diff --git a/include/simdjson/internal/dom_parser_implementation.h b/include/simdjson/internal/dom_parser_implementation.h
index 4bf16d48..40f22e7b 100644
--- a/include/simdjson/internal/dom_parser_implementation.h
+++ b/include/simdjson/internal/dom_parser_implementation.h
@@ -107,9 +107,6 @@ public:
    */
   virtual ~dom_parser_implementation() = default;
 
-  /** Next location to write to in the tape */
-  uint32_t current_loc{0};
-
   /** Number of structural indices passed from stage 1 to stage 2 */
   uint32_t n_structural_indexes{0};
   /** Structural indices passed from stage 1 to stage 2 */
diff --git a/src/generic/stage2/logger.h b/src/generic/stage2/logger.h
index c682fb0d..2f543840 100644
--- a/src/generic/stage2/logger.h
+++ b/src/generic/stage2/logger.h
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@ namespace logger {
     if (LOG_ENABLED) {
       log_depth = 0;
       printf("\n");
-      printf("| %-*s | %-*s | %*s | %*s | %*s | %-*s | %-*s |\n", LOG_EVENT_LEN, "Event", LOG_BUFFER_LEN, "Buffer", 4, "Curr", 4, "Next", 5, "Next#", LOG_DETAIL_LEN, "Detail", LOG_INDEX_LEN, "index");
-      printf("|%.*s|%.*s|%.*s|%.*s|%.*s|%.*s|%.*s|\n", LOG_EVENT_LEN+2, DASHES, LOG_BUFFER_LEN+2, DASHES, 4+2, DASHES, 4+2, DASHES, 5+2, DASHES, LOG_DETAIL_LEN+2, DASHES, LOG_INDEX_LEN+2, DASHES);
+      printf("| %-*s | %-*s | %*s | %*s | %*s | %-*s | %-*s | %-*s |\n", LOG_EVENT_LEN, "Event", LOG_BUFFER_LEN, "Buffer", 4, "Curr", 4, "Next", 5, "Next#", 5, "Tape#", LOG_DETAIL_LEN, "Detail", LOG_INDEX_LEN, "index");
+      printf("|%.*s|%.*s|%.*s|%.*s|%.*s|%.*s|%.*s|%.*s|\n", LOG_EVENT_LEN+2, DASHES, LOG_BUFFER_LEN+2, DASHES, 4+2, DASHES, 4+2, DASHES, 5+2, DASHES, 5+2, DASHES, LOG_DETAIL_LEN+2, DASHES, LOG_INDEX_LEN+2, DASHES);
     }
   }
 
