diff --git a/src/util/vector.h b/src/util/vector.h
index a3787d300a..665569c03c 100644
--- a/src/util/vector.h
+++ b/src/util/vector.h
@@ -163,14 +163,10 @@ template<typename T, bool CallDestructors=true, typename SZ = unsigned>
 class vector {
 #define SIZE_IDX     -1
 #define CAPACITY_IDX -2
-    T * m_data;
+    T * m_data = nullptr;
 
     void destroy_elements() {
-        iterator it = begin();
-        iterator e  = end();
-        for (; it != e; ++it) {
-            it->~T();
-        }
+        std::destroy_n(m_data, size());
     }
 
     void free_memory() { 
@@ -178,17 +174,21 @@ class vector {
     }
 
     void expand_vector() {
+        // ensure that the data is sufficiently aligned
+        // better fail to compile than produce code that may crash
+        static_assert((sizeof(SZ) * 2) % alignof(T) == 0);
+
         if (m_data == nullptr) {
             SZ capacity = 2;
             SZ * mem    = reinterpret_cast<SZ*>(memory::allocate(sizeof(T) * capacity + sizeof(SZ) * 2));
-            *mem              = capacity; 
+            *mem        = capacity;
             mem++;
-            *mem              = 0;        
+            *mem        = 0;
             mem++;
-            m_data            = reinterpret_cast<T *>(mem);
+            m_data      = reinterpret_cast<T *>(mem);
         }
         else {
-            static_assert(std::is_nothrow_move_constructible<T>::value, "");
+            static_assert(std::is_nothrow_move_constructible<T>::value);
             SASSERT(capacity() > 0);
             SZ old_capacity = reinterpret_cast<SZ *>(m_data)[CAPACITY_IDX];
             SZ old_capacity_T = sizeof(T) * old_capacity + sizeof(SZ) * 2;
@@ -203,15 +203,12 @@ class vector {
                 m_data = reinterpret_cast<T *>(mem + 2);
             } else {
                 mem = (SZ*)memory::allocate(new_capacity_T);
-                auto old_data = m_data;
                 auto old_size = size();
                 mem[1] = old_size;
-                m_data  = reinterpret_cast<T *>(mem + 2);
-                for (unsigned i = 0; i < old_size; ++i) {
-                    new (&m_data[i]) T(std::move(old_data[i]));
-                    old_data[i].~T();
-                }
-                memory::deallocate(old_mem);
+                auto new_data = reinterpret_cast<T *>(mem + 2);
+                std::uninitialized_move_n(m_data, old_size, new_data);
+                destroy();
+                m_data = new_data;
             }
             *mem = new_capacity;
         }
@@ -243,12 +240,9 @@ class vector {
     typedef T * iterator;
     typedef const T * const_iterator;
 
-    vector():
-        m_data(nullptr) {
-    }
+    vector() = default;
 
     vector(SZ s) {
-        m_data = nullptr;
         init(s);
     }
 
@@ -271,25 +265,22 @@ class vector {
         }
     }
 
-    vector(SZ s, T const & elem):
-        m_data(nullptr) {
+    vector(SZ s, T const & elem) {
         resize(s, elem);
     }
 
-    vector(vector const & source):
-        m_data(nullptr) {
+    vector(vector const & source) {
         if (source.m_data) {
             copy_core(source);
         }
         SASSERT(size() == source.size());
     }
 
-    vector(vector&& other) noexcept : m_data(nullptr) {
+    vector(vector&& other) noexcept {
         std::swap(m_data, other.m_data);
     }
 
-    vector(SZ s, T const * data):
-        m_data(nullptr) {
+    vector(SZ s, T const * data) {
         for (SZ i = 0; i < s; i++) {
             push_back(data[i]);
         }
@@ -321,7 +312,6 @@ class vector {
     bool operator!=(vector const & other) const {
         return !(*this == other);
     }
-
     
     vector & operator=(vector const & source) {
         if (this == &source) {