diff --git a/src/enc.cpp b/src/enc.cpp
index 97a966e8..43a2ca97 100644
--- a/src/enc.cpp
+++ b/src/enc.cpp
@@ -103,8 +103,8 @@ void Decoder::setRefs(const std::vector<Ref*> &refVec) {
 Instruction *ByteDecoder::decode(const vector<Byte> &v, Size &n) {
   Instruction &inst = *(new Instruction());
 
-  RegNum pred = readByte(v, n);
-  if (pred) inst.setPred(pred - 1);
+  uint8_t pred = readByte(v, n);
+  if (pred != 0xff) inst.setPred(pred);
 
   unsigned op = readByte(v, n);
   inst.setOpcode(Instruction::Opcode(op));
@@ -190,8 +190,8 @@ ByteEncoder::ByteEncoder(const ArchDef &ad) {
 Size ByteEncoder::encode(Ref *&ref, vector<Byte> &v, Size n0, Instruction &i) {
   Size n(n0);
 
-  if (i.hasPred()) writeByte(v, n, i.getPred() + 1);
-  else writeByte(v, n, 0);
+  if (i.hasPred()) writeByte(v, n, i.getPred());
+  else writeByte(v, n, 0xff);
 
   writeByte(v, n, Byte(i.getOpcode()));
 
diff --git a/src/test/sieve.s b/src/test/sieve.s
index ab7b4936..5fe4916f 100644
--- a/src/test/sieve.s
+++ b/src/test/sieve.s
@@ -12,26 +12,18 @@
 .perm x
 .entry
 .global
-entry:       ldi %r7, hello; jali %r5, puts;
-    
+entry:
              ldi  %r0, #2; /* i = 2 */
 loop1:       addi %r7, %r0, #0;
              jali %r5, printdec;
     
              muli %r1, %r0, __WORD;
-             ldi %r7, wrstr;
-             jali %r5, puts;
              st   %r0, %r1, array;
-             ldi %r7, wrfin;
-             jali %r5, puts;
              addi %r0, %r0, #1;
              subi %r1, %r0, SIZE;
              rtop @p0, %r1;
        @p0 ? jmpi loop1;
 
-             ldi %r7, xstr;
-            jali %r5, puts;
-
              ldi  %r0, #1;    
 loop2:       addi %r0, %r0, #1;
              muli %r1, %r0, __WORD;
@@ -78,10 +70,6 @@ loop4:       ld   %r1, %r0, array;
              trap; /* All traps currently cause a halt. */
 
 .perm rw /* TODO: How should I write section permissions? */
-hello:  .string "\"Harp!\" is how a harp seal says hello!\n"
-wrstr:  .string "Doing write\n"
-wrfin:  .string "Did write\n"
-xstr:   .string "Exiting loop\n"
 
 .global
 array: .space 0x1000 /* SIZE words of space. */