diff --git a/piet-gpu/shader/elements.comp b/piet-gpu/shader/elements.comp
index d37a2c6..bca2e2f 100644
--- a/piet-gpu/shader/elements.comp
+++ b/piet-gpu/shader/elements.comp
@@ -175,6 +175,7 @@ shared State sh_state[WG_SIZE];
 
 shared uint sh_part_ix;
 shared State sh_prefix;
+shared uint sh_flag;
 
 void main() {
     State th_state[N_ROWS];
@@ -230,27 +231,42 @@ void main() {
             flag = FLAG_PREFIX_READY;
         }
         state[state_flag_index(part_ix)] = flag;
-        if (part_ix != 0) {
-            // step 4 of paper: decoupled lookback
-            uint look_back_ix = part_ix - 1;
+    }
+    if (part_ix != 0) {
+        // step 4 of paper: decoupled lookback
+        uint look_back_ix = part_ix - 1;
 
-            State their_agg;
-            uint their_ix = 0;
-            while (true) {
-                flag = state[state_flag_index(look_back_ix)];
-                if (flag == FLAG_PREFIX_READY) {
+        State their_agg;
+        uint their_ix = 0;
+        while (true) {
+            if (gl_LocalInvocationID.x == WG_SIZE - 1) {
+                sh_flag = state[state_flag_index(look_back_ix)];
+            }
+            // The flag load is done only in the last thread. However, because the
+            // translation of memoryBarrierBuffer to Metal requires uniform control
+            // flow, we broadcast it to all threads.
+            barrier();
+            memoryBarrierBuffer();
+            uint flag = sh_flag;
+
+            if (flag == FLAG_PREFIX_READY) {
+                if (gl_LocalInvocationID.x == WG_SIZE - 1) {
                     State their_prefix = State_read(state_prefix_ref(look_back_ix));
                     exclusive = combine_state(their_prefix, exclusive);
-                    break;
-                } else if (flag == FLAG_AGGREGATE_READY) {
+                }
+                break;
+            } else if (flag == FLAG_AGGREGATE_READY) {
+                if (gl_LocalInvocationID.x == WG_SIZE - 1) {
                     their_agg = State_read(state_aggregate_ref(look_back_ix));
                     exclusive = combine_state(their_agg, exclusive);
-                    look_back_ix--;
-                    their_ix = 0;
-                    continue;
                 }
-                // else spin
+                look_back_ix--;
+                their_ix = 0;
+                continue;
+            }
+            // else spin
 
+            if (gl_LocalInvocationID.x == WG_SIZE - 1) {
                 // Unfortunately there's no guarantee of forward progress of other
                 // workgroups, so compute a bit of the aggregate before trying again.
                 // In the worst case, spinning stops when the aggregate is complete.
@@ -265,22 +281,29 @@ void main() {
                 if (their_ix == PARTITION_SIZE) {
                     exclusive = combine_state(their_agg, exclusive);
                     if (look_back_ix == 0) {
-                        break;
+                        sh_flag = FLAG_PREFIX_READY;
+                    } else {
+                        look_back_ix--;
+                        their_ix = 0;
                     }
-                    look_back_ix--;
-                    their_ix = 0;
                 }
             }
-
-            // step 5 of paper: compute inclusive prefix
+            barrier();
+            flag = sh_flag;
+            if (flag == FLAG_PREFIX_READY) {
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+        // step 5 of paper: compute inclusive prefix
+        if (gl_LocalInvocationID.x == WG_SIZE - 1) {
             State inclusive_prefix = combine_state(exclusive, agg);
             sh_prefix = exclusive;
             State_write(state_prefix_ref(part_ix), inclusive_prefix);
         }
-    }
-    memoryBarrierBuffer();
-    if (gl_LocalInvocationID.x == WG_SIZE - 1 && part_ix != 0) {
-        state[state_flag_index(part_ix)] = FLAG_PREFIX_READY;
+        memoryBarrierBuffer();
+        if (gl_LocalInvocationID.x == WG_SIZE - 1) {
+            state[state_flag_index(part_ix)] = FLAG_PREFIX_READY;
+        }
     }
     barrier();
     if (part_ix != 0) {
diff --git a/piet-gpu/shader/elements.spv b/piet-gpu/shader/elements.spv
index d1fd39a..4daf42d 100644
Binary files a/piet-gpu/shader/elements.spv and b/piet-gpu/shader/elements.spv differ