diff --git a/src/geode/geometry/basic_objects/triangle.cpp b/src/geode/geometry/basic_objects/triangle.cpp
index 261cac2cb..9c7c7a947 100644
--- a/src/geode/geometry/basic_objects/triangle.cpp
+++ b/src/geode/geometry/basic_objects/triangle.cpp
@@ -48,34 +48,35 @@ namespace
     std::optional< PivotNormalResult > simple_pivot_and_normal(
         const std::array< geode::RefPoint3D, 3 >& points )
     {
-        try
+        std::optional< PivotNormalResult > result{ std::in_place };
+        for( const auto pivot : geode::LRange{ 3 } )
         {
-            std::optional< PivotNormalResult > result{ std::in_place };
-            for( const auto pivot : geode::LRange{ 3 } )
+            const auto next = pivot + 1 == 3 ? 0 : pivot + 1;
+            const geode::Vector3D edge{ points[pivot], points[next] };
+            result->lengths[pivot] = edge.length();
+            if( result->lengths[pivot] < geode::GLOBAL_EPSILON )
             {
-                const auto next = pivot + 1 == 3 ? 0 : pivot + 1;
-                const geode::Vector3D edge{ points[pivot], points[next] };
-                result->lengths[pivot] = edge.length();
-                const auto edge0 = edge / result->lengths[pivot];
-                const auto prev = pivot == 0 ? 2 : pivot - 1;
-                const auto edge1 =
-                    geode::Vector3D{ points[pivot], points[prev] }.normalize();
-
-                const auto normal = edge0.cross( edge1 );
-                const auto length = normal.length();
-                if( length > geode::GLOBAL_ANGULAR_EPSILON )
-                {
-                    result->pivot = pivot;
-                    result->normal = normal / length;
-                    return result;
-                }
+                return std::nullopt;
+            }
+            const auto edge0 = edge / result->lengths[pivot];
+            const auto prev = pivot == 0 ? 2 : pivot - 1;
+            auto edge1 = geode::Vector3D{ points[pivot], points[prev] };
+            const auto length1 = edge1.length();
+            if( length1 < geode::GLOBAL_EPSILON )
+            {
+                return std::nullopt;
+            }
+
+            const auto normal = edge0.cross( edge1 / length1 );
+            const auto length = normal.length();
+            if( length > geode::GLOBAL_ANGULAR_EPSILON )
+            {
+                result->pivot = pivot;
+                result->normal = normal / length;
+                return result;
             }
-            return result;
-        }
-        catch( const geode::OpenGeodeException& /*unused*/ )
-        {
-            return std::nullopt;
         }
+        return result;
     }
 } // namespace
 
diff --git a/src/geode/mesh/core/solid_mesh.cpp b/src/geode/mesh/core/solid_mesh.cpp
index f2bdbb446..e270b8db4 100644
--- a/src/geode/mesh/core/solid_mesh.cpp
+++ b/src/geode/mesh/core/solid_mesh.cpp
@@ -501,7 +501,7 @@ namespace geode
                 { polyhedron_id, max_area_facet } );
             if( !normal )
             {
-                return true;
+                return 0.;
             }
             const auto facet_vertices = mesh.polyhedron_facet_vertices(
                 { polyhedron_id, max_area_facet } );
@@ -967,9 +967,9 @@ namespace geode
     {
         if( nb_polyhedron_facet_vertices( polyhedron_facet ) < 3 )
         {
-            return 0;
+            return 0.;
         }
-        double area{ 0 };
+        double area{ 0. };
         const auto direction = polyhedron_facet_normal( polyhedron_facet )
                                    .value_or( Vector3D{ { 0, 0, 1 } } );
         const auto vertices = polyhedron_facet_vertices( polyhedron_facet );
@@ -989,7 +989,7 @@ namespace geode
     {
         check_polyhedron_facet_id(
             *this, polyhedron_facet.polyhedron_id, polyhedron_facet.facet_id );
-        Vector3D normal;
+        Vector3D normal{ { 0, 0, 0 } };
         const auto facet_vertices =
             polyhedron_facet_vertices( polyhedron_facet );
         const auto& p0 = this->point( facet_vertices[0] );
@@ -1007,7 +1007,7 @@ namespace geode
         {
             return normal.normalize();
         }
-        catch( const OpenGeodeException& /*unused*/ )
+        catch( ... )
         {
             return std::nullopt;
         }
diff --git a/src/geode/mesh/core/tetrahedral_solid.cpp b/src/geode/mesh/core/tetrahedral_solid.cpp
index 3cd40bf5f..0ecc69752 100644
--- a/src/geode/mesh/core/tetrahedral_solid.cpp
+++ b/src/geode/mesh/core/tetrahedral_solid.cpp
@@ -343,31 +343,35 @@ namespace geode
         index_t first_polyhedron ) const
     {
         PolyhedraAroundEdge result{ first_polyhedron };
+        const auto tet_vertices = this->polyhedron_vertices( first_polyhedron );
         std::array< index_t, 2 > excluded_facets{ NO_ID, NO_ID };
         local_index_t count{ 0 };
-        const auto polyhedron_vertices =
-            this->polyhedron_vertices( first_polyhedron );
-        for( const auto v : LRange{ 4 } )
+        for( const auto v_id : LRange{ 4 } )
         {
-            if( polyhedron_vertices[v] == vertices[0]
-                || polyhedron_vertices[v] == vertices[1] )
+            if( tet_vertices.at( v_id ) == vertices.at( 0 )
+                || tet_vertices.at( v_id ) == vertices.at( 1 ) )
             {
-                excluded_facets[count++] = v;
+                excluded_facets[count] = v_id;
+                count++;
+            }
+            if( count == 2 )
+            {
+                break;
             }
         }
-        for( const auto f : LRange{ 4 } )
+        for( const auto f_id : LRange{ 4 } )
         {
-            if( f == excluded_facets[0] || f == excluded_facets[1] )
+            if( f_id == excluded_facets[0] || f_id == excluded_facets[1] )
             {
                 continue;
             }
-            const auto vertex_id = polyhedron_vertices[f];
+            const auto vertex_id = tet_vertices[f_id];
             if( vertex_id == vertices[0] || vertex_id == vertices[1] )
             {
                 continue;
             }
             const auto status = propagate_around_edge(
-                *this, { first_polyhedron, f }, vertices, result );
+                *this, { first_polyhedron, f_id }, vertices, result );
             if( !status.first )
             {
                 return polyhedra_around_edge( vertices );