diff --git a/src/link/MachO.zig b/src/link/MachO.zig
index 7dfafef8eb..69dcf7aba1 100644
--- a/src/link/MachO.zig
+++ b/src/link/MachO.zig
@@ -2250,7 +2250,7 @@ fn initSegments(self: *MachO) !void {
 }
 
 fn allocateSections(self: *MachO) !void {
-    const headerpad = load_commands.calcMinHeaderPadSize(self);
+    const headerpad = try load_commands.calcMinHeaderPadSize(self);
     var vmaddr: u64 = if (self.pagezero_seg_index) |index|
         self.segments.items[index].vmaddr + self.segments.items[index].vmsize
     else
@@ -2904,13 +2904,12 @@ pub fn writeStrtab(self: *MachO, off: u32) !u32 {
 
 fn writeLoadCommands(self: *MachO) !struct { usize, usize, u64 } {
     const gpa = self.base.comp.gpa;
-    const needed_size = load_commands.calcLoadCommandsSize(self, false);
+    const needed_size = try load_commands.calcLoadCommandsSize(self, false);
     const buffer = try gpa.alloc(u8, needed_size);
     defer gpa.free(buffer);
 
     var stream = std.io.fixedBufferStream(buffer);
-    var cwriter = std.io.countingWriter(stream.writer());
-    const writer = cwriter.writer();
+    const writer = stream.writer();
 
     var ncmds: usize = 0;
 
@@ -2974,7 +2973,7 @@ fn writeLoadCommands(self: *MachO) !struct { usize, usize, u64 } {
         ncmds += 1;
     }
 
-    const uuid_cmd_offset = @sizeOf(macho.mach_header_64) + cwriter.bytes_written;
+    const uuid_cmd_offset = @sizeOf(macho.mach_header_64) + stream.pos;
     try writer.writeStruct(self.uuid_cmd);
     ncmds += 1;
 
@@ -3002,7 +3001,7 @@ fn writeLoadCommands(self: *MachO) !struct { usize, usize, u64 } {
         ncmds += 1;
     }
 
-    assert(cwriter.bytes_written == needed_size);
+    assert(stream.pos == needed_size);
 
     try self.base.file.?.pwriteAll(buffer, @sizeOf(macho.mach_header_64));
 
diff --git a/src/link/MachO/DebugSymbols.zig b/src/link/MachO/DebugSymbols.zig
index 959a88b4da..3f0e84d6a2 100644
--- a/src/link/MachO/DebugSymbols.zig
+++ b/src/link/MachO/DebugSymbols.zig
@@ -269,8 +269,7 @@ fn writeLoadCommands(self: *DebugSymbols, macho_file: *MachO) !struct { usize, u
     defer gpa.free(buffer);
 
     var stream = std.io.fixedBufferStream(buffer);
-    var cwriter = std.io.countingWriter(stream.writer());
-    const writer = cwriter.writer();
+    const writer = stream.writer();
 
     var ncmds: usize = 0;
 
@@ -314,7 +313,7 @@ fn writeLoadCommands(self: *DebugSymbols, macho_file: *MachO) !struct { usize, u
     try writer.writeStruct(self.symtab_cmd);
     ncmds += 1;
 
-    assert(cwriter.bytes_written == needed_size);
+    assert(stream.pos == needed_size);
 
     try self.file.pwriteAll(buffer, @sizeOf(macho.mach_header_64));
 
diff --git a/src/link/MachO/UnwindInfo.zig b/src/link/MachO/UnwindInfo.zig
index e16e03b09a..44bb9bfab1 100644
--- a/src/link/MachO/UnwindInfo.zig
+++ b/src/link/MachO/UnwindInfo.zig
@@ -271,8 +271,7 @@ pub fn write(info: UnwindInfo, macho_file: *MachO, buffer: []u8) !void {
     const header = macho_file.sections.items(.header)[macho_file.unwind_info_sect_index.?];
 
     var stream = std.io.fixedBufferStream(buffer);
-    var cwriter = std.io.countingWriter(stream.writer());
-    const writer = cwriter.writer();
+    const writer = stream.writer();
 
