diff --git a/src/tt.cpp b/src/tt.cpp
index d494c27d..60a3a5f1 100644
--- a/src/tt.cpp
+++ b/src/tt.cpp
@@ -37,18 +37,19 @@ void TTEntry::save(Key k, Value v, bool pv, Bound b, Depth d, Move m, Value ev)
   if (m || (uint16_t)k != key16)
       move16 = (uint16_t)m;
 
-  // Overwrite less valuable entries
-  if ((uint16_t)k != key16
-      || d - DEPTH_OFFSET > depth8 - 4
-      || b == BOUND_EXACT)
+  // Overwrite less valuable entries (cheapest checks first)
+  if (b == BOUND_EXACT
+      || (uint16_t)k != key16
+      || d - DEPTH_OFFSET > depth8 - 4)
   {
-      assert(d >= DEPTH_OFFSET);
+      assert(d > DEPTH_OFFSET);
+      assert(d < 256 + DEPTH_OFFSET);
 
       key16     = (uint16_t)k;
+      depth8    = (uint8_t)(d - DEPTH_OFFSET);
+      genBound8 = (uint8_t)(TT.generation8 | uint8_t(pv) << 2 | b);
       value16   = (int16_t)v;
       eval16    = (int16_t)ev;
-      genBound8 = (uint8_t)(TT.generation8 | uint8_t(pv) << 2 | b);
-      depth8    = (uint8_t)(d - DEPTH_OFFSET);
   }
 }
 
@@ -119,11 +120,11 @@ TTEntry* TranspositionTable::probe(const Key key, bool& found) const {
   const uint16_t key16 = (uint16_t)key;  // Use the low 16 bits as key inside the cluster
 
   for (int i = 0; i < ClusterSize; ++i)
-      if (!tte[i].key16 || tte[i].key16 == key16)
+      if (tte[i].key16 == key16 || !tte[i].depth8)
       {
           tte[i].genBound8 = uint8_t(generation8 | (tte[i].genBound8 & 0x7)); // Refresh
 
-          return found = (bool)tte[i].key16, &tte[i];
+          return found = (bool)tte[i].depth8, &tte[i];
       }
 
   // Find an entry to be replaced according to the replacement strategy
@@ -149,7 +150,7 @@ int TranspositionTable::hashfull() const {
   int cnt = 0;
   for (int i = 0; i < 1000; ++i)
       for (int j = 0; j < ClusterSize; ++j)
-          cnt += (table[i].entry[j].genBound8 & 0xF8) == generation8;
+          cnt += table[i].entry[j].depth8 && (table[i].entry[j].genBound8 & 0xF8) == generation8;
 
   return cnt / ClusterSize;
 }
diff --git a/src/tt.h b/src/tt.h
index c177ca52..fdfd6769 100644
--- a/src/tt.h
+++ b/src/tt.h
@@ -25,13 +25,13 @@
 /// TTEntry struct is the 10 bytes transposition table entry, defined as below:
 ///
 /// key        16 bit
-/// move       16 bit
-/// value      16 bit
-/// eval value 16 bit
+/// depth       8 bit
 /// generation  5 bit
 /// pv node     1 bit
 /// bound type  2 bit
-/// depth       8 bit
+/// move       16 bit
+/// value      16 bit
+/// eval value 16 bit
 
 struct TTEntry {
 
@@ -47,11 +47,11 @@ private:
   friend class TranspositionTable;
 
   uint16_t key16;
+  uint8_t  depth8;
+  uint8_t  genBound8;
   uint16_t move16;
   int16_t  value16;
   int16_t  eval16;
-  uint8_t  genBound8;
-  uint8_t  depth8;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/types.h b/src/types.h
index 73da41e2..1cd711b6 100644
--- a/src/types.h
+++ b/src/types.h
@@ -232,7 +232,8 @@ enum : int {
   DEPTH_QS_RECAPTURES = -5,
 
   DEPTH_NONE   = -6,
-  DEPTH_OFFSET = DEPTH_NONE
+
+  DEPTH_OFFSET = -7 // value used only for TT entry occupancy check
 };
 
 enum Square : int {