diff --git a/stage2/10-riscv.lsp b/stage2/10-riscv.lsp
index 609d3c2..d83b6a0 100644
--- a/stage2/10-riscv.lsp
+++ b/stage2/10-riscv.lsp
@@ -156,4 +156,8 @@
 (define \jr    (fn (reg offset) (\jalr  $zero reg offset)))
 (define \callr (fn (reg offset) (\jalr  $ra reg offset)))
 (define \ret   (fn ()           (\jalr  $zero $ra 0)))
+(define \beqz  (fn (reg offset) (\beq   reg $zero offset)))
+(define \bnez  (fn (reg offset) (\bne   reg $zero offset)))
+(define \bltz  (fn (reg offset) (\blt   reg $zero offset)))
+(define \bgez  (fn (reg offset) (\bge   reg $zero offset)))
 
diff --git a/stage2/16-optimize-prims.lsp b/stage2/16-optimize-prims.lsp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bdfeacf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/stage2/16-optimize-prims.lsp
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+; create some more optimized primitives with the linker
+(define cons (box-procedure (car (link
+  (start
+    ; reserve stack, preserve return addr
+    (\addi  $sp $sp -0x20)
+    (\sd    $ra $sp 0x00)
+    (\sd    $s1 $sp 0x08)
+    (\sd    $a1 $sp 0x10) ; locals
+    (\sd    $zero $sp 0x18) ; cons head
+    (\mv    $s1 $zero) ; args list
+    ; get first arg
+    (\auipc $ra (rel  uncons$))
+    (\callr $ra (rel+ uncons$))
+    (\beqz  $a0 (rel  exc))
+    ; store rest of args, stash head for now
+    (\mv    $s1 $a2)
+    (\sd    $a1 $sp 0x18)
+    ; acquire locals
+    (\ld    $a0 $sp 0x10)
+    (\auipc $ra (rel  acquire-object$))
+    (\callr $ra (rel+ acquire-object$))
+    ; unstash and eval
+    (\mv    $a1 $a0)
+    (\ld    $a0 $sp 0x18)
+    (\sd    $zero $sp 0x18)
+    (\auipc $ra (rel  eval$))
+    (\callr $ra (rel+ eval$))
+    ; handle err
+    (\bnez  $a0 (rel  end))
+    ; store result
+    (\sd    $a1 $sp 0x18)
+    ; get second arg
+    (\mv    $a0 $s1)
+    (\mv    $s1 $zero)
+    (\auipc $ra (rel  uncons$))
+    (\callr $ra (rel+ uncons$))
+    (\beqz  $a0 (rel  exc))
+    ; store rest of args (will release on ret)
+    (\mv    $s1 $a2)
+    ; eval second arg, give up locals
+    (\mv    $a0 $a1)
+    (\ld    $a1 $sp 0x10)
+    (\sd    $zero $sp 0x10)
+    (\auipc $ra (rel  eval$))
+    (\callr $ra (rel+ eval$))
+    ; handle err
+    (\bnez  $a0 (rel  end))
+    ; do cons (tail already in a1)
+    (\ld    $a0 $sp 0x18)
+    (\sd    $zero $sp 0x18)
+    (\auipc $ra (rel  cons$))
+    (\callr $ra (rel+ cons$))
+    (\beqz  $a0 (rel  no-mem))
+    ; move cons to a1 (result), set a0 to ok
+    (\mv    $a1 $a0)
+    (\li    $a0 0)
+    ; done
+    (\j     (rel end))
+  )
+  (no-mem
+    (\li    $a0 -4) ; no free mem
+    (\li    $a1 0)
+    (\j     (rel end))
+  )
+  (exc
+    (\li    $a0 -1) ; exception
+    (\li    $a1 0)
+  )
+  (end
+    ; stash return value
+    (\addi  $sp $sp -0x10)
+    (\sd    $a0 $sp 0x00)
+    (\sd    $a1 $sp 0x08)
+    ; release s1 arg list
+    (\mv    $a0 $s1)
+    (\auipc $ra (rel  release-object$))
+    (\callr $ra (rel+ release-object$))
+    ; release locals
+    (\ld    $a0 $sp 0x20)
+    (\auipc $ra (rel  release-object$))
+    (\callr $ra (rel+ release-object$))
+    ; release cons head
+    (\ld    $a0 $sp 0x28)
+    (\auipc $ra (rel  release-object$))
+    (\callr $ra (rel+ release-object$))
+    ; load stashed data and return
+    (\ld    $a0 $sp 0x00)
+    (\ld    $a1 $sp 0x08)
+    (\ld    $ra $sp 0x10)
+    (\ld    $s1 $sp 0x18)
+    (\addi  $sp $sp 0x30)
+    (\ret)
+  )
+))))
diff --git a/stage2/16-awesome.lsp b/stage2/17-awesome.lsp
similarity index 100%
rename from stage2/16-awesome.lsp
rename to stage2/17-awesome.lsp