     const common_encodings_offset: u32 = @sizeOf(macho.unwind_info_section_header);
     const common_encodings_count: u32 = info.common_encodings_count;
@@ -329,20 +328,16 @@ pub fn write(info: UnwindInfo, macho_file: *MachO, buffer: []u8) !void {
     }
 
     for (info.pages.items) |page| {
-        const start = cwriter.bytes_written;
+        const start = stream.pos;
         try page.write(info, macho_file, writer);
-        const nwritten = cwriter.bytes_written - start;
+        const nwritten = stream.pos - start;
         if (nwritten < second_level_page_bytes) {
             const padding = math.cast(usize, second_level_page_bytes - nwritten) orelse return error.Overflow;
             try writer.writeByteNTimes(0, padding);
         }
     }
 
-    const padding = buffer.len - cwriter.bytes_written;
-    if (padding > 0) {
-        const off = math.cast(usize, cwriter.bytes_written) orelse return error.Overflow;
-        @memset(buffer[off..], 0);
-    }
+    @memset(buffer[stream.pos..], 0);
 }
 
 fn getOrPutPersonalityFunction(info: *UnwindInfo, sym_index: Symbol.Index) error{TooManyPersonalities}!u2 {
diff --git a/src/link/MachO/dyld_info/bind.zig b/src/link/MachO/dyld_info/bind.zig
index 7c0d2ab692..3ee55fe0fb 100644
--- a/src/link/MachO/dyld_info/bind.zig
+++ b/src/link/MachO/dyld_info/bind.zig
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ pub const Bind = struct {
     }
 
     pub fn size(self: Self) u64 {
-        return @as(u64, @intCast(self.buffer.items.len));
+        return @intCast(self.buffer.items.len);
     }
 
     pub fn finalize(self: *Self, gpa: Allocator, ctx: *MachO) !void {
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ pub const Bind = struct {
             switch (state) {
                 .start => {
                     if (current.offset < offset) {
-                        try addAddr(@as(u64, @bitCast(@as(i64, @intCast(current.offset)) - @as(i64, @intCast(offset)))), writer);
+                        try addAddr(@bitCast(@as(i64, @intCast(current.offset)) - @as(i64, @intCast(offset))), writer);
                         offset = offset - (offset - current.offset);
                     } else if (current.offset > offset) {
                         const delta = current.offset - offset;
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ pub const WeakBind = struct {
     }
 
     pub fn size(self: Self) u64 {
-        return @as(u64, @intCast(self.buffer.items.len));
+        return @intCast(self.buffer.items.len);
     }
 
     pub fn finalize(self: *Self, gpa: Allocator, ctx: *MachO) !void {
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ pub const WeakBind = struct {
                     } else if (current.offset > offset) {
                         const delta = current.offset - offset;
                         state = .bind_times_skip;
-                        skip = @as(u64, @intCast(delta));
+                        skip = @intCast(delta);
                         offset += skip;
                     } else unreachable;
                     i -= 1;
@@ -341,23 +341,20 @@ pub const LazyBind = struct {
     }
 
     pub fn size(self: Self) u64 {
-        return @as(u64, @intCast(self.buffer.items.len));
+        return @intCast(self.buffer.items.len);
     }
 
     pub fn finalize(self: *Self, gpa: Allocator, ctx: *MachO) !void {
-        if (self.entries.items.len == 0) return;
-
         try self.offsets.ensureTotalCapacityPrecise(gpa, self.entries.items.len);
 
-        var cwriter = std.io.countingWriter(self.buffer.writer(gpa));
-        const writer = cwriter.writer();
+        const writer = self.buffer.writer(gpa);
 
         log.debug("lazy bind opcodes", .{});
 
         var addend: i64 = 0;
 
         for (self.entries.items) |entry| {
-            self.offsets.appendAssumeCapacity(@as(u32, @intCast(cwriter.bytes_written)));
+            self.offsets.appendAssumeCapacity(@intCast(self.buffer.items.len));
 
             const sym = ctx.getSymbol(entry.target);
             const name = sym.getName(ctx);
@@ -388,7 +385,6 @@ pub const LazyBind = struct {
     }
 
