diff --git a/lib/math/floats.ww b/lib/math/floats.ww
index d6bd2367..cb9ce8ff 100644
--- a/lib/math/floats.ww
+++ b/lib/math/floats.ww
@@ -6,17 +6,17 @@
 package math;
 
 // Returns the binary representation of the given f64.
-// ref/hare/math/floats.ha:5
+// ref/hare/math/floats.ha:5. Parens around &n are load-bearing: ww's `:`
+// cast binds tighter than unary `&`, so Hare's `*(&n: *u64)` would parse
+// as `*(&(n: *u64))`; `(&n): *u64` reinterprets the address as intended.
 export fn f64bits(n: f64) u64 = {
-	let p: *u64 = (&n): *u64;
-	return *p;
+	return *((&n): *u64);
 };
 
 // Returns f64 with the given binary representation.
 // ref/hare/math/floats.ha:11
 export fn f64frombits(n: u64) f64 = {
-	let p: *f64 = (&n): *f64;
-	return *p;
+	return *((&n): *f64);
 };
 
 // ref/hare/math/floats.ha:17,20,23 declare these as untyped int. ww has