bench_with_input(BenchmarkId::from_parameter(depth), depth, |b, depth| {
-            b.iter(|| future_move_bench(*depth, *expire));
+    for (depth, expire) in (2..6).zip([EXPIRE].iter().cycle()) {
+        group.throughput(Throughput::Elements(depth as u64));
+        group.bench_with_input(BenchmarkId::from_parameter(depth), &depth, |b, depth| {
+            b.iter(|| extend_layers_test(*depth, *expire));
         });
     }
     group.finish();
diff --git a/src/future_moves.rs b/src/future_moves.rs
index 72bafe3..b35c3e9 100644
--- a/src/future_moves.rs
+++ b/src/future_moves.rs
@@ -97,7 +97,8 @@ impl FutureMoves {
     }
 
     /// Generate children for all children of `nodes`
-    fn extend_layers(&mut self) {
+    /// only `pub` for the sake of benchmarking
+    pub fn extend_layers(&mut self) {
         let mut next_nodes: Vec<usize> = (0..self.arena.len())
             // we want to select all nodes that don't have children, or are lazy (need to maybe be regenerated)
             .filter(|&idx| self.arena[idx].children.is_empty() || self.arena[idx].lazy_children)
@@ -283,23 +284,26 @@ impl FutureMoves {
         if let Some(curr_board_idx) = curr_board {
             self.update_root_idx(curr_board_idx);
         } else {
-            // println!("Generating root of FutureMoves");
-            self.arena.clear();
-            self.arena.push(Move {
-                i: 0,
-                j: 0,
-                board: *board,
-                winner: Winner::None,
-                parent: None,
-                children: Vec::new(),
-                value: 0,
-                color: !self.agent_color,
-                lazy_children: false,
-            });
+            self.create_root_raw(*board);
             self.update_root_idx(0);
         }
     }
 
+    pub fn create_root_raw(&mut self, board: Board) {
+        self.arena.clear();
+        self.arena.push(Move {
+            i: 0,
+            j: 0,
+            board,
+            winner: Winner::None,
+            parent: None,
+            children: Vec::new(),
+            value: 0,
+            color: !self.agent_color,
+            lazy_children: false,
+        });
+    }
+
     /// Update the root based on the coordinate of the move
     /// Returns a boolean, `true` if the operation was successful, false if not
     #[must_use = "You must check if the root was properly set"]
@@ -317,9 +321,14 @@ impl FutureMoves {
             .is_some()
     }
 
-    fn update_root_idx(&mut self, idx: usize) {
+    fn update_root_idx_raw(&mut self, idx: usize) {
         self.current_root = Some(idx);
         self.current_depth -= self.depth_of(idx) - 1;
+    }
+
+    fn update_root_idx(&mut self, idx: usize) {
+        self.update_root_idx_raw(idx);
+
         self.refocus_tree();
         self.extend_layers();
         self.compute_values(0..self.arena.len());