diff --git a/src/bdf/bdfdrivr.c b/src/bdf/bdfdrivr.c
index eb73a7cf9..d7e8e0efc 100644
--- a/src/bdf/bdfdrivr.c
+++ b/src/bdf/bdfdrivr.c
@@ -92,24 +92,18 @@ THE SOFTWARE.
   {
     BDF_CMap          cmap      = (BDF_CMap)bdfcmap;
     BDF_encoding_el*  encodings = cmap->encodings;
-    FT_ULong          min, max, mid; /* num_encodings */
     FT_UShort         result    = 0; /* encodings->glyph */
 
+    FT_ULong  min = 0;
+    FT_ULong  max = cmap->num_encodings;
+    FT_ULong  mid = ( min + max ) >> 1;
 
-    min = 0;
-    max = cmap->num_encodings;
-    mid = ( min + max ) >> 1;
 
     while ( min < max )
     {
-      FT_ULong  code;
+      FT_ULong  code = encodings[mid].enc;
 
 
-      if ( mid >= max || mid < min )
-        mid = ( min + max ) >> 1;
-
-      code = encodings[mid].enc;
-
       if ( charcode == code )
       {
         /* increase glyph index by 1 --              */
@@ -123,8 +117,10 @@ THE SOFTWARE.
       else
         min = mid + 1;
 
-      /* prediction in a continuous block */
+      /* reasonable prediction in a continuous block */
       mid += charcode - code;
+      if ( mid >= max || mid < min )
+        mid = ( min + max ) >> 1;
     }
 
     return result;
@@ -137,25 +133,19 @@ THE SOFTWARE.
   {
     BDF_CMap          cmap      = (BDF_CMap)bdfcmap;
     BDF_encoding_el*  encodings = cmap->encodings;
-    FT_ULong          min, max, mid; /* num_encodings */
     FT_UShort         result   = 0;  /* encodings->glyph */
     FT_ULong          charcode = *acharcode + 1;
 
+    FT_ULong  min = 0;
+    FT_ULong  max = cmap->num_encodings;
+    FT_ULong  mid = ( min + max ) >> 1;
 
-    min = 0;
-    max = cmap->num_encodings;
-    mid = ( min + max ) >> 1;
 
     while ( min < max )
     {
-      FT_ULong  code; /* same as BDF_encoding_el.enc */
+      FT_ULong  code = encodings[mid].enc;
 
 
-      if ( mid >= max || mid < min )
-        mid = ( min + max ) >> 1;
-
-      code = encodings[mid].enc;
-
       if ( charcode == code )
       {
         /* increase glyph index by 1 --              */
@@ -171,6 +161,8 @@ THE SOFTWARE.
 
       /* prediction in a continuous block */
       mid += charcode - code;
+      if ( mid >= max || mid < min )
+        mid = ( min + max ) >> 1;
     }
 
     charcode = 0;
diff --git a/src/pfr/pfrcmap.c b/src/pfr/pfrcmap.c
index 6fa2417dc..0dd0e2342 100644
--- a/src/pfr/pfrcmap.c
+++ b/src/pfr/pfrcmap.c
@@ -69,17 +69,14 @@
   pfr_cmap_char_index( PFR_CMap   cmap,
                        FT_UInt32  char_code )
   {
-    FT_UInt  min = 0;
-    FT_UInt  max = cmap->num_chars;
+    FT_UInt   min = 0;
+    FT_UInt   max = cmap->num_chars;
+    FT_UInt   mid = min + ( max - min ) / 2;
+    PFR_Char  gchar;
 
 
     while ( min < max )
     {
-      PFR_Char  gchar;
-      FT_UInt   mid;
-
-
-      mid   = min + ( max - min ) / 2;
       gchar = cmap->chars + mid;
 
       if ( gchar->char_code == char_code )
@@ -89,6 +86,11 @@
         min = mid + 1;
       else
         max = mid;
+
+      /* reasonable prediction in a continuous block */
+      mid += char_code - gchar->char_code;
+      if ( mid >= max || mid < min )
+        mid = min + ( max - min ) / 2;
     }
     return 0;
   }
@@ -106,13 +108,12 @@
     {
       FT_UInt   min = 0;
       FT_UInt   max = cmap->num_chars;
-      FT_UInt   mid;
+      FT_UInt   mid = min + ( max - min ) / 2;
       PFR_Char  gchar;
 
 
       while ( min < max )
       {
-        mid   = min + ( ( max - min ) >> 1 );
         gchar = cmap->chars + mid;
 
         if ( gchar->char_code == char_code )
@@ -132,6 +133,11 @@
           min = mid + 1;
         else
           max = mid;
+
+        /* reasonable prediction in a continuous block */
+        mid += char_code - gchar->char_code;
+        if ( mid >= max || mid < min )
+          mid = min + ( max - min ) / 2;
       }
 
       /* we didn't find it, but we have a pair just above it */
diff --git a/src/psnames/psmodule.c b/src/psnames/psmodule.c
index e7d51e950..4730d8bf0 100644
--- a/src/psnames/psmodule.c
+++ b/src/psnames/psmodule.c
@@ -412,21 +412,18 @@
   ps_unicodes_char_index( PS_Unicodes  table,
                           FT_UInt32    unicode )
   {
-    PS_UniMap  *min, *max, *mid, *result = NULL;
+    PS_UniMap  *result = NULL;
+    PS_UniMap  *min = table->maps;
+    PS_UniMap  *max = min + table->num_maps;
+    PS_UniMap  *mid = min + ( ( max - min ) >> 1 );
 
 
     /* Perform a binary search on the table. */
-
-    min = table->maps;
-    max = min + table->num_maps - 1;
-
-    while ( min <= max )
+    while ( min < max )
     {
       FT_UInt32  base_glyph;
 
 
-      mid = min + ( ( max - min ) >> 1 );
-
       if ( mid->unicode == unicode )
       {
         result = mid;
@@ -438,13 +435,15 @@
       if ( base_glyph == unicode )
         result = mid; /* remember match but continue search for base glyph */
 
-      if ( min == max )
-        break;
-
       if ( base_glyph < unicode )
         min = mid + 1;
       else
-        max = mid - 1;
+        max = mid;
+
+      /* reasonable prediction in a continuous block */
+      mid += unicode - base_glyph;
+      if ( mid >= max || mid < min )
+        mid = min + ( ( max - min ) >> 1 );
     }
 
     if ( result )
@@ -465,14 +464,13 @@
     {
       FT_UInt     min = 0;
       FT_UInt     max = table->num_maps;
-      FT_UInt     mid;
+      FT_UInt     mid = min + ( ( max - min ) >> 1 );
       PS_UniMap*  map;
       FT_UInt32   base_glyph;
 
 
       while ( min < max )
       {
-        mid = min + ( ( max - min ) >> 1 );
         map = table->maps + mid;
 
         if ( map->unicode == char_code )
@@ -490,6 +488,11 @@
           min = mid + 1;
         else
           max = mid;
+
+        /* reasonable prediction in a continuous block */
+        mid += char_code - base_glyph;
+        if ( mid >= max || mid < min )
+          mid = min + ( max - min ) / 2;
       }
 
       if ( result )