diff --git a/crates/clawhdf5-format/src/storage.rs b/crates/clawhdf5-format/src/storage.rs
index c0a1c37..7d68eeb 100644
--- a/crates/clawhdf5-format/src/storage.rs
+++ b/crates/clawhdf5-format/src/storage.rs
@@ -198,6 +198,14 @@ pub fn read_exact_at(
             .saturating_add(len),
         available: len_usize(file),
     };
+    // In-memory fast path: one dynamic call, then plain slicing.
+    if let Some(all) = file.as_contiguous() {
+        return usize::try_from(offset)
+            .ok()
+            .and_then(|start| all.get(start..start.checked_add(len)?))
+            .map(Cow::Borrowed)
+            .ok_or_else(eof);
+    }
     match offset.checked_add(len as u64) {
         Some(end) if end <= file.len() => {}
         _ => return Err(eof()),
@@ -271,6 +279,11 @@ pub fn read_upto(
     offset: u64,
     max: usize,
 ) -> Result<Cow<'_, [u8]>, FormatError> {
+    if let Some(all) = file.as_contiguous() {
+        let start = usize::try_from(offset).map_or(all.len(), |o| o.min(all.len()));
+        let end = start.saturating_add(max).min(all.len());
+        return Ok(Cow::Borrowed(&all[start..end]));
+    }
     let avail = file.len().saturating_sub(offset);
     let len = usize::try_from(avail).map_or(max, |a| a.min(max));
     let bytes = file.read_at(offset, len)?;