diff --git a/libslunkcrypt/src/slunkcrypt.c b/libslunkcrypt/src/slunkcrypt.c
index 29f2d0a..bf041a5 100644
--- a/libslunkcrypt/src/slunkcrypt.c
+++ b/libslunkcrypt/src/slunkcrypt.c
@@ -151,22 +151,23 @@ static int initialize_state(crypt_data_t *const data, const size_t thread_count,
 {
 	uint8_t temp[256U][256U];
 	size_t r, i;
+	rand_state_t *const rand_state = &data->thread_data[0].random;
 	const int reverse_mode = BOOLIFY(mode);
 
 	/* initialize state */
 	slunkcrypt_bzero(data, sizeof(crypt_data_t));
 
 	/* initialize counter */
-	random_seed(&data->thread_data[0].random, nonce, legacy ? ((uint16_t)(-1)) : INITIALIZER_MIN, passwd, passwd_len, legacy);
-	data->thread_data[0].counter = random_next(&data->thread_data[0].random);
+	random_seed(rand_state, nonce, legacy ? ((uint16_t)(-1)) : INITIALIZER_MIN, passwd, passwd_len, legacy);
+	data->thread_data[0].counter = random_next(rand_state);
 
 	/* set up the wheel permutations */
 	for (r = 0U; r < 256U; ++r)
 	{
-		random_seed(&data->thread_data[0].random, nonce, legacy ? ((uint16_t)r) : INITIALIZER[r], passwd, passwd_len, legacy);
+		random_seed(rand_state, nonce, legacy ? ((uint16_t)r) : INITIALIZER[r], passwd, passwd_len, legacy);
 		for (i = 0U; i < 256U; ++i)
 		{
-			const size_t j = random_next(&data->thread_data[0].random) % (i + 1U);
+			const size_t j = random_next(rand_state) % (i + 1U);
 			if (j != i)
 			{
 				data->wheel[r][i] = data->wheel[r][j];
@@ -195,25 +196,24 @@ static int initialize_state(crypt_data_t *const data, const size_t thread_count,
 	}
 
 	/* initialize thread state */
-	data->thread_data[0].reverse_mode = reverse_mode;
-	data->thread_data[0].wheel = (const uint8_t(*)[256]) data->wheel;
-	data->thread_data[0].index_off = 0U;
-	random_seed(&data->thread_data[0].random, nonce, legacy ? 256U : INITIALIZER_MAX, passwd, passwd_len, legacy);
-	for (i = 1U; i < thread_count; ++i)
+	random_seed(rand_state, nonce, legacy ? 256U : INITIALIZER_MAX, passwd, passwd_len, legacy);
+	for (i = 0U; i < thread_count; ++i)
 	{
-		data->thread_data[i].reverse_mode = data->thread_data[0].reverse_mode;
-		data->thread_data[i].wheel = data->thread_data[0].wheel;
-		data->thread_data[i].counter = data->thread_data[0].counter + ((uint32_t)i);
-		data->thread_data[i].index_off = data->thread_data[i - 1U].index_off + 1U;
-		memcpy(&data->thread_data[i].random, &data->thread_data[0].random, sizeof(rand_state_t));
-		random_skip(&data->thread_data[i].random, i * 63U);
+		data->thread_data[i].reverse_mode = reverse_mode;
+		data->thread_data[i].wheel = (const uint8_t(*)[256]) data->wheel;
+		data->thread_data[i].index_off = i;
+		if (i > 0U)
+		{
+			data->thread_data[i].counter = data->thread_data[0].counter + ((uint32_t)i);
+			memcpy(&data->thread_data[i].random, &data->thread_data[0].random, sizeof(rand_state_t));
+			random_skip(&data->thread_data[i].random, i * 63U);
+		}
 		CHECK_ABORTED();
 	}
 
 	/* dump the final configuration */
 	if (debug)
 	{
-		const rand_state_t *const rand_state = &data->thread_data[0].random;
 		slunkcrypt_debug_print("cntr = %08X", data->thread_data[0].counter);
 		slunkcrypt_debug_print("drbg = %08X %08X %08X %08X %08X %08X", rand_state->d, rand_state->v, rand_state->w, rand_state->x, rand_state->y, rand_state->z);
 		for (r = 0U; r < 256U; ++r)