diff --git a/generate/generate.go b/generate/generate.go
index 07559fc..796af57 100644
--- a/generate/generate.go
+++ b/generate/generate.go
@@ -680,9 +680,6 @@ func (this *Generator) generateDecodeBranch(hash [16]byte, typ Type) (n int, err
 			n += nn; if err != nil { return n, err }
 			nn, err = this.generateErrorCheck()
 			n += nn; if err != nil { return n, err }
-			indexVar := this.newTemporaryVar("index")
-			nn, err = this.iprintf("%s := 0\n", indexVar)
-			n += nn; if err != nil { return n, err }
 			
 			// validate header
 			// TODO: here, validate that length is less than the
@@ -691,7 +688,7 @@ func (this *Generator) generateDecodeBranch(hash [16]byte, typ Type) (n int, err
 			// problems
 
 			// read fields
-			nn, err = this.iprintf("for %s = range int(%s) {\n", indexVar, lengthVar)
+			nn, err = this.iprintf("for _ = range int(%s) {\n", lengthVar)
 			n += nn; if err != nil { return n, err }
 			this.push()
 				// read field header
@@ -770,6 +767,8 @@ func (this *Generator) generateDecodeBranch(hash [16]byte, typ Type) (n int, err
 		default: return n, fmt.Errorf("unexpected type: %T", typ)
 		}
 
+		nn, err = this.iprintf("return n, nil\n")
+		
 	this.pop()
 	nn, err = this.iprintf("}\n")
 	n += nn; if err != nil { return n, err }