diff --git a/include/span.h b/include/span.h
index 38cf9f5..4983295 100644
--- a/include/span.h
+++ b/include/span.h
@@ -94,20 +94,22 @@ public:
     constexpr static const index_type extent = Extent;
 
     // [span.cons], span constructors, copy, assignment, and destructor 
-    constexpr span() noexcept : data_(nullptr), size_(0)
-    { static_assert(extent == dynamic_extent || extent == 0, "Cannot default initialize a fixed-length span."); }
+    constexpr span() noexcept : storage_(nullptr, extent_type<0>())
+    {}
 
     constexpr span(nullptr_t) noexcept : span()
     {}
 
-    constexpr span(pointer ptr, index_type count) : data_(ptr), size_(count)
-    { Expects(((!ptr && count == 0) || (ptr && count >= 0)) && (extent == dynamic_extent || extent == count)); }
+    constexpr span(pointer ptr, index_type count) : storage_(ptr, count)
+    { Expects(((!ptr && count == 0) || (ptr && count >= 0))); }
 
-    constexpr span(pointer firstElem, pointer lastElem) : data_(firstElem), size_(std::distance(firstElem, lastElem))
-    { Expects(size_ >= 0 && (extent == dynamic_extent || extent == size_)); }
+    constexpr span(pointer firstElem, pointer lastElem)
+        : storage_(firstElem, std::distance(firstElem, lastElem))
+    {}
     
     template <size_t N>
-    constexpr span(element_type(&arr)[N]) {}
+    constexpr span(element_type(&arr)[N]) : storage_(&arr[0], extent_type<N>())
+    {}
 
 #if 0 // TODO
     template <size_t N>
@@ -141,7 +143,7 @@ public:
 #endif
     // [span.obs], span observers 
     constexpr index_type length() const noexcept { return size(); }
-    constexpr index_type size() const noexcept { return size_;  }
+    constexpr index_type size() const noexcept { return storage_.size();  }
     constexpr index_type length_bytes() const noexcept { return size_bytes(); }
     constexpr index_type size_bytes() const noexcept { return size() * sizeof(element_type); }
     constexpr bool empty() const noexcept { return size() == 0; }
@@ -149,11 +151,11 @@ public:
     // [span.elem], span element access 
     constexpr reference operator[](index_type idx) const
     {
-        Expects(idx >= 0 && idx < size_);
-        return data_[idx];
+        Expects(idx >= 0 && idx < storage_.size());
+        return storage_.data()[idx];
     }
     constexpr reference operator()(index_type idx) const { return this->operator[](idx); }
-    constexpr pointer data() const noexcept { return data_; }
+    constexpr pointer data() const noexcept { return storage_.data(); }
 #if 0 // TODO
     // [span.iter], span iterator support 
     iterator begin() const noexcept;
@@ -169,8 +171,70 @@ public:
     const_reverse_iterator crend() const noexcept;
 #endif
 private:
-    pointer data_;
-    index_type size_;
+    template <index_type Extent>
+    class extent_type;
+    
+    template <index_type Extent>
+    class extent_type
+    {
+    public:
+        static_assert(Extent >= 0, "A fixed-size span must be >= 0 in size.");
+
+        constexpr extent_type() noexcept {}
+
+        template <index_type Other>
+        constexpr extent_type(extent_type<Other>) noexcept
+        {
+            static_assert(Other == Extent,
+                "Mismatch between fixed-size extent and size of initializing data.");
+        }
+
+        constexpr extent_type(index_type size)
+        { Expects(size == Extent); }
+
+        constexpr inline index_type size() const noexcept { return Extent; }
+    };
+
+    template <>
+    class extent_type<dynamic_extent>
+    {
+    public:
+        template <index_type Other>
+        explicit constexpr extent_type(extent_type<Other> ext) : size_(ext.size())
+        {}
+
+        explicit constexpr extent_type(index_type size) : size_(size)
+        { Expects(size >= 0); } 
+
+        constexpr inline index_type size() const noexcept
+        { return size_; }
+
+    private:
+        index_type size_;
+    };
+
+    // this implementation detail class lets us take advantage of the 
+    // empty base class optimization to pay for only storage of a single
+    // pointer in the case of fixed-size spans
+    template <class ExtentType>
+    class storage_type : public ExtentType
+    {
+    public:
+        template <class OtherExtentType>
+        storage_type(pointer data, OtherExtentType ext)
+            : ExtentType(ext), data_(data) {}
+
+        //storage_type(pointer data, ExtentType ext)
+        //    : ExtentType(ext), data_(data) {}
+        
+        constexpr inline pointer data() const noexcept
+        { return data_; }
+
+    private:
+        pointer data_;
+    };
+
+    storage_type<extent_type<Extent>> storage_;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/tests/span_tests.cpp b/tests/span_tests.cpp
index 11004ae..e4bdef4 100644
--- a/tests/span_tests.cpp
+++ b/tests/span_tests.cpp
@@ -73,6 +73,19 @@ SUITE(span_tests)
         }
     }
 
