diff --git a/crates/claims/crates/data-integrity/sd-primitives/src/json_pointer.rs b/crates/claims/crates/data-integrity/sd-primitives/src/json_pointer.rs
index c957d1416..e668cd0a1 100644
--- a/crates/claims/crates/data-integrity/sd-primitives/src/json_pointer.rs
+++ b/crates/claims/crates/data-integrity/sd-primitives/src/json_pointer.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-use core::fmt;
-use std::{borrow::Cow, ops::Deref, str::FromStr};
+use core::{fmt, ops::Deref, str::FromStr};
+use std::borrow::Cow;
 
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ pub struct InvalidJsonPointer<T = String>(pub T);
 ///
 /// See: <https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc6901>
 #[derive(Debug, Serialize)]
+#[repr(transparent)]
 pub struct JsonPointer(str);
 
 impl JsonPointer {
@@ -32,15 +33,16 @@ impl JsonPointer {
         std::mem::transmute(s)
     }
 
-    pub fn validate(str: &str) -> bool {
-        let mut chars = str.chars();
-        while let Some(c) = chars.next() {
-            if c == '~' && !matches!(chars.next(), Some('0' | '1')) {
-                return false;
-            }
-        }
-
-        true
+    /// Confirms the validity of a string such that it may be safely used for
+    /// [`Self::new_unchecked`].
+    pub fn validate(s: &str) -> bool {
+        s.is_empty()
+            || s.starts_with("/")
+                && core::iter::from_fn({
+                    let mut chars = s.chars();
+                    move || Some(chars.next()? != '~' || matches!(chars.next(), Some('0' | '1')))
+                })
+                .all(core::convert::identity)
     }
 
     pub fn as_str(&self) -> &str {
@@ -51,31 +53,14 @@ impl JsonPointer {
         self.0.is_empty()
     }
 
-    fn token_end(&self) -> Option<usize> {
-        if self.is_empty() {
-            None
-        } else {
-            let mut i = 1;
-
-            let bytes = self.0.as_bytes();
-            while i < bytes.len() {
-                if bytes[i] == b'/' {
-                    break;
-                }
-
-                i += 1
-            }
-
-            Some(i)
-        }
-    }
-
     pub fn split_first(&self) -> Option<(&ReferenceToken, &Self)> {
-        self.token_end().map(|i| unsafe {
-            (
-                ReferenceToken::new_unchecked(&self.0[1..i]),
-                Self::new_unchecked(&self.0[i..]),
-            )
+        self.0.strip_prefix("/").map(|s| {
+            let (left, right) = s.find("/").map(|idx| s.split_at(idx)).unwrap_or((s, ""));
+            // Safety: the token is guaranteed not to include a '/', and remaining shall be either
+            // empty or a valid pointer starting with '/'.
+            let token = unsafe { ReferenceToken::new_unchecked(left) };
+            let remaining = unsafe { Self::new_unchecked(right) };
+            (token, remaining)
         })
     }
 
@@ -211,39 +196,27 @@ impl ReferenceToken {
     }
 
     pub fn decode(&self) -> String {
-        let mut result = String::new();
+        let mut buf = String::with_capacity(self.0.len());
         let mut chars = self.0.chars();
-        while let Some(c) = chars.next() {
-            let decoded_c = match c {
+        buf.extend(core::iter::from_fn(|| {
+            Some(match chars.next()? {
                 '~' => match chars.next() {
                     Some('0') => '~',
                     Some('1') => '/',
                     _ => unreachable!(),
                 },
                 c => c,
-            };
-
-            result.push(decoded_c);
-        }
-
-        result
+            })
+        }));
+        buf
     }
 
     pub fn as_array_index(&self) -> Option<usize> {
-        let mut chars = self.0.chars();
-        let mut i = chars.next()?.to_digit(10)? as usize;
-        if i == 0 {
-            match chars.next() {
-                Some(_) => None,
-                None => Some(0),
-            }
-        } else {
-            for c in chars {
-                let d = c.to_digit(10)? as usize;
-                i = i * 10 + d;
-            }
-
-            Some(i)
+        // Like usize::from_str, but don't allow leading '+' or '0'.
+        match self.0.as_bytes() {
+            [c @ b'0'..=b'9'] => Some((c - b'0') as usize),
+            [b'1'..=b'9', ..] => self.0.parse().ok(),
+            _ => None,
         }
     }
 }