diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 8c0f19f..ab59684 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -26,20 +26,12 @@ jobs:
             **/**.go
             go.mod
             go.sum
-      - name: install leopard
-        run: |
-          git clone https://github.com/celestiaorg/go-leopard.git
-          pushd go-leopard
-          make build-cleo
-          sudo make install-cleo
-          popd
-        if: env.GIT_DIFF
       - name: build
-        run: GOOS=linux GOARCH=${{ matrix.goarch }} go build -tags leopard
+        run: GOOS=linux GOARCH=${{ matrix.goarch }} go build
         if: env.GIT_DIFF
       - name: test & coverage report creation
         run: |
-          GOARCH=${{ matrix.goarch }} go test -tags leopard -mod=readonly -timeout 8m -race -coverprofile=coverage.txt -covermode=atomic
+          GOARCH=${{ matrix.goarch }} go test ./... -mod=readonly -timeout 8m -race -coverprofile=coverage.txt -covermode=atomic
         if: env.GIT_DIFF
       - uses: codecov/codecov-action@v1.0.15
         with:
diff --git a/codec_test.go b/codec_test.go
index 9fa7d09..6dca840 100644
--- a/codec_test.go
+++ b/codec_test.go
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ func BenchmarkEncoding(b *testing.B) {
 	// generate some fake data
 	data := generateRandData(128)
 	for codecName, codec := range codecs {
+		// For some implementations we want to ensure the encoder for this data length
+		// is already cached and initialized. For this run with same sized arbitrary data.
+		_, _ = codec.Encode(generateRandData(128))
 		b.Run(
 			fmt.Sprintf("%s 128 shares", codecName),
 			func(b *testing.B) {
@@ -46,16 +49,20 @@ func generateRandData(count int) [][]byte {
 func BenchmarkDecoding(b *testing.B) {
 	// generate some fake data
 	for codecName, codec := range codecs {
+		// For some implementations we want to ensure the encoder for this data length
+		// is already cached and initialized. For this run with same sized arbitrary data.
+		_, _ = codec.Decode(generateMissingData(128, codec))
+
 		data := generateMissingData(128, codec)
 		b.Run(
 			fmt.Sprintf("%s 128 shares", codecName),
 			func(b *testing.B) {
 				for n := 0; n < b.N; n++ {
-					encodedData, err := codec.Decode(data)
+					decodedData, err := codec.Decode(data)
 					if err != nil {
 						b.Error(err)
 					}
-					encodedDataDump = encodedData
+					decodedDataDump = decodedData
 				}
 			},
 		)
diff --git a/codecs.go b/codecs.go
index 2968525..bbaf441 100644
--- a/codecs.go
+++ b/codecs.go
@@ -3,9 +3,8 @@ package rsmt2d
 import "fmt"
 
 const (
-	LeopardFF16 = "LeopardFF16"
-	LeopardFF8  = "LeopardFF8"
-	RSGF8       = "RSFG8"
+	Leopard = "Leopard"
+	RSGF8   = "RSFG8"
 )
 
 type Codec interface {
@@ -28,17 +27,3 @@ func registerCodec(ct string, codec Codec) {
 	}
 	codecs[ct] = codec
 }
-
-func NewLeoRSFF16Codec() Codec {
-	if codec, has := codecs[LeopardFF16]; has {
-		return codec
-	}
-	panic("cannot use codec LeopardFF16 without the 'leopard' build tag")
-}
-
-func NewLeoRSFF8Codec() Codec {
-	if codec, has := codecs[LeopardFF8]; has {
-		return codec
-	}
-	panic("cannot use codec LeopardFF8 without the 'leopard' build tag")
-}
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index caef08d..dd4e11a 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -3,24 +3,25 @@ module github.com/celestiaorg/rsmt2d
 go 1.18
 
 require (
-	// only needed if built with go build -tags leopard
-	github.com/celestiaorg/go-leopard v0.1.0
 	github.com/celestiaorg/merkletree v0.0.0-20210714075610-a84dc3ddbbe4
 	github.com/stretchr/testify v1.7.0
 	github.com/vivint/infectious v0.0.0-20200605153912-25a574ae18a3
 )
 