+    TEST(size_optimization)
+    {
+        {
+            span<int> s;
+            CHECK(sizeof(s) == sizeof(int*) + sizeof(ptrdiff_t));
+        }
+
+        {
+            span<int, 0> s;
+            CHECK(sizeof(s) == sizeof(int*));
+        }
+    }
+
     TEST(from_nullptr_constructor)
     {
         {
@@ -250,7 +263,7 @@ SUITE(span_tests)
         //    CHECK_THROW(workaround_macro(), fail_fast);
         //}
     }
-#if 0
+
     TEST(from_array_constructor)
     {
         int arr[5] = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5};
@@ -265,10 +278,11 @@ SUITE(span_tests)
             CHECK(s.length() == 5 && s.data() == &arr[0]);
         }
 
-        {
+        int arr2d[2][3] = { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 };
+
 #ifdef CONFIRM_COMPILATION_ERRORS
+        {
             span<int, 6> s{arr};
-#endif
         }
 
         {
@@ -276,8 +290,6 @@ SUITE(span_tests)
             CHECK(s.length() == 0 && s.data() == &arr[0]);
         }
 
-        int arr2d[2][3] = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6};
-
         {
             span<int> s{arr2d};
             CHECK(s.length() == 6 && s.data() == &arr2d[0][0]);
@@ -290,43 +302,17 @@ SUITE(span_tests)
         }
 
         {
-#ifdef CONFIRM_COMPILATION_ERRORS
-            span<int, 5> s{arr2d};
+            span<int, 6> s{ arr2d };
+        }
 #endif
-        }
-
         {
-            span<int, 6> s{arr2d};
-            CHECK(s.length() == 6 && s.data() == &arr2d[0][0]);
-            CHECK(s[0] == 1 && s[5] == 6);
-        }
-
-        {
-#ifdef CONFIRM_COMPILATION_ERRORS
-            span<int, 7> s{arr2d};
-#endif
-        }
-
-        {
-            span<int[3]> s{arr2d[0]};
+            span<int[3]> s{ arr2d[0] };
             CHECK(s.length() == 1 && s.data() == &arr2d[0]);
         }
 
-        {
-            span<int, 2, 3> s{arr2d};
-            CHECK(s.length() == 6 && s.data() == &arr2d[0][0]);
-            auto workaround_macro = [&]() { return s[{1, 2}] == 6; };
-            CHECK(workaround_macro());
-        }
-
-        {
-#ifdef CONFIRM_COMPILATION_ERRORS
-            span<int, 3, 3> s{arr2d};
-#endif
-        }
-
         int arr3d[2][3][2] = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12};
 
+#ifdef CONFIRM_COMPILATION_ERRORS
         {
             span<int> s{arr3d};
             CHECK(s.length() == 12 && s.data() == &arr3d[0][0][0]);
@@ -339,9 +325,7 @@ SUITE(span_tests)
         }
 
         {
-#ifdef CONFIRM_COMPILATION_ERRORS
             span<int, 11> s{arr3d};
-#endif
         }
 
         {
@@ -349,32 +333,13 @@ SUITE(span_tests)
             CHECK(s.length() == 12 && s.data() == &arr3d[0][0][0]);
             CHECK(s[0] == 1 && s[5] == 6);
         }
-
-        {
-#ifdef CONFIRM_COMPILATION_ERRORS
-            span<int, 13> s{arr3d};
 #endif
-        }
-
         {
-            span<int[3][2]> s{arr3d[0]};
-            CHECK(s.length() == 1 && s.data() == &arr3d[0]);
-        }
-
-        {
-            span<int, 3, 2, 2> s{arr3d};
-            CHECK(s.length() == 12 && s.data() == &arr3d[0][0][0]);
-            auto workaround_macro = [&]() { return s[{2, 1, 0}] == 11; };
-            CHECK(workaround_macro());
-        }
-
-        {
-#ifdef CONFIRM_COMPILATION_ERRORS
-            span<int, 3, 3, 3> s{arr3d};
-#endif
+            //span<int[3][2]> s{arr3d[0]};
+            //CHECK(s.length() == 1 && s.data() == &arr3d[0]);
         }
     }
-
+#if 0
     TEST(from_dynamic_array_constructor)
     {
         double(*arr)[3][4] = new double[100][3][4];