diff --git a/src/crypto/crypto-sugar.cpp b/src/crypto/crypto-sugar.cpp
index 8b8779ae..b7298639 100644
--- a/src/crypto/crypto-sugar.cpp
+++ b/src/crypto/crypto-sugar.cpp
@@ -24,4 +24,6 @@ namespace crypto
   const point_t  c_point_H2       = { 0x70c8d1ab9dbf1cc0, 0xc561bb12639a8516, 0x3cfff1def9e5b268, 0xe0936386f3bcce1a };  // == Hp("h2_generator"), cheched in bpp_basics
   const point_t  c_point_0        = point_t(point_t::tag_zero());
 
+  static_assert(sizeof(scalar_t::m_sk) == sizeof(scalar_t::m_u64) && sizeof(scalar_t::m_u64) == sizeof(scalar_t::m_s), "size missmatch");
+
 } // namespace crypto
diff --git a/src/crypto/crypto-sugar.h b/src/crypto/crypto-sugar.h
index a8428b04..2ad22217 100644
--- a/src/crypto/crypto-sugar.h
+++ b/src/crypto/crypto-sugar.h
@@ -136,8 +136,9 @@ namespace crypto
   {
     union
     {
-      uint64_t      m_u64[4];
-      unsigned char m_s[32];
+      uint64_t            m_u64[4];
+      unsigned char       m_s[32];
+      crypto::secret_key  m_sk;
     };
 
     scalar_t()
@@ -205,28 +206,22 @@ namespace crypto
 
     crypto::secret_key &as_secret_key()
     {
-      return *reinterpret_cast<crypto::secret_key*>(&m_s[0]);
+      return m_sk;
     }
 
     const crypto::secret_key& as_secret_key() const
     {
-      return *reinterpret_cast<const crypto::secret_key*>(&m_s[0]);
+      return m_sk;
     }
 
     operator crypto::secret_key() const
     {
-      crypto::secret_key result;
-      memcpy(result.data, &m_s, sizeof result.data);
-      return result;
+      return m_sk;
     }
 
     void from_secret_key(const crypto::secret_key& sk)
     {
-      uint64_t *p_sk64 = (uint64_t*)&sk;
-      m_u64[0] = p_sk64[0];
-      m_u64[1] = p_sk64[1];
-      m_u64[2] = p_sk64[2];
-      m_u64[3] = p_sk64[3];
+      m_sk = sk;
       // assuming secret key is correct (< L), so we don't need to call reduce here
     }