@@ -44,25 +44,17 @@ namespace logger {
       {
         // Print the next N characters in the buffer.
         printf("| ");
-        if (structurals.at_beginning()) {
-          // If the pointer is at the beginning, print a space followed by the beginning characters
-          // Print spaces for unprintable or newline characters.
-          printf(" ");
-          for (int i=0;i<LOG_BUFFER_LEN-1;i++) {
-            printf("%c", printable_char(structurals.buf[i]));
-          }
-        } else {
-          // Otherwise, print the characters starting from the buffer position.
-          // Print spaces for unprintable or newline characters.
-          for (int i=0;i<LOG_BUFFER_LEN;i++) {
-            printf("%c", printable_char(structurals.current()[i]));
-          }
+        // Otherwise, print the characters starting from the buffer position.
+        // Print spaces for unprintable or newline characters.
+        for (int i=0;i<LOG_BUFFER_LEN;i++) {
+          printf("%c", printable_char(structurals.current()[i]));
         }
         printf(" ");
       }
-      printf("|    %c ", printable_char(structurals.at_beginning() ? ' ' : structurals.current_char()));
+      printf("|    %c ", printable_char(structurals.current_char()));
       printf("|    %c ", printable_char(structurals.peek_next_char()));
       printf("| %5u ", structurals.parser.structural_indexes[*(structurals.current_structural+1)]);
+      printf("| %5u ", structurals.next_tape_index());
       printf("| %-*s ", LOG_DETAIL_LEN, detail);
       printf("| %*u ", LOG_INDEX_LEN, *structurals.current_structural);
       printf("|\n");
diff --git a/src/generic/stage2/numberparsing.h b/src/generic/stage2/numberparsing.h
index ccc7071f..541ae9fd 100644
--- a/src/generic/stage2/numberparsing.h
+++ b/src/generic/stage2/numberparsing.h
@@ -291,14 +291,14 @@ never_inline bool parse_large_integer(const uint8_t *const src,
       // as a positive signed integer, but the negative version is
       // possible.
       constexpr int64_t signed_answer = INT64_MIN;
-      writer.write_s64(signed_answer);
+      writer.append_s64(signed_answer);
 #ifdef JSON_TEST_NUMBERS // for unit testing
       found_integer(signed_answer, src);
 #endif
     } else {
       // we can negate safely
       int64_t signed_answer = -static_cast<int64_t>(i);
-      writer.write_s64(signed_answer);
+      writer.append_s64(signed_answer);
 #ifdef JSON_TEST_NUMBERS // for unit testing
       found_integer(signed_answer, src);
 #endif
@@ -311,12 +311,12 @@ never_inline bool parse_large_integer(const uint8_t *const src,
 #ifdef JSON_TEST_NUMBERS // for unit testing
       found_integer(i, src);
 #endif
-      writer.write_s64(i);
+      writer.append_s64(i);
     } else {
 #ifdef JSON_TEST_NUMBERS // for unit testing
       found_unsigned_integer(i, src);
 #endif
-      writer.write_u64(i);
+      writer.append_u64(i);
     }
   }
   return is_structural_or_whitespace(*p);
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ template<typename W>
 bool slow_float_parsing(UNUSED const char * src, W writer) {
   double d;
   if (parse_float_strtod(src, &d)) {
-    writer.write_double(d);
+    writer.append_double(d);
 #ifdef JSON_TEST_NUMBERS // for unit testing
     found_float(d, (const uint8_t *)src);
 #endif
@@ -350,10 +350,10 @@ bool slow_float_parsing(UNUSED const char * src, W writer) {
 template<typename W>
 really_inline bool parse_number(UNUSED const uint8_t *const src,
                                 UNUSED bool found_minus,
-                                W writer) {
+                                W &writer) {
 #ifdef SIMDJSON_SKIPNUMBERPARSING // for performance analysis, it is sometimes
                                   // useful to skip parsing
-  writer.write_s64(0);        // always write zero
+  writer.append_s64(0);        // always write zero
   return true;                    // always succeeds
 #else
   const char *p = reinterpret_cast<const char *>(src);
@@ -497,7 +497,7 @@ really_inline bool parse_number(UNUSED const uint8_t *const src,
       }
       // we over-decrement by one when there is a '.'
       digit_count -= int(start - start_digits);
-      if (digit_count >= 19) {
+      if (unlikely(digit_count >= 19)) {
         // Ok, chances are good that we had an overflow!
         // this is almost never going to get called!!!
         // we start anew, going slowly!!!
@@ -505,14 +505,22 @@ really_inline bool parse_number(UNUSED const uint8_t *const src,
         // 10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000e+308
         // 3.1415926535897932384626433832795028841971693993751
         //
-        return slow_float_parsing((const char *) src, writer);
+        bool success = slow_float_parsing((const char *) src, writer);
+        // The number was already written, but we made a copy of the writer
+        // when we passed it to the parse_large_integer() function, so 
+        writer.skip_double();
+        return success;
       }
     }
     if (unlikely(exponent < FASTFLOAT_SMALLEST_POWER) ||
         (exponent > FASTFLOAT_LARGEST_POWER)) { // this is uncommon!!!
       // this is almost never going to get called!!!
       // we start anew, going slowly!!!
-      return slow_float_parsing((const char *) src, writer);
+      bool success = slow_float_parsing((const char *) src, writer);
+      // The number was already written, but we made a copy of the writer when we passed it to the
+      // slow_float_parsing() function, so we have to skip those tape spots now that we've returned
+      writer.skip_double();
+      return success;
     }
     bool success = true;
     double d = compute_float_64(exponent, i, negative, &success);
@@ -521,7 +529,7 @@ really_inline bool parse_number(UNUSED const uint8_t *const src,
       success = parse_float_strtod((const char *)src, &d);
     }
     if (success) {
-      writer.write_double(d);
+      writer.append_double(d);
 #ifdef JSON_TEST_NUMBERS // for unit testing
       found_float(d, src);
 #endif
@@ -536,10 +544,14 @@ really_inline bool parse_number(UNUSED const uint8_t *const src,
     if (unlikely(digit_count >= 18)) { // this is uncommon!!!
       // there is a good chance that we had an overflow, so we need
       // need to recover: we parse the whole thing again.
-      return parse_large_integer(src, writer, found_minus);
+      bool success = parse_large_integer(src, writer, found_minus);
+      // The number was already written, but we made a copy of the writer
+      // when we passed it to the parse_large_integer() function, so 
+      writer.skip_large_integer();
+      return success;
     }
     i = negative ? 0 - i : i;
-    writer.write_s64(i);
+    writer.append_s64(i);
 #ifdef JSON_TEST_NUMBERS // for unit testing
     found_integer(i, src);
 #endif
diff --git a/src/generic/stage2/structural_parser.h b/src/generic/stage2/structural_parser.h
index 6fabcd88..53bcc3ac 100644
--- a/src/generic/stage2/structural_parser.h
+++ b/src/generic/stage2/structural_parser.h
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 namespace stage2 {
 namespace { // Make everything here private
 
