diff --git a/src/field.h b/src/field.h
index 4b23333eb0..c20638e45e 100644
--- a/src/field.h
+++ b/src/field.h
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ static const secp256k1_fe secp256k1_const_beta = SECP256K1_FE_CONST(
 #  define secp256k1_fe_inv secp256k1_fe_impl_inv
 #  define secp256k1_fe_inv_var secp256k1_fe_impl_inv_var
 #  define secp256k1_fe_get_bounds secp256k1_fe_impl_get_bounds
+#  define secp256k1_fe_half secp256k1_fe_impl_half
 #endif /* !defined(VERIFY) */
 
 /** Normalize a field element.
@@ -302,9 +303,12 @@ static void secp256k1_fe_storage_cmov(secp256k1_fe_storage *r, const secp256k1_f
  */
 static void secp256k1_fe_cmov(secp256k1_fe *r, const secp256k1_fe *a, int flag);
 
-/** Halves the value of a field element modulo the field prime. Constant-time.
- *  For an input magnitude 'm', the output magnitude is set to 'floor(m/2) + 1'.
- *  The output is not guaranteed to be normalized, regardless of the input. */
+/** Halve the value of a field element modulo the field prime in constant-time.
+ *
+ * On input, r must be a valid field element.
+ * On output, r will be normalized and have magnitude floor(m/2) + 1 where m is
+ * the magnitude of r on input.
+ */
 static void secp256k1_fe_half(secp256k1_fe *r);
 
 /** Sets r to a field element with magnitude m, normalized if (and only if) m==0.
diff --git a/src/field_10x26_impl.h b/src/field_10x26_impl.h
index 39588c0bf9..ec53165e88 100644
--- a/src/field_10x26_impl.h
+++ b/src/field_10x26_impl.h
@@ -1046,17 +1046,12 @@ SECP256K1_INLINE static void secp256k1_fe_impl_cmov(secp256k1_fe *r, const secp2
     r->n[9] = (r->n[9] & mask0) | (a->n[9] & mask1);
 }
 
-static SECP256K1_INLINE void secp256k1_fe_half(secp256k1_fe *r) {
+static SECP256K1_INLINE void secp256k1_fe_impl_half(secp256k1_fe *r) {
     uint32_t t0 = r->n[0], t1 = r->n[1], t2 = r->n[2], t3 = r->n[3], t4 = r->n[4],
              t5 = r->n[5], t6 = r->n[6], t7 = r->n[7], t8 = r->n[8], t9 = r->n[9];
     uint32_t one = (uint32_t)1;
     uint32_t mask = -(t0 & one) >> 6;
 
-#ifdef VERIFY
-    secp256k1_fe_verify(r);
-    VERIFY_CHECK(r->magnitude < 32);
-#endif
-
     /* Bounds analysis (over the rationals).
      *
      * Let m = r->magnitude
@@ -1103,10 +1098,8 @@ static SECP256K1_INLINE void secp256k1_fe_half(secp256k1_fe *r) {
      *
      * Current bounds: t0..t8 <= C * (m/2 + 1/2)
      *                     t9 <= D * (m/2 + 1/4)
-     */
-
-#ifdef VERIFY
-    /* Therefore the output magnitude (M) has to be set such that:
+     *
+     * Therefore the output magnitude (M) has to be set such that:
      *     t0..t8: C * M >= C * (m/2 + 1/2)
      *         t9: D * M >= D * (m/2 + 1/4)
      *
@@ -1116,10 +1109,6 @@ static SECP256K1_INLINE void secp256k1_fe_half(secp256k1_fe *r) {
      * and since we want the smallest such integer value for M:
      *     M == floor(m/2) + 1
      */
-    r->magnitude = (r->magnitude >> 1) + 1;
-    r->normalized = 0;
-    secp256k1_fe_verify(r);
-#endif
 }
 
 static SECP256K1_INLINE void secp256k1_fe_storage_cmov(secp256k1_fe_storage *r, const secp256k1_fe_storage *a, int flag) {
diff --git a/src/field_5x52_impl.h b/src/field_5x52_impl.h
index d9d4e1a7bd..06a2e379ab 100644
--- a/src/field_5x52_impl.h
+++ b/src/field_5x52_impl.h
@@ -375,16 +375,11 @@ SECP256K1_INLINE static void secp256k1_fe_impl_cmov(secp256k1_fe *r, const secp2
     r->n[4] = (r->n[4] & mask0) | (a->n[4] & mask1);
 }
 
-static SECP256K1_INLINE void secp256k1_fe_half(secp256k1_fe *r) {
+static SECP256K1_INLINE void secp256k1_fe_impl_half(secp256k1_fe *r) {
     uint64_t t0 = r->n[0], t1 = r->n[1], t2 = r->n[2], t3 = r->n[3], t4 = r->n[4];
     uint64_t one = (uint64_t)1;
     uint64_t mask = -(t0 & one) >> 12;
 
-#ifdef VERIFY
-    secp256k1_fe_verify(r);
-    VERIFY_CHECK(r->magnitude < 32);
-#endif
-
     /* Bounds analysis (over the rationals).
      *
      * Let m = r->magnitude
@@ -421,10 +416,8 @@ static SECP256K1_INLINE void secp256k1_fe_half(secp256k1_fe *r) {
      *
      * Current bounds: t0..t3 <= C * (m/2 + 1/2)
      *                     t4 <= D * (m/2 + 1/4)
-     */
-
-#ifdef VERIFY
-    /* Therefore the output magnitude (M) has to be set such that:
+     *
+     * Therefore the output magnitude (M) has to be set such that:
      *     t0..t3: C * M >= C * (m/2 + 1/2)
      *         t4: D * M >= D * (m/2 + 1/4)
      *
@@ -434,10 +427,6 @@ static SECP256K1_INLINE void secp256k1_fe_half(secp256k1_fe *r) {
      * and since we want the smallest such integer value for M:
      *     M == floor(m/2) + 1
      */
-    r->magnitude = (r->magnitude >> 1) + 1;
-    r->normalized = 0;
-    secp256k1_fe_verify(r);
-#endif
 }
 
 static SECP256K1_INLINE void secp256k1_fe_storage_cmov(secp256k1_fe_storage *r, const secp256k1_fe_storage *a, int flag) {
diff --git a/src/field_impl.h b/src/field_impl.h
index 0eac34d10f..8dbc765f73 100644
--- a/src/field_impl.h
+++ b/src/field_impl.h
@@ -384,6 +384,16 @@ SECP256K1_INLINE static void secp256k1_fe_get_bounds(secp256k1_fe* r, int m) {
     secp256k1_fe_verify(r);
 }
 
+static void secp256k1_fe_impl_half(secp256k1_fe *r);
+SECP256K1_INLINE static void secp256k1_fe_half(secp256k1_fe *r) {
+    secp256k1_fe_verify(r);
+    VERIFY_CHECK(r->magnitude < 32);
+    secp256k1_fe_impl_half(r);
+    r->magnitude = (r->magnitude >> 1) + 1;
+    r->normalized = 0;
+    secp256k1_fe_verify(r);
+}
+
 #endif /* defined(VERIFY) */
 
 #endif /* SECP256K1_FIELD_IMPL_H */