diff --git a/SilentPatch/Patterns.cpp b/SilentPatch/Patterns.cpp
index 431667c..66aa517 100644
--- a/SilentPatch/Patterns.cpp
+++ b/SilentPatch/Patterns.cpp
@@ -37,8 +37,8 @@ struct basic_fnv_1
 	}
 };
 
-const std::uint64_t fnv_prime = 1099511628211u;
-const std::uint64_t fnv_offset_basis = 14695981039346656037u;
+static constexpr std::uint64_t fnv_prime = 1099511628211u;
+static constexpr std::uint64_t fnv_offset_basis = 14695981039346656037u;
 
 typedef basic_fnv_1<fnv_prime, fnv_offset_basis> fnv_1;
 
@@ -56,7 +56,11 @@ namespace hook
 
 
 #if PATTERNS_USE_HINTS
-static std::multimap<uint64_t, uintptr_t> g_hints;
+static auto& getHints()
+{
+	static std::multimap<uint64_t, uintptr_t> hints;
+	return hints;
+}
 #endif
 
 static void TransformPattern(std::string_view pattern, std::string& data, std::string& mask)
@@ -148,13 +152,13 @@ void pattern::Initialize(const char* pattern, size_t length)
 	// if there's hints, try those first
 	if (m_module == GetModuleHandle(nullptr))
 	{
-		auto range = g_hints.equal_range(m_hash);
+		auto range = getHints().equal_range(m_hash);
 
 		if (range.first != range.second)
 		{
 			std::for_each(range.first, range.second, [&] (const std::pair<uint64_t, uintptr_t>& hint)
 			{
-				ConsiderMatch(hint.second);
+				ConsiderHint(hint.second);
 			});
 
 			// if the hints succeeded, we don't need to do anything more
@@ -181,7 +185,7 @@ void pattern::EnsureMatches(uint32_t maxCount)
 	auto matchSuccess = [&] (uintptr_t address)
 	{
 #if PATTERNS_USE_HINTS
-		g_hints.emplace(m_hash, address);
+		getHints().emplace(m_hash, address);
 #else
 		(void)address;
 #endif
@@ -229,13 +233,14 @@ void pattern::EnsureMatches(uint32_t maxCount)
 	m_matched = true;
 }
 
-bool pattern::ConsiderMatch(uintptr_t offset)
+bool pattern::ConsiderHint(uintptr_t offset)
 {
+	char* ptr = reinterpret_cast<char*>(offset);
+
+#if PATTERNS_CAN_SERIALIZE_HINTS
 	const char* pattern = m_bytes.c_str();
 	const char* mask = m_mask.c_str();
 
-	char* ptr = reinterpret_cast<char*>(offset);
-
 	for (size_t i = 0, j = m_mask.size(); i < j; i++)
 	{
 		if (mask[i] == '?')
@@ -248,18 +253,21 @@ bool pattern::ConsiderMatch(uintptr_t offset)
 			return false;
 		}
 	}
+#endif
 
 	m_matches.emplace_back(ptr);
 
 	return true;
 }
 
-#if PATTERNS_USE_HINTS
+#if PATTERNS_USE_HINTS && PATTERNS_CAN_SERIALIZE_HINTS
 void pattern::hint(uint64_t hash, uintptr_t address)
 {
-	auto range = g_hints.equal_range(hash);
+	auto& hints = getHints();
 
-	for (auto it = range.first; it != range.second; it++)
+	auto range = hints.equal_range(hash);
+
+	for (auto it = range.first; it != range.second; ++it)
 	{
 		if (it->second == address)
 		{
@@ -267,7 +275,7 @@ void pattern::hint(uint64_t hash, uintptr_t address)
 		}
 	}
 
-	g_hints.emplace(hash, address);
+	hints.emplace(hash, address);
 }
 #endif
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/SilentPatch/Patterns.h b/SilentPatch/Patterns.h
index c17bf5f..d517da1 100644
--- a/SilentPatch/Patterns.h
+++ b/SilentPatch/Patterns.h
@@ -13,8 +13,6 @@
 #pragma warning(push)
 #pragma warning(disable:4201)
 
-#define PATTERNS_USE_HINTS 0
-
 namespace hook
 {
 	extern ptrdiff_t baseAddressDifference;
@@ -103,7 +101,7 @@ namespace hook
 		void Initialize(const char* pattern, size_t length);
 
 	private:
-		bool ConsiderMatch(uintptr_t offset);
+		bool ConsiderHint(uintptr_t offset);
 
 		void EnsureMatches(uint32_t maxCount);
 
