diff --git a/src/hash.hpp b/src/hash.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c1995e8a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/hash.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,120 @@
+#ifndef STROBEALIGN_HASH_HPP
+#define STROBEALIGN_HASH_HPP
+
+/* This is an extremely reduced version of xxh64 that can only hash single
+ * 64 bit values, consisting mostly of the "bit mixing" part of xxh64
+ * (finalize()/avalanche()).
+ *
+ * This performs a little bit better than calling the original function on an
+ * 8-byte slice because the compiler does not fully inline everything.
+ */
+
+
+/*
+ * xxHash - Extremely Fast Hash algorithm
+ * Header File
+ * Copyright (C) 2012-2021 Yann Collet
+ *
+ * BSD 2-Clause License (https://www.opensource.org/licenses/bsd-license.php)
+ *
+ * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
+ * modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are
+ * met:
+ *
+ *    * Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
+ *      notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
+ *    * Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above
+ *      copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer
+ *      in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the
+ *      distribution.
+ *
+ * THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS
+ * "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT
+ * LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR
+ * A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT
+ * OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
+ * SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT
+ * LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE,
+ * DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY
+ * THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT
+ * (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE
+ * OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
+ *
+ * You can contact the author at:
+ *   - xxHash homepage: https://www.xxhash.com
+ *   - xxHash source repository: https://github.com/Cyan4973/xxHash
+ */
+
+
+#include <stdint.h>
+
+
+#ifdef __has_builtin
+#  define XXH_HAS_BUILTIN(x) __has_builtin(x)
+#else
+#  define XXH_HAS_BUILTIN(x) 0
+#endif
+
+/*!
+ * @internal
+ * @def XXH_rotl32(x,r)
+ * @brief 32-bit rotate left.
+ *
+ * @param x The 32-bit integer to be rotated.
+ * @param r The number of bits to rotate.
+ * @pre
+ *   @p r > 0 && @p r < 32
+ * @note
+ *   @p x and @p r may be evaluated multiple times.
+ * @return The rotated result.
+ */
+#if !defined(NO_CLANG_BUILTIN) && XXH_HAS_BUILTIN(__builtin_rotateleft32) \
+                               && XXH_HAS_BUILTIN(__builtin_rotateleft64)
+#  define XXH_rotl32 __builtin_rotateleft32
+#  define XXH_rotl64 __builtin_rotateleft64
+/* Note: although _rotl exists for minGW (GCC under windows), performance seems poor */
+#elif defined(_MSC_VER)
+#  define XXH_rotl32(x,r) _rotl(x,r)
+#  define XXH_rotl64(x,r) _rotl64(x,r)
+#else
+#  define XXH_rotl32(x,r) (((x) << (r)) | ((x) >> (32 - (r))))
+#  define XXH_rotl64(x,r) (((x) << (r)) | ((x) >> (64 - (r))))
+#endif
+
+
+
+/*******   xxh64   *******/
+/*!
+ * @}
+ * @defgroup XXH64_impl XXH64 implementation
+ * @ingroup impl
+ *
+ * Details on the XXH64 implementation.
+ * @{
+
+*/
+/* #define rather that static const, to be used as initializers */
+#define XXH_PRIME64_1  0x9E3779B185EBCA87ULL  /*!< 0b1001111000110111011110011011000110000101111010111100101010000111 */
+#define XXH_PRIME64_2  0xC2B2AE3D27D4EB4FULL  /*!< 0b1100001010110010101011100011110100100111110101001110101101001111 */
+#define XXH_PRIME64_3  0x165667B19E3779F9ULL  /*!< 0b0001011001010110011001111011000110011110001101110111100111111001 */
+#define XXH_PRIME64_4  0x85EBCA77C2B2AE63ULL  /*!< 0b1000010111101011110010100111011111000010101100101010111001100011 */
+#define XXH_PRIME64_5  0x27D4EB2F165667C5ULL  /*!< 0b0010011111010100111010110010111100010110010101100110011111000101 */
+
+
+/// xxh64, but it can only be used for a single u64
+uint64_t xxh64(uint64_t input) {
+    uint64_t result = XXH_PRIME64_5 + 8;
+    input *= XXH_PRIME64_2;
+    input = XXH_rotl64(input, 31);
+    result ^= input * XXH_PRIME64_1;
+    result = XXH_rotl64(result, 27);
+    result = result * XXH_PRIME64_1 + XXH_PRIME64_4;
+    result ^= result >> 33;
+    result = result * XXH_PRIME64_2;
+    result ^= result >> 29;
+    result = result * XXH_PRIME64_3;
+    result ^= result >> 32;
+    return result;
+}
+
+#endif
diff --git a/src/randstrobes.cpp b/src/randstrobes.cpp
index 8c87af37..3cfb5a0a 100644
--- a/src/randstrobes.cpp
+++ b/src/randstrobes.cpp
@@ -4,9 +4,7 @@
 #include <algorithm>
 #include <cassert>
 
-#define XXH_INLINE_ALL
-#include <xxhash.h>
-
+#include "hash.hpp"
 #include "randstrobes.hpp"
 
 // a, A -> 0
@@ -37,14 +35,14 @@ static inline syncmer_hash_t syncmer_kmer_hash(uint64_t packed) {
     // return yk;
     // return hash64(yk, mask);
     // return sahlin_dna_hash(yk, mask);
-    return XXH64(&packed, sizeof(uint64_t), 0);
+    return xxh64(packed);
 }
 
 static inline syncmer_hash_t syncmer_smer_hash(uint64_t packed) {
     // return ys;
     // return robin_hash(ys);
     // return hash64(ys, mask);
-    return XXH64(&packed, 8, 0);
+    return xxh64(packed);
 }
 
 static inline randstrobe_hash_t randstrobe_hash(syncmer_hash_t hash1, syncmer_hash_t hash2) {