diff --git a/crates/backend/field/src/packed/packed_traits.rs b/crates/backend/field/src/packed/packed_traits.rs
index bd9a643b..95b601d4 100644
--- a/crates/backend/field/src/packed/packed_traits.rs
+++ b/crates/backend/field/src/packed/packed_traits.rs
@@ -337,7 +337,6 @@ pub trait PackedFieldExtension<BaseField: Field, ExtField: ExtensionField<BaseFi
 
     /// Unpack one packed element into the `BaseField::Packing::WIDTH` extension field elements
     /// it holds. Use `.flat_map(Self::to_ext_lanes)` to unpack an iterator of packed elements.
-    #[must_use]
     fn to_ext_lanes(self) -> impl Iterator<Item = ExtField>;
 
     /// Given a iterator of packed extension field elements, convert to an iterator of
@@ -360,7 +359,6 @@ pub trait PackedFieldExtension<BaseField: Field, ExtField: ExtensionField<BaseFi
     /// Note that the length of the returned iterator will be `unpacked_len / WIDTH` and
     /// not `len` as the iterator is over packed extension field elements. If `unpacked_len`
     /// is not divisible by `WIDTH`, `unpacked_len` will be rounded up to the next multiple of `WIDTH`.
-    #[must_use]
     fn packed_ext_powers_capped(base: ExtField, unpacked_len: usize) -> impl Iterator<Item = Self> {
         Self::packed_ext_powers(base).take(unpacked_len.div_ceil(BaseField::Packing::WIDTH))
     }
diff --git a/crates/backend/poly/src/eq_mle.rs b/crates/backend/poly/src/eq_mle.rs
index 3ab98c6e..67952b06 100644
--- a/crates/backend/poly/src/eq_mle.rs
+++ b/crates/backend/poly/src/eq_mle.rs
@@ -1021,12 +1021,9 @@ fn base_eval_eq_packed_with_packed_output<F, EF, const INITIALIZED: bool>(
     F: Field,
     EF: ExtensionField<F>,
 {
-    // Ensure that the output buffer size is correct:
-    // It should be of size `2^n`, where `n` is the number of variables.
-    let width = F::Packing::WIDTH;
-    let log_packing_width = log2_strict_usize(width);
+    // `eval_points` is the middle slice from `par_eval_eq`, so its length says nothing about the
+    // packing width (the callers assert that against the full point).
     debug_assert_eq!(out.len(), 1 << eval_points.len());
-    debug_assert!(log_packing_width <= eval_points.len());
 
     match eval_points.len() {
         0 => {
@@ -1320,6 +1317,29 @@ mod tests {
         }
     }
 
+    /// `par_eval_eq` hands the kernel a middle slice of any length >= 2, so the hardcoded arms
+    /// below `log_packing_width` must agree with the unpacked-output twin. Calling the kernel
+    /// directly keeps this independent of the SIMD width and thread count.
+    #[test]
+    fn base_packed_kernel_handles_short_slices() {
+        let mut rng = StdRng::seed_from_u64(11);
+        let scalar: EF = rng.random();
+        let eq_evals = <F as Field>::Packing::from_fn(|_| rng.random());
+
+        for len in 1..=3 {
+            let points: Vec<F> = (0..len).map(|_| rng.random()).collect();
+
+            let mut expected = EF::zero_vec(<F as Field>::Packing::WIDTH << len);
+            base_eval_eq_packed::<F, EF, false>(&points, &mut expected, eq_evals, scalar);
+
+            let mut packed = EFPacking::<EF>::zero_vec(1 << len);
+            let packed_scalar = EFPacking::<EF>::from(scalar);
+            base_eval_eq_packed_with_packed_output::<F, EF, false>(&points, &mut packed, eq_evals, packed_scalar);
+
+            assert_eq!(expected, EFPacking::<EF>::to_ext_iter_vec(packed), "len = {len}");
+        }
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn test_compute_eval_eq_packed_dual() {
         let packing_width = <F as Field>::Packing::WIDTH;