@@ -179,7 +177,7 @@ namespace hook
 		}
 
 	public:
-#if PATTERNS_USE_HINTS
+#if PATTERNS_USE_HINTS && PATTERNS_CAN_SERIALIZE_HINTS
 		// define a hint
 		static void hint(uint64_t hash, uintptr_t address);
 #endif
diff --git a/SilentPatchIII/SilentPatchIII.vcxproj b/SilentPatchIII/SilentPatchIII.vcxproj
index 115f685..5f1afef 100644
--- a/SilentPatchIII/SilentPatchIII.vcxproj
+++ b/SilentPatchIII/SilentPatchIII.vcxproj
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@
       <WarningLevel>Level4</WarningLevel>
       <Optimization>Disabled</Optimization>
       <RuntimeLibrary>MultiThreadedDebug</RuntimeLibrary>
-      <PreprocessorDefinitions>_HAS_EXCEPTIONS=0;_GTA_III;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
+      <PreprocessorDefinitions>_HAS_EXCEPTIONS=0;PATTERNS_USE_HINTS=1;_GTA_III;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
       <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>..\SilentPatch</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
       <PrecompiledHeader>Use</PrecompiledHeader>
       <PrecompiledHeaderFile>StdAfx.h</PrecompiledHeaderFile>
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@
       <InlineFunctionExpansion>AnySuitable</InlineFunctionExpansion>
       <FavorSizeOrSpeed>Speed</FavorSizeOrSpeed>
       <OmitFramePointers>true</OmitFramePointers>
-      <PreprocessorDefinitions>_HAS_EXCEPTIONS=0;_GTA_III;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
+      <PreprocessorDefinitions>_HAS_EXCEPTIONS=0;PATTERNS_USE_HINTS=1;_GTA_III;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
       <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>..\SilentPatch</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
       <PrecompiledHeader>Use</PrecompiledHeader>
       <PrecompiledHeaderFile>StdAfx.h</PrecompiledHeaderFile>
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@
       <InlineFunctionExpansion>AnySuitable</InlineFunctionExpansion>
       <FavorSizeOrSpeed>Speed</FavorSizeOrSpeed>
       <OmitFramePointers>true</OmitFramePointers>
-      <PreprocessorDefinitions>_HAS_EXCEPTIONS=0;_GTA_III;NDEBUG;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
+      <PreprocessorDefinitions>_HAS_EXCEPTIONS=0;PATTERNS_USE_HINTS=1;_GTA_III;NDEBUG;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
       <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>..\SilentPatch</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
       <PrecompiledHeader>Use</PrecompiledHeader>
       <PrecompiledHeaderFile>StdAfx.h</PrecompiledHeaderFile>
diff --git a/SilentPatchVC/SilentPatchVC.vcxproj b/SilentPatchVC/SilentPatchVC.vcxproj
index 1ddf939..3d84576 100644
--- a/SilentPatchVC/SilentPatchVC.vcxproj
+++ b/SilentPatchVC/SilentPatchVC.vcxproj
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@
     <ClCompile>
       <WarningLevel>Level4</WarningLevel>
       <Optimization>Disabled</Optimization>
-      <PreprocessorDefinitions>_HAS_EXCEPTIONS=0;_GTA_VC;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
+      <PreprocessorDefinitions>_HAS_EXCEPTIONS=0;PATTERNS_USE_HINTS=1;_GTA_VC;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
       <RuntimeLibrary>MultiThreadedDebug</RuntimeLibrary>
       <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>..\SilentPatch</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
       <PrecompiledHeader>Use</PrecompiledHeader>
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@
       <Optimization>MaxSpeed</Optimization>
       <FunctionLevelLinking>true</FunctionLevelLinking>
       <IntrinsicFunctions>true</IntrinsicFunctions>
-      <PreprocessorDefinitions>_HAS_EXCEPTIONS=0;_GTA_VC;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
+      <PreprocessorDefinitions>_HAS_EXCEPTIONS=0;PATTERNS_USE_HINTS=1;_GTA_VC;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
       <StringPooling>true</StringPooling>
       <RuntimeLibrary>MultiThreaded</RuntimeLibrary>
       <InlineFunctionExpansion>AnySuitable</InlineFunctionExpansion>
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@
       <Optimization>MaxSpeed</Optimization>
       <FunctionLevelLinking>true</FunctionLevelLinking>
       <IntrinsicFunctions>true</IntrinsicFunctions>
-      <PreprocessorDefinitions>_HAS_EXCEPTIONS=0;_GTA_VC;NDEBUG;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
+      <PreprocessorDefinitions>_HAS_EXCEPTIONS=0;PATTERNS_USE_HINTS=1;_GTA_VC;NDEBUG;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
       <StringPooling>true</StringPooling>
       <RuntimeLibrary>MultiThreaded</RuntimeLibrary>
       <InlineFunctionExpansion>AnySuitable</InlineFunctionExpansion>