+require (
+	github.com/klauspost/reedsolomon v1.11.1
+	golang.org/x/sync v0.0.0-20220929204114-8fcdb60fdcc0
+)
+
 require (
 	github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1 // indirect
+	github.com/klauspost/cpuid/v2 v2.1.1 // indirect
 	github.com/kr/text v0.2.0 // indirect
 	github.com/minio/sha256-simd v1.0.0
 	github.com/pmezard/go-difflib v1.0.0 // indirect
 	gitlab.com/NebulousLabs/errors v0.0.0-20200929122200-06c536cf6975 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20210322153248-0c34fe9e7dc2 // indirect
-	golang.org/x/sync v0.0.0-20220907140024-f12130a52804
-	golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20210403161142-5e06dd20ab57 // indirect
+	golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20220704084225-05e143d24a9e // indirect
 	gopkg.in/check.v1 v1.0.0-20201130134442-10cb98267c6c // indirect
 	gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.0-20210107192922-496545a6307b // indirect
 )
-
-require github.com/klauspost/cpuid/v2 v2.0.4 // indirect
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 14bfa2c..c91d1a4 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
-github.com/celestiaorg/go-leopard v0.1.0 h1:28z2EkvKJIez5J9CEaiiUEC+OxalRLtTGJJ1oScfE1g=
-github.com/celestiaorg/go-leopard v0.1.0/go.mod h1:NtO/rjlB8dw2aq7jr06vZFKGvryQcTDXaNHelmPNOAM=
 github.com/celestiaorg/merkletree v0.0.0-20210714075610-a84dc3ddbbe4 h1:CJdIpo8n5MFP2MwK0gSRcOVlDlFdQJO1p+FqdxYzmvc=
 github.com/celestiaorg/merkletree v0.0.0-20210714075610-a84dc3ddbbe4/go.mod h1:fzuHnhzj1pUygGz+1ZkB3uQbEUL4htqCGJ4Qs2LwMZA=
 github.com/creack/pty v1.1.9/go.mod h1:oKZEueFk5CKHvIhNR5MUki03XCEU+Q6VDXinZuGJ33E=
 github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.0/go.mod h1:J7Y8YcW2NihsgmVo/mv3lAwl/skON4iLHjSsI+c5H38=
 github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1 h1:vj9j/u1bqnvCEfJOwUhtlOARqs3+rkHYY13jYWTU97c=
 github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1/go.mod h1:J7Y8YcW2NihsgmVo/mv3lAwl/skON4iLHjSsI+c5H38=
-github.com/klauspost/cpuid/v2 v2.0.4 h1:g0I61F2K2DjRHz1cnxlkNSBIaePVoJIjjnHui8QHbiw=
 github.com/klauspost/cpuid/v2 v2.0.4/go.mod h1:FInQzS24/EEf25PyTYn52gqo7WaD8xa0213Md/qVLRg=
+github.com/klauspost/cpuid/v2 v2.1.1 h1:t0wUqjowdm8ezddV5k0tLWVklVuvLJpoHeb4WBdydm0=
+github.com/klauspost/cpuid/v2 v2.1.1/go.mod h1:RVVoqg1df56z8g3pUjL/3lE5UfnlrJX8tyFgg4nqhuY=
