diff --git a/perl/lib/Nix/Store.xs b/perl/lib/Nix/Store.xs
index 945ed49c7..2a2a0d429 100644
--- a/perl/lib/Nix/Store.xs
+++ b/perl/lib/Nix/Store.xs
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ SV * queryReferences(char * path)
 SV * queryPathHash(char * path)
     PPCODE:
         try {
-            auto s = store()->queryPathInfo(store()->parseStorePath(path))->narHash.to_string(Base32, true);
+            auto s = store()->queryPathInfo(store()->parseStorePath(path))->narHash->to_string(Base32, true);
             XPUSHs(sv_2mortal(newSVpv(s.c_str(), 0)));
         } catch (Error & e) {
             croak("%s", e.what());
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ SV * queryPathInfo(char * path, int base32)
                 XPUSHs(&PL_sv_undef);
             else
                 XPUSHs(sv_2mortal(newSVpv(store()->printStorePath(*info->deriver).c_str(), 0)));
-            auto s = info->narHash.to_string(base32 ? Base32 : Base16, true);
+            auto s = info->narHash->to_string(base32 ? Base32 : Base16, true);
             XPUSHs(sv_2mortal(newSVpv(s.c_str(), 0)));
             mXPUSHi(info->registrationTime);
             mXPUSHi(info->narSize);
diff --git a/src/libexpr/primops/fetchTree.cc b/src/libexpr/primops/fetchTree.cc
index a5b836383..d23d47592 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/primops/fetchTree.cc
+++ b/src/libexpr/primops/fetchTree.cc
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ void emitTreeAttrs(
 
     assert(tree.info.narHash);
     mkString(*state.allocAttr(v, state.symbols.create("narHash")),
-        tree.info.narHash.to_string(SRI, true));
+        tree.info.narHash->to_string(SRI, true));
 
     if (input->getRev()) {
         mkString(*state.allocAttr(v, state.symbols.create("rev")), input->getRev()->gitRev());
diff --git a/src/libfetchers/tree-info.cc b/src/libfetchers/tree-info.cc
index b2d8cfc8d..432aa6182 100644
--- a/src/libfetchers/tree-info.cc
+++ b/src/libfetchers/tree-info.cc
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ namespace nix::fetchers {
 StorePath TreeInfo::computeStorePath(Store & store) const
 {
     assert(narHash);
-    return store.makeFixedOutputPath(FileIngestionMethod::Recursive, narHash, "source");
+    return store.makeFixedOutputPath(FileIngestionMethod::Recursive, *narHash, "source");
 }
 
 }
diff --git a/src/libfetchers/tree-info.hh b/src/libfetchers/tree-info.hh
index 2c7347281..9d1872097 100644
--- a/src/libfetchers/tree-info.hh
+++ b/src/libfetchers/tree-info.hh
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ namespace nix::fetchers {
 
 struct TreeInfo
 {
-    Hash narHash;
+    std::optional<Hash> narHash;
     std::optional<uint64_t> revCount;
     std::optional<time_t> lastModified;
 
diff --git a/src/libstore/local-store.cc b/src/libstore/local-store.cc
index e276576e1..aa2ee5b30 100644
--- a/src/libstore/local-store.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/local-store.cc
@@ -897,7 +897,7 @@ void LocalStore::registerValidPaths(const ValidPathInfos & infos)
         StorePathSet paths;
 
         for (auto & i : infos) {
-            assert(i.narHash->type == htSHA256);
+            assert(i.narHash && i.narHash->type == htSHA256);
             if (isValidPath_(*state, i.path))
                 updatePathInfo(*state, i);
             else
@@ -1067,12 +1067,12 @@ StorePath LocalStore::addToStoreFromDump(const string & dump, const string & nam
                the path in the database.  We may just have computed it
                above (if called with recursive == true and hashAlgo ==
                sha256); otherwise, compute it here. */
-            HashResult hash;
-            if (method == FileIngestionMethod::Recursive) {
-                hash.first = hashAlgo == htSHA256 ? h : hashString(htSHA256, dump);
-                hash.second = dump.size();
-            } else
-                hash = hashPath(htSHA256, realPath);
+            HashResult hash = method == FileIngestionMethod::Recursive
+                ? HashResult {
+                    hashAlgo == htSHA256 ? h : hashString(htSHA256, dump),
+                    dump.size(),
+                  } 
+                : hashPath(htSHA256, realPath);
 
             optimisePath(realPath); // FIXME: combine with hashPath()
 
