diff --git a/experimental/zerotrie/src/cursor.rs b/experimental/zerotrie/src/cursor.rs
index a7a88645415..40327d7e85d 100644
--- a/experimental/zerotrie/src/cursor.rs
+++ b/experimental/zerotrie/src/cursor.rs
@@ -118,9 +118,28 @@ impl<'a> ZeroTrieSimpleAsciiCursor<'a> {
     /// cursor.step(b'y');
     /// assert_eq!(cursor.take_value(), None); // "abcdxy"
     /// ```
+    ///
+    /// If the byte is not ASCII, the cursor will become empty:
+    ///
+    /// ```
+    /// use zerotrie::ZeroTrieSimpleAscii;
+    ///
+    /// // A trie with two values: "abc" and "abcdef"
+    /// let trie = ZeroTrieSimpleAscii::from_bytes(b"abc\x80def\x81");
+    ///
+    /// let mut cursor = trie.cursor();
+    /// assert_eq!(cursor.take_value(), None); // ""
+    /// cursor.step(b'a');
+    /// assert_eq!(cursor.take_value(), None); // "a"
+    /// cursor.step(b'b');
+    /// assert_eq!(cursor.take_value(), None); // "ab"
+    /// cursor.step(b'\xFF');
+    /// assert!(cursor.is_empty());
+    /// assert_eq!(cursor.take_value(), None);
+    /// ```
     #[inline]
     pub fn step(&mut self, byte: u8) {
-        step_bsearch_only(&mut self.trie.store, byte)
+        step_ascii_bsearch_only(&mut self.trie.store, byte)
     }
 
     /// Takes the value at the current position.
diff --git a/experimental/zerotrie/src/reader.rs b/experimental/zerotrie/src/reader.rs
index bc5df09808e..7d2c65f811a 100644
--- a/experimental/zerotrie/src/reader.rs
+++ b/experimental/zerotrie/src/reader.rs
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 //! Here is an example ZeroTrie without branch nodes:
 //!
 //! ```
-//! use zerotrie::ZeroTrieSimpleAscii;
+//! use zerotrie::ZeroTriePerfectHash;
 //!
 //! let bytes = [
 //!     b'a',       // ASCII literal
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
 //!     0b10000100, // value 4
 //! ];
 //!
-//! let trie = ZeroTrieSimpleAscii::from_bytes(&bytes);
+//! let trie = ZeroTriePerfectHash::from_bytes(&bytes);
 //!
 //! // First value: "a" → 10
 //! assert_eq!(trie.get(b"a"), Some(10));
@@ -303,15 +303,20 @@ fn byte_type(b: u8) -> NodeType {
 // | subtags_10pct | ~9.5557 µs        | ~4.8696 µs         | ~9.5779 µs        | ~4.5649 µs         |
 // | subtags_full  | ~137.75 µs        | ~76.016 µs         | ~142.02 µs        | ~70.254 µs         |
 
-/// Query the trie assuming all branch nodes are binary search.
-pub fn get_bsearch_only(mut trie: &[u8], mut ascii: &[u8]) -> Option<usize> {
+/// Query the trie assuming all branch nodes are binary search
+/// and there are no span nodes.
+pub fn get_ascii_bsearch_only(mut trie: &[u8], mut ascii: &[u8]) -> Option<usize> {
     loop {
         let (b, x, i, search);
         (b, trie) = trie.split_first()?;
         let byte_type = byte_type(*b);
         (x, trie) = match byte_type {
             NodeType::Ascii => (0, trie),
-            NodeType::Span | NodeType::Value => read_varint_meta3(*b, trie),
+            NodeType::Span => {
+                debug_assert!(false, "Span node found in ASCII trie!");
+                return None;
+            }
+            NodeType::Value => read_varint_meta3(*b, trie),
             NodeType::Branch => read_varint_meta2(*b, trie),
         };
         if let Some((c, temp)) = ascii.split_first() {
@@ -329,18 +334,6 @@ pub fn get_bsearch_only(mut trie: &[u8], mut ascii: &[u8]) -> Option<usize> {
                 // Value node, but not at end of string
                 continue;
             }
-            if matches!(byte_type, NodeType::Span) {
-                let (trie_span, ascii_span);
-                (trie_span, trie) = trie.debug_split_at(x);
-                (ascii_span, ascii) = ascii.maybe_split_at(x)?;
-                if trie_span == ascii_span {
-                    // Matched a byte span
-                    continue;
-                } else {
-                    // Byte span that doesn't match
-                    return None;
-                }
-            }
             // Branch node
             let (x, w) = if x >= 256 { (x & 0xff, x >> 8) } else { (x, 0) };
             // See comment above regarding this assertion
@@ -509,7 +502,7 @@ pub fn get_phf_extended(mut trie: &[u8], mut ascii: &[u8]) -> Option<usize> {
 ///
 /// The input-output argument `trie` starts at the original trie and ends pointing to
 /// the sub-trie reachable by `c`.
-pub(crate) fn step_bsearch_only(trie: &mut &[u8], c: u8) {
+pub(crate) fn step_ascii_bsearch_only(trie: &mut &[u8], c: u8) {
     let (mut b, x, search);
     loop {
         (b, *trie) = match trie.split_first() {
@@ -537,7 +530,7 @@ pub(crate) fn step_bsearch_only(trie: &mut &[u8], c: u8) {
             NodeType::Span => {
                 // Question: Should we put the trie back into a valid state?
                 // Currently this code is unreachable so let's not worry about it.
-                debug_assert!(false, "span nodes not supported in stepping");
+                debug_assert!(false, "Span node found in ASCII trie!");
                 return;
             }
             NodeType::Value => {
diff --git a/experimental/zerotrie/src/zerotrie.rs b/experimental/zerotrie/src/zerotrie.rs
index deedcb81443..b542f2483db 100644
--- a/experimental/zerotrie/src/zerotrie.rs
+++ b/experimental/zerotrie/src/zerotrie.rs
@@ -96,6 +96,17 @@ pub(crate) enum ZeroTrieFlavor<Store> {
 ///
 /// # Ok::<_, zerotrie::ZeroTrieError>(())
 /// ```
+///
+/// The trie can only store ASCII bytes; a string with non-ASCII always returns None:
+///
+/// ```
+/// use zerotrie::ZeroTrieSimpleAscii;
+///
+/// // A trie with two values: "abc" and "abcdef"
+/// let trie = ZeroTrieSimpleAscii::from_bytes(b"abc\x80def\x81");
+///
+/// assert!(matches!(trie.get(b"ab\xFF"), None));
+/// ```
 #[repr(transparent)]
 #[derive(Debug, Default, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq)]
 #[cfg_attr(feature = "databake", derive(databake::Bake), databake(path = zerotrie))]
@@ -543,7 +554,7 @@ fn string_to_box_u8(input: String) -> Box<[u8]> {
 impl_zerotrie_subtype!(
     ZeroTrieSimpleAscii,
     SimpleAscii,
-    get_bsearch_only,
+    get_ascii_bsearch_only,
     String,
     get_iter_ascii_or_panic,
     string_to_box_u8