+github.com/klauspost/reedsolomon v1.11.1 h1:0gCWQXOB8pVe1Y5SGozDA5t2qoVxX3prsV+qHgI/Fik=
+github.com/klauspost/reedsolomon v1.11.1/go.mod h1:FXLZzlJIdfqEnQLdUKWNRuMZg747hZ4oYp2Ml60Lb/k=
 github.com/kr/pretty v0.2.1 h1:Fmg33tUaq4/8ym9TJN1x7sLJnHVwhP33CNkpYV/7rwI=
 github.com/kr/pretty v0.2.1/go.mod h1:ipq/a2n7PKx3OHsz4KJII5eveXtPO4qwEXGdVfWzfnI=
 github.com/kr/pty v1.1.1/go.mod h1:pFQYn66WHrOpPYNljwOMqo10TkYh1fy3cYio2l3bCsQ=
@@ -19,7 +20,6 @@ github.com/minio/sha256-simd v1.0.0/go.mod h1:OuYzVNI5vcoYIAmbIvHPl3N3jUzVedXbKy
 github.com/pmezard/go-difflib v1.0.0 h1:4DBwDE0NGyQoBHbLQYPwSUPoCMWR5BEzIk/f1lZbAQM=
 github.com/pmezard/go-difflib v1.0.0/go.mod h1:iKH77koFhYxTK1pcRnkKkqfTogsbg7gZNVY4sRDYZ/4=
 github.com/stretchr/objx v0.1.0/go.mod h1:HFkY916IF+rwdDfMAkV7OtwuqBVzrE8GR6GFx+wExME=
-github.com/stretchr/testify v1.5.1/go.mod h1:5W2xD1RspED5o8YsWQXVCued0rvSQ+mT+I5cxcmMvtA=
 github.com/stretchr/testify v1.7.0 h1:nwc3DEeHmmLAfoZucVR881uASk0Mfjw8xYJ99tb5CcY=
 github.com/stretchr/testify v1.7.0/go.mod h1:6Fq8oRcR53rry900zMqJjRRixrwX3KX962/h/Wwjteg=
 github.com/vivint/infectious v0.0.0-20200605153912-25a574ae18a3 h1:zMsHhfK9+Wdl1F7sIKLyx3wrOFofpb3rWFbA4HgcK5k=
@@ -35,14 +35,14 @@ golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20210322153248-0c34fe9e7dc2 h1:It14KIkyBFYkHkwZ7k45mi
 golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20210322153248-0c34fe9e7dc2/go.mod h1:T9bdIzuCu7OtxOm1hfPfRQxPLYneinmdGuTeoZ9dtd4=
 golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20190404232315-eb5bcb51f2a3/go.mod h1:t9HGtf8HONx5eT2rtn7q6eTqICYqUVnKs3thJo3Qplg=
 golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20210226172049-e18ecbb05110/go.mod h1:m0MpNAwzfU5UDzcl9v0D8zg8gWTRqZa9RBIspLL5mdg=
-golang.org/x/sync v0.0.0-20220907140024-f12130a52804 h1:0SH2R3f1b1VmIMG7BXbEZCBUu2dKmHschSmjqGUrW8A=
-golang.org/x/sync v0.0.0-20220907140024-f12130a52804/go.mod h1:RxMgew5VJxzue5/jJTE5uejpjVlOe/izrB70Jof72aM=
+golang.org/x/sync v0.0.0-20220929204114-8fcdb60fdcc0 h1:cu5kTvlzcw1Q5S9f5ip1/cpiB4nXvw1XYzFPGgzLUOY=
