diff --git a/include/xo/alloc2/AllocHeaderConfig.hpp b/include/xo/alloc2/AllocHeaderConfig.hpp
index 754a5c9..ab56088 100644
--- a/include/xo/alloc2/AllocHeaderConfig.hpp
+++ b/include/xo/alloc2/AllocHeaderConfig.hpp
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include "AllocHeader.hpp"
+#include "padding.hpp"
 #include <utility>
 
 namespace xo {
@@ -121,6 +122,11 @@ namespace xo {
                 return (hdr.repr_ & size_mask());
             }
 
+            /** extract padded size from alloc header @p hdr **/
+            std::size_t size_with_padding(repr_type hdr) const noexcept {
+                return padding::with_padding(this->size(hdr));
+            }
+
             /** true iff sentinel tseq, flagging a forwarding pointer **/
             bool is_forwarding_tseq(repr_type hdr) const noexcept {
                 // e.g.
@@ -134,6 +140,11 @@ namespace xo {
 
             bool is_size_enabled() const noexcept { return size_bits_ > 0; }
 
+            /** construct alloc header for a forwarding object **/
+            AllocHeader mark_forwarding_tseq(AllocHeader hdr) const noexcept {
+                return AllocHeader((hdr.repr_ & ~tseq_mask()) | tseq_mask());
+            }
+
             /** if non-zero, allocate extra space between allocs, and fill
              *  with fixed test-pattern contents. Allows for simple
              *  runtime arena sanitizing checks.
diff --git a/include/xo/alloc2/AllocInfo.hpp b/include/xo/alloc2/AllocInfo.hpp
index 0f8d0e1..30113e4 100644
--- a/include/xo/alloc2/AllocInfo.hpp
+++ b/include/xo/alloc2/AllocInfo.hpp
@@ -52,8 +52,15 @@ namespace xo {
             /** @defgroup mm-allocinfo-methods **/
             ///@{
 
+            AllocHeader header() const noexcept { return *p_header_; }
+
             /** true for non-sentinel AllocInfo instance **/
-            bool is_valid() const { return (p_config_ != nullptr) && (p_header_ != nullptr); }
+            bool is_valid() const noexcept { return ((p_config_ != nullptr)
+                                            && (p_header_ != nullptr)); }
+            /** true iff sentinel tseq, flagging a forwarding pointer **/
+            bool is_forwarding_tseq() const noexcept {
+                return p_config_->is_forwarding_tseq(*p_header_);
+            }
 
             /** Guard bytes preceding allocation-header **/
             span_type guard_lo() const noexcept;
diff --git a/include/xo/alloc2/padding.hpp b/include/xo/alloc2/padding.hpp
index 151d558..10d03b8 100644
--- a/include/xo/alloc2/padding.hpp
+++ b/include/xo/alloc2/padding.hpp
@@ -40,8 +40,6 @@ namespace xo {
                      */
                     std::size_t dz = (align - (z % align)) % align;
 
-                    z += dz;
-
                     return dz;
                 }