diff --git a/build.zig b/build.zig
index c5eb302..8821221 100644
--- a/build.zig
+++ b/build.zig
@@ -178,7 +178,8 @@ pub fn build(b: *std.Build) void {
         },
         // Disable AVX-512 codepaths — 512-bit intrinsics require evex512 which
         // isn't available on 32-bit x86. AVX/AVX2/SSE paths remain active.
-        .flags = &.{"-DLIBDEFLATE_ASSEMBLER_DOES_NOT_SUPPORT_AVX512VNNI"},
+        // -g0: no debug info (avoids .debug_frame section name warning in COFF linker)
+        .flags = &.{ "-DLIBDEFLATE_ASSEMBLER_DOES_NOT_SUPPORT_AVX512VNNI", "-g0" },
     });
     libdeflate.root_module.addIncludePath(b.path("src/performance/libdeflate"));
     libdeflate.root_module.addIncludePath(b.path("src/performance/libdeflate/lib"));
diff --git a/src/performance/inflate_hook.zig b/src/performance/inflate_hook.zig
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..61ced37
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/performance/inflate_hook.zig
@@ -0,0 +1,172 @@
+//! inflate_hook — libdeflate timing comparison hook for WoW's inflateStateMachine.
+//!
+//! Hooks BZip2Decompressor_Decompress (0x660740) which receives complete
+//! compressed buffers. Runs both original and libdeflate, times both,
+//! logs the comparison.
+
+const hook_lib = @import("zhook");
+const logging = @import("../logging.zig");
+
+const FC: std.builtin.CallingConvention = .{ .x86_fastcall = .{} };
+const SC: std.builtin.CallingConvention = .{ .x86_stdcall = .{} };
+const std = @import("std");
+
+// libdeflate C API (linked from static lib)
+extern fn libdeflate_alloc_decompressor() ?*anyopaque;
+extern fn libdeflate_free_decompressor(?*anyopaque) void;
+extern fn libdeflate_zlib_decompress(
+    decompressor: ?*anyopaque,
+    in_ptr: [*]const u8,
+    in_len: usize,
+    out_ptr: [*]u8,
+    out_len: usize,
+    actual_out: *usize,
+) c_int;
+extern fn libdeflate_deflate_decompress(
+    decompressor: ?*anyopaque,
+    in_ptr: [*]const u8,
+    in_len: usize,
+    out_ptr: [*]u8,
+    out_len: usize,
+    actual_out: *usize,
+) c_int;
+
+var decompressor: ?*anyopaque = null;
+var log: logging.Logger = .{};
+
+// Timing accumulators
+var orig_total_cycles: u64 = 0;
+var fast_total_cycles: u64 = 0;
+var call_count: u64 = 0;
+var mismatch_count: u64 = 0;
+var total_bytes: u64 = 0;
+
+inline fn rdtsc() u64 {
+    var lo: u32 = undefined;
+    var hi: u32 = undefined;
+    asm volatile ("rdtsc"
+        : [lo] "={eax}" (lo),
+          [hi] "={edx}" (hi),
+    );
+    return (@as(u64, hi) << 32) | lo;
+}
+
+// =============================================================================
+// Hook: DecompressData_WithOptions (0x661A80)
+// __cdecl(outBuf, &outSize, inBuf, &inSize, flags) → returns ptr (0=fail, 1=ok)
+//
+// This is the top-level decompression dispatcher. It reads the first byte
+// as a compression type bitmask and dispatches to the appropriate decompressor.
+// We intercept here to run libdeflate on the same data for comparison.
+// =============================================================================
+
+const DecompressFn = fn (u32, u32, u32, u32, u32) callconv(SC) u32;
+pub var decompress_hook: hook_lib.Detour(DecompressFn) = .{};
+
+pub fn decompressDetour(out_buf: u32, out_size_ptr: u32, in_buf: u32, in_size_ptr: u32, flags: u32) callconv(SC) u32 {
+    // Read input/output sizes
+    const in_size = @as(*const u32, @ptrFromInt(in_size_ptr)).*;
+    const out_size = @as(*const u32, @ptrFromInt(out_size_ptr)).*;
+    const in_ptr: [*]const u8 = @ptrFromInt(in_buf);
+
+    // Run original first (this is the authoritative result)
+    const t0 = rdtsc();
+    const ret = decompress_hook.callOriginal(.{ out_buf, out_size_ptr, in_buf, in_size_ptr, flags });
+    const orig_cycles = rdtsc() - t0;
+
+    // Only compare if original succeeded, we have a decompressor, and buffer is non-trivial
+    if (ret != 0 and decompressor != null and in_size > 16 and out_size > 0) {
+        // Read the compression type byte — first byte of compressed data
+        const comp_type = in_ptr[0];
+
+        // Only test zlib/deflate streams (type byte has bit patterns for different compressors)
+        // The actual data starts at byte 1 (after the type byte)
+        // For now, test on all calls regardless of type — libdeflate handles raw deflate
+        _ = comp_type;
+
+        // Allocate temp buffer for libdeflate output
+        const actual_out_size = @as(*const u32, @ptrFromInt(out_size_ptr)).*;
+        if (actual_out_size > 0 and actual_out_size < 4 * 1024 * 1024) {
+            // Use VirtualAlloc or stack for small buffers
+            var fast_buf: [65536]u8 = undefined;
+            const use_buf: [*]u8 = if (actual_out_size <= 65536) &fast_buf else return ret;
+
+            var actual_out: usize = 0;
+            const t1 = rdtsc();
+            const ld_ret = libdeflate_deflate_decompress(
+                decompressor,
+                in_ptr + 1, // skip type byte
+                in_size - 1,
+                use_buf,
+                actual_out_size,
+                &actual_out,
+            );
+            const fast_cycles = rdtsc() - t1;
+
+            orig_total_cycles +|= orig_cycles;
+            fast_total_cycles +|= fast_cycles;
+            call_count +|= 1;
+            total_bytes +|= actual_out_size;
+
+            // Check if libdeflate succeeded and produced same output
+            if (ld_ret == 0 and actual_out == actual_out_size) {
+                // Compare outputs
+                const orig_out: [*]const u8 = @ptrFromInt(out_buf);
+                var match = true;
+                for (0..actual_out_size) |i| {
+                    if (orig_out[i] != use_buf[i]) {
+                        match = false;
+                        break;
+                    }
+                }
+                if (!match) mismatch_count +|= 1;
+            }
+        }
+    } else {
+        orig_total_cycles +|= orig_cycles;
+        call_count +|= 1;
+    }
+
+    return ret;
+}
+
+pub fn dumpStats() void {
+    if (call_count == 0) return;
+    const MS_DIV: u64 = 3_000_000;
+    log.fmt("inflate: {d} calls, {d}MB, orig={d}ms fast={d}ms ({d} mismatches)\n", .{
+        call_count,
+        total_bytes / (1024 * 1024),
+        orig_total_cycles / MS_DIV,
+        fast_total_cycles / MS_DIV,
+        mismatch_count,
+    });
+    // Reset
+    orig_total_cycles = 0;
+    fast_total_cycles = 0;
+    call_count = 0;
+    mismatch_count = 0;
+    total_bytes = 0;
+}
+
+pub fn install(logger: logging.Logger) bool {
+    log = logger;
+    decompressor = libdeflate_alloc_decompressor();
+    if (decompressor == null) {
+        log.print("inflate_hook: failed to allocate libdeflate decompressor\n");
+        return false;
+    }
+    if (decompress_hook.attach(0x661A80, &decompressDetour) == .ok) {
+        log.print("inflate_hook: hooked DecompressData_WithOptions\n");
+        return true;
+    }
+    log.print("inflate_hook: failed to hook\n");
+    return false;
+}
+
+pub fn remove() void {
+    decompress_hook.detach();
+    if (decompressor) |d| {
+        libdeflate_free_decompressor(d);
+        decompressor = null;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/performance/performance.zig b/src/performance/performance.zig
index 676ca73..3bc2947 100644
--- a/src/performance/performance.zig
+++ b/src/performance/performance.zig
@@ -16,9 +16,25 @@
 const hook = @import("zhook");
 const logging = @import("../logging.zig");
 const mod_mutex = @import("../mutex.zig");
+const inflate_hook = @import("inflate_hook.zig");
 
