diff --git a/library/core/src/slice/iter.rs b/library/core/src/slice/iter.rs
index d48248749c265..f507ee563ac07 100644
--- a/library/core/src/slice/iter.rs
+++ b/library/core/src/slice/iter.rs
@@ -1380,14 +1380,16 @@ impl<'a, T> Iterator for Windows<'a, T> {
 
     #[inline]
     fn nth(&mut self, n: usize) -> Option<Self::Item> {
-        let (end, overflow) = self.size.get().overflowing_add(n);
-        if end > self.v.len() || overflow {
-            self.v = &[];
-            None
-        } else {
-            let nth = &self.v[n..end];
-            self.v = &self.v[n + 1..];
+        let size = self.size.get();
+        if let Some(rest) = self.v.get(n..)
+            && let Some(nth) = rest.get(..size)
+        {
+            self.v = &rest[1..];
             Some(nth)
+        } else {
+            // setting length to 0 is cheaper than overwriting the pointer when assigning &[]
+            self.v = &self.v[..0]; // cheaper than &[]
+            None
         }
     }
 
@@ -1427,7 +1429,7 @@ impl<'a, T> DoubleEndedIterator for Windows<'a, T> {
     fn nth_back(&mut self, n: usize) -> Option<Self::Item> {
         let (end, overflow) = self.v.len().overflowing_sub(n);
         if end < self.size.get() || overflow {
-            self.v = &[];
+            self.v = &self.v[..0]; // cheaper than &[]
             None
         } else {
             let ret = &self.v[end - self.size.get()..end];
@@ -1536,17 +1538,15 @@ impl<'a, T> Iterator for Chunks<'a, T> {
     #[inline]
     fn nth(&mut self, n: usize) -> Option<Self::Item> {
         let (start, overflow) = n.overflowing_mul(self.chunk_size);
-        if start >= self.v.len() || overflow {
-            self.v = &[];
-            None
-        } else {
-            let end = match start.checked_add(self.chunk_size) {
-                Some(sum) => cmp::min(self.v.len(), sum),
-                None => self.v.len(),
-            };
-            let nth = &self.v[start..end];
-            self.v = &self.v[end..];
+        // min(len) makes a wrong start harmless, but enables optimizing this to brachless code
+        let chunk_start = &self.v[start.min(self.v.len())..];
+        let (nth, remainder) = chunk_start.split_at(self.chunk_size.min(chunk_start.len()));
+        if !overflow && start < self.v.len() {
+            self.v = remainder;
             Some(nth)
+        } else {
+            self.v = &self.v[..0]; // cheaper than &[]
+            None
         }
     }
 
@@ -1609,7 +1609,7 @@ impl<'a, T> DoubleEndedIterator for Chunks<'a, T> {
     fn nth_back(&mut self, n: usize) -> Option<Self::Item> {
         let len = self.len();
         if n >= len {
-            self.v = &[];
+            self.v = &self.v[..0]; // cheaper than &[]
             None
         } else {
             let start = (len - 1 - n) * self.chunk_size;
@@ -1933,7 +1933,7 @@ impl<'a, T> Iterator for ChunksExact<'a, T> {
     fn nth(&mut self, n: usize) -> Option<Self::Item> {
         let (start, overflow) = n.overflowing_mul(self.chunk_size);
         if start >= self.v.len() || overflow {
-            self.v = &[];
+            self.v = &self.v[..0]; // cheaper than &[]
             None
         } else {
             let (_, snd) = self.v.split_at(start);
@@ -1971,7 +1971,7 @@ impl<'a, T> DoubleEndedIterator for ChunksExact<'a, T> {
     fn nth_back(&mut self, n: usize) -> Option<Self::Item> {
         let len = self.len();
         if n >= len {
-            self.v = &[];
+            self.v = &self.v[..0]; // cheaper than &[]
             None
         } else {
             let start = (len - 1 - n) * self.chunk_size;
@@ -2638,7 +2638,7 @@ impl<'a, T> Iterator for RChunks<'a, T> {
     fn nth(&mut self, n: usize) -> Option<Self::Item> {
         let (end, overflow) = n.overflowing_mul(self.chunk_size);
         if end >= self.v.len() || overflow {
-            self.v = &[];
+            self.v = &self.v[..0]; // cheaper than &[]
             None
         } else {
             // Can't underflow because of the check above
@@ -2695,7 +2695,7 @@ impl<'a, T> DoubleEndedIterator for RChunks<'a, T> {
     fn nth_back(&mut self, n: usize) -> Option<Self::Item> {
         let len = self.len();
         if n >= len {
-            self.v = &[];
+            self.v = &self.v[..0]; // cheaper than &[]
             None
         } else {
             // can't underflow because `n < len`
@@ -3023,7 +3023,7 @@ impl<'a, T> Iterator for RChunksExact<'a, T> {
     fn nth(&mut self, n: usize) -> Option<Self::Item> {
         let (end, overflow) = n.overflowing_mul(self.chunk_size);
         if end >= self.v.len() || overflow {
-            self.v = &[];
+            self.v = &self.v[..0]; // cheaper than &[]
             None
         } else {
             let (fst, _) = self.v.split_at(self.v.len() - end);
@@ -3062,7 +3062,7 @@ impl<'a, T> DoubleEndedIterator for RChunksExact<'a, T> {
     fn nth_back(&mut self, n: usize) -> Option<Self::Item> {
         let len = self.len();
         if n >= len {
-            self.v = &[];
+            self.v = &self.v[..0]; // cheaper than &[]
             None
         } else {
             // now that we know that `n` corresponds to a chunk,