@@ -1255,9 +1255,9 @@ bool LocalStore::verifyStore(bool checkContents, RepairFlag repair)
 
                 std::unique_ptr<AbstractHashSink> hashSink;
                 if (info->ca == "" || !info->references.count(info->path))
-                    hashSink = std::make_unique<HashSink>(*info->narHash.type);
+                    hashSink = std::make_unique<HashSink>(info->narHash->type);
                 else
-                    hashSink = std::make_unique<HashModuloSink>(*info->narHash.type, std::string(info->path.hashPart()));
+                    hashSink = std::make_unique<HashModuloSink>(info->narHash->type, std::string(info->path.hashPart()));
 
                 dumpPath(Store::toRealPath(i), *hashSink);
                 auto current = hashSink->finish();
@@ -1266,7 +1266,7 @@ bool LocalStore::verifyStore(bool checkContents, RepairFlag repair)
                     logError({
                         .name = "Invalid hash - path modified",
                         .hint = hintfmt("path '%s' was modified! expected hash '%s', got '%s'",
-                        printStorePath(i), info->narHash.to_string(Base32, true), current.first.to_string(Base32, true))
+                        printStorePath(i), info->narHash->to_string(Base32, true), current.first.to_string(Base32, true))
                     });
                     if (repair) repairPath(i); else errors = true;
                 } else {
diff --git a/src/libstore/nar-info-disk-cache.cc b/src/libstore/nar-info-disk-cache.cc
index 552970248..6036b905e 100644
--- a/src/libstore/nar-info-disk-cache.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/nar-info-disk-cache.cc
@@ -230,9 +230,9 @@ public:
                     (std::string(info->path.name()))
                     (narInfo ? narInfo->url : "", narInfo != 0)
                     (narInfo ? narInfo->compression : "", narInfo != 0)
-                    (narInfo && narInfo->fileHash ? narInfo->fileHash.to_string(Base32, true) : "", narInfo && narInfo->fileHash)
+                    (narInfo && narInfo->fileHash ? narInfo->fileHash->to_string(Base32, true) : "", narInfo && narInfo->fileHash)
                     (narInfo ? narInfo->fileSize : 0, narInfo != 0 && narInfo->fileSize)
-                    (info->narHash.to_string(Base32, true))
+                    (info->narHash->to_string(Base32, true))
                     (info->narSize)
                     (concatStringsSep(" ", info->shortRefs()))
                     (info->deriver ? std::string(info->deriver->to_string()) : "", (bool) info->deriver)
diff --git a/src/libstore/nar-info.cc b/src/libstore/nar-info.cc
index bb4448c90..fb84b0410 100644
--- a/src/libstore/nar-info.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/nar-info.cc
@@ -7,15 +7,14 @@ NarInfo::NarInfo(const Store & store, const std::string & s, const std::string &
     : ValidPathInfo(StorePath(StorePath::dummy)) // FIXME: hack
 {
     auto corrupt = [&]() {
-        throw Error("NAR info file '%1%' is corrupt", whence);
+        return Error("NAR info file '%1%' is corrupt", whence);
     };
 
     auto parseHashField = [&](const string & s) {
         try {
             return Hash(s);
         } catch (BadHash &) {
-            corrupt();
-            return Hash(); // never reached
+            throw corrupt();
         }
     };
 
@@ -25,12 +24,12 @@ NarInfo::NarInfo(const Store & store, const std::string & s, const std::string &
     while (pos < s.size()) {
 
         size_t colon = s.find(':', pos);
-        if (colon == std::string::npos) corrupt();
+        if (colon == std::string::npos) throw corrupt();
 
         std::string name(s, pos, colon - pos);
 
         size_t eol = s.find('\n', colon + 2);
-        if (eol == std::string::npos) corrupt();
+        if (eol == std::string::npos) throw corrupt();
 
         std::string value(s, colon + 2, eol - colon - 2);
 
@@ -45,16 +44,16 @@ NarInfo::NarInfo(const Store & store, const std::string & s, const std::string &
         else if (name == "FileHash")
             fileHash = parseHashField(value);
         else if (name == "FileSize") {
-            if (!string2Int(value, fileSize)) corrupt();
+            if (!string2Int(value, fileSize)) throw corrupt();
         }
         else if (name == "NarHash")
             narHash = parseHashField(value);
         else if (name == "NarSize") {
-            if (!string2Int(value, narSize)) corrupt();
+            if (!string2Int(value, narSize)) throw corrupt();
         }
         else if (name == "References") {
             auto refs = tokenizeString<Strings>(value, " ");
-            if (!references.empty()) corrupt();
+            if (!references.empty()) throw corrupt();
             for (auto & r : refs)
                 references.insert(StorePath(r));
         }
@@ -67,7 +66,7 @@ NarInfo::NarInfo(const Store & store, const std::string & s, const std::string &
         else if (name == "Sig")
             sigs.insert(value);
         else if (name == "CA") {
-            if (!ca.empty()) corrupt();
+            if (!ca.empty()) throw corrupt();
             ca = value;
         }
 
@@ -76,7 +75,7 @@ NarInfo::NarInfo(const Store & store, const std::string & s, const std::string &
 
     if (compression == "") compression = "bzip2";
 