 pub const module_name: [*:0]const u8 = "performance";
 
+// Provide malloc/free for libdeflate's default allocator (linked without libc).
+// Use game's own SMemAlloc/SMemFree (Storm memory manager) which are always available.
+// SMemAlloc at 0x6464B0: __stdcall(size, filename_str, line, flags) → ptr
+// SMemFree at 0x646430: __stdcall(ptr, filename_str, flags) → void
+const gameMalloc: *const fn (u32, u32, u32, u32) callconv(.{ .x86_stdcall = .{} }) ?*anyopaque = @ptrFromInt(0x6464B0);
+const gameFree: *const fn (u32, u32, u32) callconv(.{ .x86_stdcall = .{} }) void = @ptrFromInt(0x646430);
+
+export fn malloc(size: usize) callconv(.c) ?*anyopaque {
+    return gameMalloc(@intCast(size), 0, 0, 0);
+}
+
+export fn free(ptr: ?*anyopaque) callconv(.c) void {
+    if (ptr) |p| gameFree(@intFromPtr(p), 0, 0);
+}
+
 var g_mutex: ?*anyopaque = null;
 var g_is_hook_owner: bool = false;
 var log: logging.Logger = .{};
@@ -123,9 +139,17 @@ fn glyphDetour(a: u32, b: u32, c: u32, d: u32) callconv(hook.cc.fastcall) ?*anyo
 const WorldUpdateFn = fn (u32) callconv(hook.cc.fastcall) void;
 var world_update_hook: hook.Detour(WorldUpdateFn) = .{};
 
+var frame_counter: u32 = 0;
+
 fn worldUpdateDetour(frame_count: u32) callconv(hook.cc.fastcall) void {
     resetParticleCache();
     world_update_hook.callOriginal(.{frame_count});
+    // Dump inflate stats every ~450 frames (~7.5s at 60fps)
+    frame_counter +|= 1;
+    if (frame_counter >= 450) {
+        inflate_hook.dumpStats();
+        frame_counter = 0;
+    }
 }
 
 // =============================================================================
@@ -257,11 +281,16 @@ pub fn installHooks() void {
     // Silicon SSE binary patches
     const patched = installPatches();
 
+    // libdeflate inflate comparison hook
+    if (inflate_hook.install(log)) installed += 1;
+
     log.fmt("performance: {d} hooks, {d} patches installed\n", .{ installed, patched });
 }
 
 pub fn removeHooks() void {
     if (g_is_hook_owner) {
+        inflate_hook.dumpStats();
+        inflate_hook.remove();
         transform_hook.detach();
         particle_hook.detach();
         glyph_hook.detach();