diff --git a/ref/poly.c b/ref/poly.c
index 9d3b1358..a8809cec 100644
--- a/ref/poly.c
+++ b/ref/poly.c
@@ -174,8 +174,7 @@ void poly_frommsg(poly *r, const uint8_t msg[KYBER_INDCPA_MSGBYTES])
 
   for(i=0;i<KYBER_N/8;i++) {
     for(j=0;j<8;j++) {
-      r->coeffs[8*i+j] = 0;
-      cmov_int16(r->coeffs+8*i+j, ((KYBER_Q+1)/2), (msg[i] >> j)&1);
+      r->coeffs[8*i+j] = cmov_int16(0, ((KYBER_Q+1)/2), (msg[i] >> j)&1);
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/ref/verify.c b/ref/verify.c
index 4bcb1e5f..becdd47f 100644
--- a/ref/verify.c
+++ b/ref/verify.c
@@ -59,16 +59,19 @@ void cmov(uint8_t *r, const uint8_t *x, size_t len, uint8_t b)
 /*************************************************
 * Name:        cmov_int16
 *
-* Description: Copy input v to *r if b is 1, don't modify *r if b is 0. 
-*              Requires b to be in {0,1};
+* Description: Returns a if select == 1, or b if select == 0.
+*              Requires select to be in {0,1}.
 *              Runs in constant time.
 *
-* Arguments:   int16_t *r:       pointer to output int16_t
-*              int16_t v:        input int16_t 
-*              uint8_t b:        Condition bit; has to be in {0,1}
+* Arguments:   int16_t a:        first int16_t input
+*              int16_t b:        second int16_t input
+*              uint8_t select:   Condition bit; has to be in {0,1}
+*
+* Returns a if select == 1 or b if select == 0, or
+* an undefined value otherwise.
 **************************************************/
-void cmov_int16(int16_t *r, int16_t v, uint16_t b)
+__attribute__((noinline)) int16_t cmov_int16(int16_t a, int16_t b, uint16_t select)
 {
-  b = -b;
-  *r ^= b & ((*r) ^ v);
+  const uint16_t mask = -select;
+  return a ^ (mask & (a ^ b));
 }
diff --git a/ref/verify.h b/ref/verify.h
index 09f0ad50..d0e4e8b6 100644
--- a/ref/verify.h
+++ b/ref/verify.h
@@ -12,6 +12,6 @@ int verify(const uint8_t *a, const uint8_t *b, size_t len);
 void cmov(uint8_t *r, const uint8_t *x, size_t len, uint8_t b);
 
 #define cmov_int16 KYBER_NAMESPACE(cmov_int16)
-void cmov_int16(int16_t *r, int16_t v, uint16_t b);
+int16_t cmov_int16(int16_t a, int16_t b, uint16_t select);
 
 #endif