diff --git a/src/gfx/main.cpp b/src/gfx/main.cpp
index 9e9014d0..9e38cdb7 100644
--- a/src/gfx/main.cpp
+++ b/src/gfx/main.cpp
@@ -736,6 +736,9 @@ void Palette::addColor(uint16_t color) {
 	}
 }
 
+/**
+ * Returns the ID of the color in the palette, or `size()` if the color is not in
+ */
 uint8_t Palette::indexOf(uint16_t color) const {
 	return std::find(colors.begin(), colors.end(), color) - colors.begin();
 }
diff --git a/src/gfx/pal_packing.cpp b/src/gfx/pal_packing.cpp
index 92c451ee..21af352f 100644
--- a/src/gfx/pal_packing.cpp
+++ b/src/gfx/pal_packing.cpp
@@ -8,9 +8,11 @@
 
 #include "gfx/pal_packing.hpp"
 
+#include <algorithm>
 #include <assert.h>
 #include <bitset>
 #include <cinttypes>
+#include <deque>
 #include <numeric>
 #include <optional>
 #include <queue>
@@ -19,6 +21,8 @@
 #include <unordered_set>
 #include <vector>
 
+#include "defaultinitalloc.hpp"
+
 #include "gfx/main.hpp"
 #include "gfx/proto_palette.hpp"
 
@@ -356,32 +360,16 @@ std::tuple<DefaultInitVec<size_t>, size_t>
 	options.verbosePrint(Options::VERB_LOG_ACT,
 	                     "Paginating palettes using \"overload-and-remove\" strategy...\n");
 
-	struct Iota {
-		using value_type = size_t;
-		using difference_type = size_t;
-		using pointer = value_type const *;
-		using reference = value_type const &;
-		using iterator_category = std::input_iterator_tag;
-
-		// Use aggregate init etc.
-		value_type i;
-
-		bool operator!=(Iota const &other) { return i != other.i; }
-		reference operator*() const { return i; }
-		pointer operator->() const { return &i; }
-		Iota operator++() {
-			++i;
-			return *this;
-		}
-		Iota operator++(int) {
-			Iota copy = *this;
-			++i;
-			return copy;
-		}
-	};
-
+	// Sort the proto-palettes by size, which improves the packing algorithm's efficiency
+	DefaultInitVec<size_t> sortedProtoPalIDs(protoPalettes.size());
+	sortedProtoPalIDs.clear();
+	for (size_t i = 0; i < protoPalettes.size(); ++i) {
+		sortedProtoPalIDs.insert(
+		    std::lower_bound(sortedProtoPalIDs.begin(), sortedProtoPalIDs.end(), i), i);
+	}
 	// Begin with all proto-palettes queued up for insertion
-	std::queue<ProtoPalAttrs> queue(std::deque<ProtoPalAttrs>(Iota{0}, Iota{protoPalettes.size()}));
+	std::queue<ProtoPalAttrs> queue(
+	    std::deque<ProtoPalAttrs>(sortedProtoPalIDs.begin(), sortedProtoPalIDs.end()));
 	// Begin with no pages
 	std::vector<AssignedProtos> assignments{};
 
diff --git a/src/gfx/process.cpp b/src/gfx/process.cpp
index d023c511..87ba5905 100644
--- a/src/gfx/process.cpp
+++ b/src/gfx/process.cpp
@@ -574,6 +574,7 @@ public:
 		for (uint32_t x = 0; x < 8; ++x) {
 			row <<= 1;
 			uint8_t index = palette.indexOf(tile.pixel(x, y).cgbColor());
+			assert(index < palette.size()); // The color should be in the palette
 			if (index & 1) {
 				row |= 1;
 			}
@@ -948,12 +949,6 @@ contained:;
 		}
 	}
 
-	// Sort the proto-palettes by size, which improves the packing algorithm's efficiency
-	// We sort after all insertions to avoid moving items: https://stackoverflow.com/a/2710332
-	std::sort(
-	    protoPalettes.begin(), protoPalettes.end(),
-	    [](ProtoPalette const &lhs, ProtoPalette const &rhs) { return lhs.size() < rhs.size(); });
-
 	auto [mappings, palettes] = options.palSpecType == Options::NO_SPEC
 	                                ? generatePalettes(protoPalettes, png)
 	                                : makePalsAsSpecified(protoPalettes, png);