+golang.org/x/sync v0.0.0-20220929204114-8fcdb60fdcc0/go.mod h1:RxMgew5VJxzue5/jJTE5uejpjVlOe/izrB70Jof72aM=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20190215142949-d0b11bdaac8a/go.mod h1:STP8DvDyc/dI5b8T5hshtkjS+E42TnysNCUPdjciGhY=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20190412213103-97732733099d/go.mod h1:h1NjWce9XRLGQEsW7wpKNCjG9DtNlClVuFLEZdDNbEs=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20200323222414-85ca7c5b95cd/go.mod h1:h1NjWce9XRLGQEsW7wpKNCjG9DtNlClVuFLEZdDNbEs=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20201119102817-f84b799fce68/go.mod h1:h1NjWce9XRLGQEsW7wpKNCjG9DtNlClVuFLEZdDNbEs=
-golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20210403161142-5e06dd20ab57 h1:F5Gozwx4I1xtr/sr/8CFbb57iKi3297KFs0QDbGN60A=
-golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20210403161142-5e06dd20ab57/go.mod h1:h1NjWce9XRLGQEsW7wpKNCjG9DtNlClVuFLEZdDNbEs=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20220704084225-05e143d24a9e h1:CsOuNlbOuf0mzxJIefr6Q4uAUetRUwZE4qt7VfzP+xo=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20220704084225-05e143d24a9e/go.mod h1:oPkhp1MJrh7nUepCBck5+mAzfO9JrbApNNgaTdGDITg=
 golang.org/x/term v0.0.0-20201126162022-7de9c90e9dd1/go.mod h1:bj7SfCRtBDWHUb9snDiAeCFNEtKQo2Wmx5Cou7ajbmo=
 golang.org/x/text v0.3.0/go.mod h1:NqM8EUOU14njkJ3fqMW+pc6Ldnwhi/IjpwHt7yyuwOQ=
 golang.org/x/text v0.3.3/go.mod h1:5Zoc/QRtKVWzQhOtBMvqHzDpF6irO9z98xDceosuGiQ=
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@ golang.org/x/tools v0.0.0-20180917221912-90fa682c2a6e/go.mod h1:n7NCudcB/nEzxVGm
 gopkg.in/check.v1 v0.0.0-20161208181325-20d25e280405/go.mod h1:Co6ibVJAznAaIkqp8huTwlJQCZ016jof/cbN4VW5Yz0=
 gopkg.in/check.v1 v1.0.0-20201130134442-10cb98267c6c h1:Hei/4ADfdWqJk1ZMxUNpqntNwaWcugrBjAiHlqqRiVk=
 gopkg.in/check.v1 v1.0.0-20201130134442-10cb98267c6c/go.mod h1:JHkPIbrfpd72SG/EVd6muEfDQjcINNoR0C8j2r3qZ4Q=
-gopkg.in/yaml.v2 v2.2.2/go.mod h1:hI93XBmqTisBFMUTm0b8Fm+jr3Dg1NNxqwp+5A1VGuI=
 gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.0-20200313102051-9f266ea9e77c/go.mod h1:K4uyk7z7BCEPqu6E+C64Yfv1cQ7kz7rIZviUmN+EgEM=
 gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.0-20210107192922-496545a6307b h1:h8qDotaEPuJATrMmW04NCwg7v22aHH28wwpauUhK9Oo=
 gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.0-20210107192922-496545a6307b/go.mod h1:K4uyk7z7BCEPqu6E+C64Yfv1cQ7kz7rIZviUmN+EgEM=
diff --git a/infectiousRSGF8.go b/infectiousRSGF8.go
index 7c209fb..b7332a0 100644
--- a/infectiousRSGF8.go
+++ b/infectiousRSGF8.go
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import (
 var _ Codec = &rsGF8Codec{}
 
