diff --git a/vowpalwabbit/cb_explore.cc b/vowpalwabbit/cb_explore.cc
index 759306c6a8b..7e9ffcbc63e 100644
--- a/vowpalwabbit/cb_explore.cc
+++ b/vowpalwabbit/cb_explore.cc
@@ -3,12 +3,14 @@
 #include "rand48.h"
 #include "bs.h"
 #include "gen_cs_example.h"
+#include "exploration.h"
 
 using namespace LEARNER;
 using namespace ACTION_SCORE;
 using namespace GEN_CS;
 using namespace std;
 using namespace CB_ALGS;
+using namespace exploration;
 //All exploration algorithms return a vector of probabilities, to be used by GenericExplorer downstream
 
 namespace CB_EXPLORE
@@ -72,6 +74,8 @@ template <bool is_learn>
 void predict_or_learn_greedy(cb_explore& data, base_learner& base, example& ec)
 {
   //Explore uniform random an epsilon fraction of the time.
+  // TODO: pointers are copied here. What happens if base.learn/base.predict re-allocs?
+  // ec.pred.a_s = probs; will restore the than free'd memory
   action_scores probs = ec.pred.a_s;
   probs.erase();
 
@@ -80,11 +84,10 @@ void predict_or_learn_greedy(cb_explore& data, base_learner& base, example& ec)
   else
     base.predict(ec);
 
-  float prob = data.epsilon/(float)data.cbcs.num_actions;
-  for(uint32_t i = 0; i < data.cbcs.num_actions; i++)
-    probs.push_back({i,prob});
-  uint32_t chosen = ec.pred.multiclass-1;
-  probs[chosen].score += (1-data.epsilon);
+  // pre-allocate pdf
+  probs.resize(data.cbcs.num_actions);
+  probs.end() = probs.begin() + data.cbcs.num_actions;
+  generate_epsilon_greedy(data.epsilon, ec.pred.multiclass-1, begin_scores(probs), end_scores(probs));
 
   ec.pred.a_s = probs;
 }
@@ -116,48 +119,6 @@ void predict_or_learn_bag(cb_explore& data, base_learner& base, example& ec)
   ec.pred.a_s = probs;
 }
 
-void safety(v_array<action_score>& distribution, float min_prob, bool zeros)
-{
-  //input: a probability distribution
-  //output: a probability distribution with all events having probability > min_prob.  This includes events with probability 0 if zeros = true
-  if (min_prob > 0.999) // uniform exploration
-  {
-    size_t support_size = distribution.size();
-    if (!zeros)
-    {
-      for (size_t i = 0; i < distribution.size(); ++i)
-        if (distribution[i].score == 0)
-          support_size--;
-    }
-    for (size_t i = 0; i < distribution.size(); ++i)
-      if (zeros || distribution[i].score > 0)
-        distribution[i].score = 1.f / support_size;
-    return;
-  }
-
-  min_prob /= distribution.size();
-  float touched_mass = 0.;
-  float untouched_mass = 0.;
-  for (uint32_t i = 0; i < distribution.size(); i++)
-    if ((distribution[i].score > 0 || (distribution[i].score ==0 && zeros)) && distribution[i].score <= min_prob)
-    {
-      touched_mass += min_prob;
-      distribution[i].score = min_prob;
-    }
-    else
-      untouched_mass += distribution[i].score;
-
-  if (touched_mass > 0.)
-  {
-    if (touched_mass > 0.999)
-      THROW("Cannot safety this distribution");
-    float ratio = (1.f - touched_mass) / untouched_mass;
-    for (uint32_t i = 0; i < distribution.size(); i++)
-      if (distribution[i].score > min_prob)
-        distribution[i].score = distribution[i].score * ratio;
-  }
-}
-
 void get_cover_probabilities(cb_explore& data, base_learner& base, example& ec, v_array<action_score>& probs)
 {
   float additive_probability = 1.f / (float)data.cover_size;
@@ -181,7 +142,7 @@ void get_cover_probabilities(cb_explore& data, base_learner& base, example& ec,
 
   float min_prob = min(1.f / num_actions, 1.f / (float)sqrt(data.counter * num_actions));
 
-  safety(probs, min_prob*num_actions, false);
+  enforce_minimum_probability(min_prob*num_actions, false, begin_scores(probs), end_scores(probs));
 
   data.counter++;
 }
diff --git a/vowpalwabbit/cb_explore.h b/vowpalwabbit/cb_explore.h
index 928f25b4891..e196ae1a5e6 100644
--- a/vowpalwabbit/cb_explore.h
+++ b/vowpalwabbit/cb_explore.h
@@ -10,9 +10,4 @@ namespace LEARNER
 typedef learner<char> base_learner;
 }
 
-LEARNER::base_learner* cb_explore_setup(arguments& arg);
-
-namespace CB_EXPLORE
-{
-void safety(v_array<ACTION_SCORE::action_score>& distribution, float min_prob, bool zeros);
-}
+LEARNER::base_learner* cb_explore_setup(arguments& arg);
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/vowpalwabbit/cb_explore_adf.cc b/vowpalwabbit/cb_explore_adf.cc
index 0a250cb58d7..e0dedf1445d 100644
--- a/vowpalwabbit/cb_explore_adf.cc
+++ b/vowpalwabbit/cb_explore_adf.cc
@@ -139,7 +139,8 @@ void predict_or_learn_first(cb_explore_adf& data, base_learner& base, v_array<ex
       preds[i].score = 0.;
     preds[0].score = 1.0;
   }
-  CB_EXPLORE::safety(preds, data.epsilon, true);
+
+  enforce_minimum_probability(data.epsilon, true, begin_scores(preds), end_scores(preds));
 }
 
 template <bool is_learn>
@@ -201,8 +202,7 @@ void predict_or_learn_bag(cb_explore_adf& data, base_learner& base, v_array<exam
   // generate distribution over actions
   generate_bag(begin(top_actions), end(top_actions), begin_scores(data.action_probs), end_scores(data.action_probs));
 
-  // TODO: use exploration::safety
-  CB_EXPLORE::safety(data.action_probs, data.epsilon, true);
+  enforce_minimum_probability(data.epsilon, true, begin_scores(data.action_probs), end_scores(data.action_probs));
   qsort((void*) data.action_probs.begin(), data.action_probs.size(), sizeof(action_score), reverse_order);
 
   for (size_t i = 0; i < num_actions; i++)
@@ -266,7 +266,7 @@ void predict_or_learn_cover(cb_explore_adf& data, base_learner& base, v_array<ex
     probs[action].score += additive_probability;
   }
 
-  CB_EXPLORE::safety(data.action_probs, min_prob * num_actions, !data.nounif);
+  enforce_minimum_probability(min_prob * num_actions, !data.nounif, begin_scores(probs), end_scores(probs));
 
   qsort((void*) probs.begin(), probs.size(), sizeof(action_score), reverse_order);
   for (size_t i = 0; i < num_actions; i++)
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ void predict_or_learn_softmax(cb_explore_adf& data, base_learner& base, v_array<
   v_array<action_score>& preds = examples[0]->pred.a_s;
   generate_softmax(data.lambda, begin_scores(preds), end_scores(preds), begin_scores(preds), end_scores(preds));
 
-  CB_EXPLORE::safety(preds, data.epsilon, true);
+  enforce_minimum_probability(data.epsilon, true, begin_scores(preds), end_scores(preds));
 }
 
 void end_examples(cb_explore_adf& data)