+#include "generic/stage2/tape_writer.h"
+
 #ifdef SIMDJSON_USE_COMPUTED_GOTO
 #define INIT_ADDRESSES() { &&array_begin, &&array_continue, &&error, &&finish, &&object_begin, &&object_continue }
 #define GOTO(address) { goto *(address); }
@@ -46,45 +48,25 @@ struct unified_machine_addresses {
 #undef FAIL_IF
 #define FAIL_IF(EXPR) { if (EXPR) { return addresses.error; } }
 
-struct number_writer {
-  dom_parser_implementation &parser;
-  
-  really_inline void write_s64(int64_t value) noexcept {
-    append_tape(0, internal::tape_type::INT64);
-    std::memcpy(&parser.doc->tape[parser.current_loc], &value, sizeof(value));
-    ++parser.current_loc;
-  }
-  really_inline void write_u64(uint64_t value) noexcept {
-    append_tape(0, internal::tape_type::UINT64);
-    parser.doc->tape[parser.current_loc++] = value;
-  }
-  really_inline void write_double(double value) noexcept {
-    append_tape(0, internal::tape_type::DOUBLE);
-    static_assert(sizeof(value) == sizeof(parser.doc->tape[parser.current_loc]), "mismatch size");
-    memcpy(&parser.doc->tape[parser.current_loc++], &value, sizeof(double));
-    // doc->tape[doc->current_loc++] = *((uint64_t *)&d);
-  }
-  really_inline void append_tape(uint64_t val, internal::tape_type t) noexcept {
-    parser.doc->tape[parser.current_loc++] = val | ((uint64_t(char(t))) << 56);
-  }
-}; // struct number_writer
-
 struct structural_parser : structural_iterator {
+  /** Lets you append to the tape */
+  tape_writer tape;
   /** Next write location in the string buf for stage 2 parsing */
-  uint8_t *current_string_buf_loc{};
+  uint8_t *current_string_buf_loc;
   /** Current depth (nested objects and arrays) */
-  uint32_t depth;
+  uint32_t depth{0};
 
   // For non-streaming, to pass an explicit 0 as next_structural, which enables optimizations
   really_inline structural_parser(dom_parser_implementation &_parser, uint32_t start_structural_index)
     : structural_iterator(_parser, start_structural_index),
-      depth{0} {
+      tape{parser.doc->tape.get()},
+      current_string_buf_loc{parser.doc->string_buf.get()} {
   }
 