 func init() {
-	registerCodec("RSGF8", NewRSGF8Codec())
+	registerCodec(RSGF8, NewRSGF8Codec())
 }
 
 type rsGF8Codec struct {
diff --git a/leopard.go b/leopard.go
index fd058bb..cffedb8 100644
--- a/leopard.go
+++ b/leopard.go
@@ -1,54 +1,76 @@
-//go:build leopard
-
-// Note that if the build tag leopard is used, liblibleopard.a
-// has to be present where the linker will find it.
-// Otherwise go-leopard won't build.
 package rsmt2d
 
-import "github.com/celestiaorg/go-leopard"
+import (
+	"sync"
+
+	"github.com/klauspost/reedsolomon"
+)
 
-var _ Codec = leoRSFF8Codec{}
-var _ Codec = leoRSFF16Codec{}
+var _ Codec = &leoRSCodec{}
 
 func init() {
-	registerCodec(LeopardFF8, newLeoRSFF8Codec())
-	registerCodec(LeopardFF16, newLeoRSFF16Codec())
+	registerCodec(Leopard, NewLeoRSCodec())
 }
 
-type leoRSFF8Codec struct{}
-
-func (l leoRSFF8Codec) Encode(data [][]byte) ([][]byte, error) {
-	return leopard.Encode(data)
+type leoRSCodec struct {
+	// Cache the encoders of various sizes to not have to re-instantiate those
+	// as it is costly.
+	//
+	// Note that past sizes are not removed from the cache at all as the various
+	// data sizes are expected to relatively small and will not cause any memory issue.
+	//
+	// TODO: switch to a generic version of sync.Map with type reedsolomon.Encoder
+	// once it made it into the standard lib
+	encCache sync.Map
 }
 
-func (l leoRSFF8Codec) Decode(data [][]byte) ([][]byte, error) {
-	half := len(data) / 2
-	return leopard.Decode(data[:half], data[half:])
-}
+func (l *leoRSCodec) Encode(data [][]byte) ([][]byte, error) {
+	dataLen := len(data)
+	enc, err := l.loadOrInitEncoder(dataLen)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 
-func (l leoRSFF8Codec) maxChunks() int {
-	return 128 * 128
-}
+	shards := make([][]byte, dataLen*2)
+	copy(shards, data)
+	for i := dataLen; i < len(shards); i++ {
+		shards[i] = make([]byte, len(data[0]))
+	}
 
-func newLeoRSFF8Codec() leoRSFF8Codec {
-	return leoRSFF8Codec{}
+	if err := enc.Encode(shards); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return shards[dataLen:], nil
 }
 
-type leoRSFF16Codec struct{}
-
-func (leo leoRSFF16Codec) Encode(data [][]byte) ([][]byte, error) {
-	return leopard.Encode(data)
+func (l *leoRSCodec) Decode(data [][]byte) ([][]byte, error) {
+	half := len(data) / 2
+	enc, err := l.loadOrInitEncoder(half)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	err = enc.Reconstruct(data)
+	return data, err
 }
 
-func (leo leoRSFF16Codec) Decode(data [][]byte) ([][]byte, error) {
-	half := len(data) / 2
-	return leopard.Decode(data[:half], data[half:])
+func (l *leoRSCodec) loadOrInitEncoder(dataLen int) (reedsolomon.Encoder, error) {
+	enc, ok := l.encCache.Load(dataLen)
+	if !ok {
+		var err error
+		enc, err = reedsolomon.New(dataLen, dataLen, reedsolomon.WithLeopardGF(true))
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		l.encCache.Store(dataLen, enc)
+	}
+	return enc.(reedsolomon.Encoder), nil
+
 }
 
-func (leo leoRSFF16Codec) maxChunks() int {
+func (l *leoRSCodec) maxChunks() int {
 	return 32768 * 32768
 }
 
-func newLeoRSFF16Codec() leoRSFF16Codec {
-	return leoRSFF16Codec{}
+func NewLeoRSCodec() *leoRSCodec {
+	return &leoRSCodec{}
 }
diff --git a/rsmt2d_test.go b/rsmt2d_test.go
index 073c513..4052896 100644
--- a/rsmt2d_test.go
+++ b/rsmt2d_test.go
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-//go:build leopard
-
 package rsmt2d_test
 
 import (
@@ -18,8 +16,7 @@ func TestEdsRepairRoundtripSimple(t *testing.T) {
 		shareSize int
 		codec     rsmt2d.Codec
 	}{
-		{"leopardFF8", bufferSize, rsmt2d.NewLeoRSFF8Codec()},
-		{"leopardFF16", bufferSize, rsmt2d.NewLeoRSFF16Codec()},
+		{"leopard", bufferSize, rsmt2d.NewLeoRSCodec()},
 		{"infectiousGF8", bufferSize, rsmt2d.NewRSGF8Codec()},
 	}
 
@@ -86,8 +83,7 @@ func TestEdsRepairTwice(t *testing.T) {
 		shareSize int
 		codec     rsmt2d.Codec
 	}{
-		{"leopardFF8", bufferSize, rsmt2d.NewLeoRSFF8Codec()},
-		{"leopardFF16", bufferSize, rsmt2d.NewLeoRSFF16Codec()},
+		{"leopard", bufferSize, rsmt2d.NewLeoRSCodec()},
 		{"infectiousGF8", bufferSize, rsmt2d.NewRSGF8Codec()},
 	}