diff --git a/include/hyperjet/hyperjet.h b/include/hyperjet/hyperjet.h
index 3c3931e..ee009cd 100644
--- a/include/hyperjet/hyperjet.h
+++ b/include/hyperjet/hyperjet.h
@@ -18,8 +18,10 @@ namespace hyperjet {
 
 #if defined(_MSC_VER)
 #define HYPERJET_INLINE __forceinline
+#define HYPERJET_NO_UNIQUE_ADDRESS [[msvc::no_unique_address]]
 #else
 #define HYPERJET_INLINE __attribute__((always_inline)) inline
+#define HYPERJET_NO_UNIQUE_ADDRESS [[no_unique_address]]
 #endif
 
 using index = std::ptrdiff_t;
@@ -47,13 +49,19 @@ class DDScalar {
   using DynamicStorage = std::vector<TScalar>;
   using StaticStorage = std::array<TScalar, StaticDataSize>;
 
+  // A statically sized scalar knows its size from TSize, so it carries no
+  // field for it. The empty stand-in keeps m_size spellable in both variants.
+  struct NoSize {};
+
 public:
   using Type = DDScalar<TOrder, TScalar, TSize>;
   using Scalar = TScalar;
   using Data = typename std::conditional<TSize == Dynamic, DynamicStorage,
                                          StaticStorage>::type;
 
-  index m_size;
+  using SizeStorage = std::conditional_t<TSize == Dynamic, index, NoSize>;
+
+  HYPERJET_NO_UNIQUE_ADDRESS SizeStorage m_size;
   Data m_data;
 
 public:
@@ -331,13 +339,15 @@ class DDScalar {
     static_assert(is_dynamic());
   }
 
-  DDScalar(std::initializer_list<TScalar> data)
-      : m_size(size_from_data_length(length(data))) {
+  DDScalar(std::initializer_list<TScalar> data) {
     static_assert(0 < order() && order() <= 2);
 
-    check_valid_size(m_size);
+    const index s = size_from_data_length(length(data));
+
+    check_valid_size(s);
 
     if constexpr (is_dynamic()) {
+      m_size = s;
       m_data.assign(data.begin(), data.end());
     } else {
       std::copy(data.begin(), data.end(), m_data.begin());
diff --git a/test/src/test_variants.cpp b/test/src/test_variants.cpp
index f5e5a0a..e4b0804 100644
--- a/test/src/test_variants.cpp
+++ b/test/src/test_variants.cpp
@@ -4,8 +4,9 @@
 
 #include <hyperjet/hyperjet.h>
 
-#include <array>  // array
-#include <vector> // vector
+#include <array>       // array
+#include <type_traits> // is_trivially_copyable
+#include <vector>      // vector
 
 // Coverage across all four combinations of order and sizing.
 //
@@ -106,6 +107,23 @@ void check(const T &actual, const std::vector<double> &expected) {
   }
 }
 
+// A statically sized scalar is exactly its data. The runtime size is only
+// meaningful for the dynamic variant, where it also rules out trivial copying.
+// Both properties are what an element type has to offer a NumPy dtype.
+
+TEST_CASE("Static scalars are exactly their data") {
+  CHECK(sizeof(DDScalar<1, double, 0>) == sizeof(DDScalar<1, double, 0>::Data));
+  CHECK(sizeof(DDScalar<1, double, 3>) == sizeof(DDScalar<1, double, 3>::Data));
+  CHECK(sizeof(DDScalar<2, double, 3>) == sizeof(DDScalar<2, double, 3>::Data));
+  CHECK(sizeof(DDScalar<2, double, 8>) == sizeof(DDScalar<2, double, 8>::Data));
+
+  CHECK(std::is_trivially_copyable_v<DDScalar<1, double, 3>>);
+  CHECK(std::is_trivially_copyable_v<DDScalar<2, double, 3>>);
+  CHECK(std::is_standard_layout_v<DDScalar<2, double, 3>>);
+
+  CHECK_FALSE(std::is_trivially_copyable_v<DDScalar<2, double, Dynamic>>);
+}
+
 TEST_CASE_TEMPLATE("variants: values", T, D1, X1, D2, X2) {
   auto a = make<T>(A);