diff --git a/c/colibri.c b/c/colibri.c
index 554a7fa..03eb878 100644
--- a/c/colibri.c
+++ b/c/colibri.c
@@ -3481,11 +3481,6 @@ static void mtp_absorb(Model *m, const int *next_ids, const float *x, int S, int
     free(hx); free(cat); free(e); free(hn); free(hf); free(nrm); free(tmp);
 }
 
-static inline int argmax_v(const float *lo, int V){
-    int b=-1; float bv=-INFINITY;
-    for(int i=0;i<V;i++){ float x=lo[i]; if(x==x && x>bv){ bv=x; b=i; } }
-    return b<0?0:b;
-}
 
 static void repin_pass_limit(Model *m,int limit);
 static void repin_pass(Model *m){ repin_pass_limit(m,16); }
diff --git a/c/sample.h b/c/sample.h
index abce88c..26db529 100644
--- a/c/sample.h
+++ b/c/sample.h
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@ static inline double rndu(void){
 
 /* ---- argmax over a float vector ----------------------------------------- */
 static inline int argmax_v(const float *lo, int V){
-    int b = 0; float bv = lo[0];
-    for (int i = 1; i < V; i++) if (lo[i] > bv) { bv = lo[i]; b = i; }
-    return b;
+    int b=-1; float bv=-INFINITY;
+    for(int i=0;i<V;i++){ float x=lo[i]; if(x==x && x>bv){ bv=x; b=i; } }
+    return b<0?0:b;
 }
 
 /* ---- distribution buffers (reused, single-threaded decode) --------------- */