     pub fn write(self: Self, writer: anytype) !void {
-        if (self.size() == 0) return;
         try writer.writeAll(self.buffer.items);
     }
 };
diff --git a/src/link/MachO/load_commands.zig b/src/link/MachO/load_commands.zig
index cf8dca92e0..778fdd74c7 100644
--- a/src/link/MachO/load_commands.zig
+++ b/src/link/MachO/load_commands.zig
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ fn calcInstallNameLen(cmd_size: u64, name: []const u8, assume_max_path_len: bool
     return mem.alignForward(u64, cmd_size + name_len, @alignOf(u64));
 }
 
-pub fn calcLoadCommandsSize(macho_file: *MachO, assume_max_path_len: bool) u32 {
+pub fn calcLoadCommandsSize(macho_file: *MachO, assume_max_path_len: bool) !u32 {
     var sizeofcmds: u64 = 0;
 
     // LC_SEGMENT_64
@@ -48,15 +48,16 @@ pub fn calcLoadCommandsSize(macho_file: *MachO, assume_max_path_len: bool) u32 {
     }
     // LC_ID_DYLIB
     if (macho_file.base.isDynLib()) {
-        sizeofcmds += blk: {
-            const emit = macho_file.base.emit;
-            const install_name = macho_file.install_name orelse emit.sub_path;
-            break :blk calcInstallNameLen(
-                @sizeOf(macho.dylib_command),
-                install_name,
-                assume_max_path_len,
-            );
-        };
+        const gpa = macho_file.base.comp.gpa;
+        const emit = macho_file.base.emit;
+        const install_name = macho_file.install_name orelse
+            try emit.directory.join(gpa, &.{emit.sub_path});
+        defer if (macho_file.install_name == null) gpa.free(install_name);
+        sizeofcmds += calcInstallNameLen(
+            @sizeOf(macho.dylib_command),
+            install_name,
+            assume_max_path_len,
+        );
     }
     // LC_RPATH
     {
@@ -148,12 +149,12 @@ pub fn calcLoadCommandsSizeObject(macho_file: *MachO) u32 {
     return @as(u32, @intCast(sizeofcmds));
 }
 
-pub fn calcMinHeaderPadSize(macho_file: *MachO) u32 {
-    var padding: u32 = calcLoadCommandsSize(macho_file, false) + (macho_file.headerpad_size orelse 0);
+pub fn calcMinHeaderPadSize(macho_file: *MachO) !u32 {
+    var padding: u32 = (try calcLoadCommandsSize(macho_file, false)) + (macho_file.headerpad_size orelse 0);
     log.debug("minimum requested headerpad size 0x{x}", .{padding + @sizeOf(macho.mach_header_64)});
 
     if (macho_file.headerpad_max_install_names) {
-        const min_headerpad_size: u32 = calcLoadCommandsSize(macho_file, true);
+        const min_headerpad_size: u32 = try calcLoadCommandsSize(macho_file, true);
         log.debug("headerpad_max_install_names minimum headerpad size 0x{x}", .{
             min_headerpad_size + @sizeOf(macho.mach_header_64),
         });
diff --git a/src/link/MachO/relocatable.zig b/src/link/MachO/relocatable.zig
index 9408a32d6d..b0eced27eb 100644
--- a/src/link/MachO/relocatable.zig
+++ b/src/link/MachO/relocatable.zig
@@ -748,8 +748,7 @@ fn writeLoadCommands(macho_file: *MachO) !struct { usize, usize } {
     defer gpa.free(buffer);
 
     var stream = std.io.fixedBufferStream(buffer);
-    var cwriter = std.io.countingWriter(stream.writer());
-    const writer = cwriter.writer();
+    const writer = stream.writer();
 
     var ncmds: usize = 0;
 
@@ -779,7 +778,7 @@ fn writeLoadCommands(macho_file: *MachO) !struct { usize, usize } {
         ncmds += 1;
     }
 
-    assert(cwriter.bytes_written == needed_size);
+    assert(stream.pos == needed_size);
 
     try macho_file.base.file.?.pwriteAll(buffer, @sizeOf(macho.mach_header_64));