   WARN_UNUSED really_inline bool start_scope(ret_address_t continue_state) {
-    parser.containing_scope[depth].tape_index = parser.current_loc;
+    parser.containing_scope[depth].tape_index = next_tape_index();
     parser.containing_scope[depth].count = 0;
-    parser.current_loc++; // We don't actually *write* the start element until the end.
+    tape.skip(); // We don't actually *write* the start element until the end.
     parser.ret_address[depth] = continue_state;
     depth++;
     bool exceeded_max_depth = depth >= parser.max_depth();
@@ -112,14 +94,18 @@ struct structural_parser : structural_iterator {
     depth--;
     // write our doc->tape location to the header scope
     // The root scope gets written *at* the previous location.
-    append_tape(parser.containing_scope[depth].tape_index, end);
+    tape.append(parser.containing_scope[depth].tape_index, end);
     // count can overflow if it exceeds 24 bits... so we saturate
     // the convention being that a cnt of 0xffffff or more is undetermined in value (>=  0xffffff).
     const uint32_t start_tape_index = parser.containing_scope[depth].tape_index;
     const uint32_t count = parser.containing_scope[depth].count;
     const uint32_t cntsat = count > 0xFFFFFF ? 0xFFFFFF : count;
     // This is a load and an OR. It would be possible to just write once at doc->tape[d.tape_index]
-    write_tape(start_tape_index, parser.current_loc | (uint64_t(cntsat) << 32), start);
+    tape_writer::write(parser.doc->tape[start_tape_index], next_tape_index() | (uint64_t(cntsat) << 32), start);
+  }
+
+  really_inline uint32_t next_tape_index() {
+    return uint32_t(tape.next_tape_loc - parser.doc->tape.get());
   }
 
   really_inline void end_object() {
@@ -135,14 +121,6 @@ struct structural_parser : structural_iterator {
     end_scope(internal::tape_type::ROOT, internal::tape_type::ROOT);
   }
 
-  really_inline void append_tape(uint64_t val, internal::tape_type t) noexcept {
-    parser.doc->tape[parser.current_loc++] = val | ((uint64_t(char(t))) << 56);
-  }
-
-  really_inline void write_tape(uint32_t loc, uint64_t val, internal::tape_type t) noexcept {
-    parser.doc->tape[loc] = val | ((uint64_t(char(t))) << 56);
-  }
-
   // increment_count increments the count of keys in an object or values in an array.
   // Note that if you are at the level of the values or elements, the count
   // must be increment in the preceding depth (depth-1) where the array or
@@ -153,7 +131,7 @@ struct structural_parser : structural_iterator {
 
   really_inline uint8_t *on_start_string() noexcept {
     // we advance the point, accounting for the fact that we have a NULL termination
-    append_tape(current_string_buf_loc - parser.doc->string_buf.get(), internal::tape_type::STRING);
+    tape.append(current_string_buf_loc - parser.doc->string_buf.get(), internal::tape_type::STRING);
     return current_string_buf_loc + sizeof(uint32_t);
   }
 
@@ -183,8 +161,7 @@ struct structural_parser : structural_iterator {
 
   WARN_UNUSED really_inline bool parse_number(const uint8_t *src, bool found_minus) {
     log_value("number");
-    number_writer writer{parser};
-    bool succeeded = numberparsing::parse_number(src, found_minus, writer);
+    bool succeeded = numberparsing::parse_number(src, found_minus, tape);
     if (!succeeded) { log_error("Invalid number"); }
     return !succeeded;
   }
@@ -200,17 +177,17 @@ struct structural_parser : structural_iterator {
     case 't':
       log_value("true");
       FAIL_IF( !atomparsing::is_valid_true_atom(current()) );
-      append_tape(0, internal::tape_type::TRUE_VALUE);
+      tape.append(0, internal::tape_type::TRUE_VALUE);
       return continue_state;
     case 'f':
       log_value("false");
       FAIL_IF( !atomparsing::is_valid_false_atom(current()) );
-      append_tape(0, internal::tape_type::FALSE_VALUE);
+      tape.append(0, internal::tape_type::FALSE_VALUE);
       return continue_state;
     case 'n':
       log_value("null");
       FAIL_IF( !atomparsing::is_valid_null_atom(current()) );
-      append_tape(0, internal::tape_type::NULL_VALUE);
+      tape.append(0, internal::tape_type::NULL_VALUE);
       return continue_state;
     case '0': case '1': case '2': case '3': case '4':
     case '5': case '6': case '7': case '8': case '9':
@@ -285,8 +262,6 @@ struct structural_parser : structural_iterator {
 
   really_inline void init() {
     log_start();
-    current_string_buf_loc = parser.doc->string_buf.get();
-    parser.current_loc = 0;
     parser.error = UNINITIALIZED;
   }
 