-    if (!havePath || url.empty() || narSize == 0 || !narHash) corrupt();
+    if (!havePath || url.empty() || narSize == 0 || !narHash) throw corrupt();
 }
 
 std::string NarInfo::to_string(const Store & store) const
@@ -86,11 +85,11 @@ std::string NarInfo::to_string(const Store & store) const
     res += "URL: " + url + "\n";
     assert(compression != "");
     res += "Compression: " + compression + "\n";
-    assert(fileHash.type == htSHA256);
-    res += "FileHash: " + fileHash.to_string(Base32, true) + "\n";
+    assert(fileHash && fileHash->type == htSHA256);
+    res += "FileHash: " + fileHash->to_string(Base32, true) + "\n";
     res += "FileSize: " + std::to_string(fileSize) + "\n";
-    assert(narHash.type == htSHA256);
-    res += "NarHash: " + narHash.to_string(Base32, true) + "\n";
+    assert(narHash && narHash->type == htSHA256);
+    res += "NarHash: " + narHash->to_string(Base32, true) + "\n";
     res += "NarSize: " + std::to_string(narSize) + "\n";
 
     res += "References: " + concatStringsSep(" ", shortRefs()) + "\n";
diff --git a/src/libstore/references.cc b/src/libstore/references.cc
index 8ee8d1ae8..4733bc388 100644
--- a/src/libstore/references.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/references.cc
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ std::pair<PathSet, HashResult> scanForReferences(const string & path,
         found.insert(j->second);
     }
 
-    hash = sink.hashSink.finish();
+    auto hash = sink.hashSink.finish();
 
     return std::pair<PathSet, HashResult>(found, hash);
 }
diff --git a/src/libstore/remote-store.cc b/src/libstore/remote-store.cc
index f5f2ab7fd..c206a4538 100644
--- a/src/libstore/remote-store.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/remote-store.cc
@@ -462,7 +462,7 @@ void RemoteStore::addToStore(const ValidPathInfo & info, Source & source,
         conn->to << wopAddToStoreNar
                  << printStorePath(info.path)
                  << (info.deriver ? printStorePath(*info.deriver) : "")
-                 << info.narHash.to_string(Base16, false);
+                 << info.narHash->to_string(Base16, false);
         writeStorePaths(*this, conn->to, info.references);
         conn->to << info.registrationTime << info.narSize
                  << info.ultimate << info.sigs << info.ca
diff --git a/src/libstore/store-api.cc b/src/libstore/store-api.cc
index 982fc22b6..c74aeec48 100644
--- a/src/libstore/store-api.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/store-api.cc
@@ -430,7 +430,7 @@ string Store::makeValidityRegistration(const StorePathSet & paths,
         auto info = queryPathInfo(i);
 
         if (showHash) {
-            s += info->narHash.to_string(Base16, false) + "\n";
+            s += info->narHash->to_string(Base16, false) + "\n";
             s += (format("%1%\n") % info->narSize).str();
         }
 
@@ -462,7 +462,7 @@ void Store::pathInfoToJSON(JSONPlaceholder & jsonOut, const StorePathSet & store
             auto info = queryPathInfo(storePath);
 
             jsonPath
-                .attr("narHash", info->narHash.to_string(hashBase, true))
+                .attr("narHash", info->narHash->to_string(hashBase, true))
                 .attr("narSize", info->narSize);
 
             {
@@ -505,7 +505,7 @@ void Store::pathInfoToJSON(JSONPlaceholder & jsonOut, const StorePathSet & store
                     if (!narInfo->url.empty())
                         jsonPath.attr("url", narInfo->url);
                     if (narInfo->fileHash)
-                        jsonPath.attr("downloadHash", narInfo->fileHash.to_string(Base32, true));
+                        jsonPath.attr("downloadHash", narInfo->fileHash->to_string(Base32, true));
                     if (narInfo->fileSize)
                         jsonPath.attr("downloadSize", narInfo->fileSize);
                     if (showClosureSize)
@@ -746,7 +746,7 @@ std::string ValidPathInfo::fingerprint(const Store & store) const
             store.printStorePath(path));
     return
         "1;" + store.printStorePath(path) + ";"
-        + narHash.to_string(Base32, true) + ";"
+        + narHash->to_string(Base32, true) + ";"
         + std::to_string(narSize) + ";"
         + concatStringsSep(",", store.printStorePathSet(references));
 }
diff --git a/src/libutil/hash.cc b/src/libutil/hash.cc
index 00bb999cb..35a449530 100644
--- a/src/libutil/hash.cc
+++ b/src/libutil/hash.cc
@@ -140,19 +140,20 @@ Hash::Hash(std::string_view s, std::optional<HashType> optType)
 
     // Find the : or - separater, and set `isSRI` to the correct value
     auto sep = s.find(':');
-    if (sep == string::npos) {
+    if (sep == std::string_view::npos) {
         sep = s.find('-');
-        if (sep != string::npos)
+        if (sep != std::string_view::npos)
             isSRI = true;
     }
 
     // Parse the has type before the separater, if there was one.
     std::optional<HashType> optParsedType;
-    if (sep != string::npos) {
+    if (sep != std::string_view::npos) {
         auto hts = s.substr(0, sep);
-        auto optParsedType = parseHashType(hts);
+        auto optParsedType = parseHashTypeOpt(hts);
         if (!optParsedType)
             throw BadHash("unknown hash type '%s'", hts);
+        pos = sep + 1;
     }
 
     // Either the string or user must provide the type, if they both do they