@@ -362,17 +337,17 @@ WARN_UNUSED static error_code parse_structurals(dom_parser_implementation &dom_p
   case 't':
     parser.log_value("true");
     FAIL_IF( !atomparsing::is_valid_true_atom(parser.current(), parser.remaining_len()) );
-    parser.append_tape(0, internal::tape_type::TRUE_VALUE);
+    parser.tape.append(0, internal::tape_type::TRUE_VALUE);
     goto finish;
   case 'f':
     parser.log_value("false");
     FAIL_IF( !atomparsing::is_valid_false_atom(parser.current(), parser.remaining_len()) );
-    parser.append_tape(0, internal::tape_type::FALSE_VALUE);
+    parser.tape.append(0, internal::tape_type::FALSE_VALUE);
     goto finish;
   case 'n':
     parser.log_value("null");
     FAIL_IF( !atomparsing::is_valid_null_atom(parser.current(), parser.remaining_len()) );
-    parser.append_tape(0, internal::tape_type::NULL_VALUE);
+    parser.tape.append(0, internal::tape_type::NULL_VALUE);
     goto finish;
   case '0': case '1': case '2': case '3': case '4':
   case '5': case '6': case '7': case '8': case '9':
diff --git a/src/generic/stage2/tape_writer.h b/src/generic/stage2/tape_writer.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..47282d6a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/generic/stage2/tape_writer.h
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+struct tape_writer {
+  /** The next place to write to tape */
+  uint64_t *next_tape_loc;
+  
+  /** Write a signed 64-bit value to tape. */
+  really_inline void append_s64(int64_t value) noexcept;
+
+  /** Write an unsigned 64-bit value to tape. */
+  really_inline void append_u64(uint64_t value) noexcept;
+
+  /** Write a double value to tape. */
+  really_inline void append_double(double value) noexcept;
+
+  /**
+   * Append a tape entry (an 8-bit type,and 56 bits worth of value).
+   */
+  really_inline void append(uint64_t val, internal::tape_type t) noexcept;
+
+  /**
+   * Skip the current tape entry without writing.
+   *
+   * Used to skip the start of the container, since we'll come back later to fill it in when the
+   * container ends.
+   */
+  really_inline void skip() noexcept;
+
+  /**
+   * Skip the number of tape entries necessary to write a large u64 or i64.
+   */
+  really_inline void skip_large_integer() noexcept;
+
+  /**
+   * Skip the number of tape entries necessary to write a double.
+   */
+  really_inline void skip_double() noexcept;
+
+  /**
+   * Write a value to a known location on tape.
+   *
+   * Used to go back and write out the start of a container after the container ends.
+   */
+  really_inline static void write(uint64_t &tape_loc, uint64_t val, internal::tape_type t) noexcept;
+
+private:
+  /**
+   * Append both the tape entry, and a supplementary value following it. Used for types that need
+   * all 64 bits, such as double and uint64_t.
+   */
+  template<typename T>
+  really_inline void append2(uint64_t val, T val2, internal::tape_type t) noexcept;
+}; // struct number_writer
+
+really_inline void tape_writer::append_s64(int64_t value) noexcept {
+  append2(0, value, internal::tape_type::INT64);
+}
+
+really_inline void tape_writer::append_u64(uint64_t value) noexcept {
+  append(0, internal::tape_type::UINT64);
+  *next_tape_loc = value;
+  next_tape_loc++;
+}
+
+/** Write a double value to tape. */
+really_inline void tape_writer::append_double(double value) noexcept {
+  append2(0, value, internal::tape_type::DOUBLE);
+}
+
+really_inline void tape_writer::skip() noexcept {
+  next_tape_loc++;
+}
+
+really_inline void tape_writer::skip_large_integer() noexcept {
+  next_tape_loc += 2;
+}
+
+really_inline void tape_writer::skip_double() noexcept {
+  next_tape_loc += 2;
+}
+
+really_inline void tape_writer::append(uint64_t val, internal::tape_type t) noexcept {
+  *next_tape_loc = val | ((uint64_t(char(t))) << 56);
+  next_tape_loc++;
+}
+
+template<typename T>
+really_inline void tape_writer::append2(uint64_t val, T val2, internal::tape_type t) noexcept {
+  append(val, t);
+  static_assert(sizeof(val2) == sizeof(*next_tape_loc), "Type is not 64 bits!");
+  memcpy(next_tape_loc, &val2, sizeof(val2));
+  next_tape_loc++;
+}
+
+really_inline void tape_writer::write(uint64_t &tape_loc, uint64_t val, internal::tape_type t) noexcept {
+  tape_loc = val | ((uint64_t(char(t))) << 56);
+}