[mFixman]

But isn't there a 5-byte single instruction that has no effect, like `NOP DWORD ptr [EAX + EAX*1 + 00H]`?

I thought that multibyte NOPs were executed in a single instruction?

[MBCook]

They may not have been coalesced at the time the decision was made.

[layer8]

I’m pretty sure it would be slower, if only by taking up more space in the instruction cache (in the common case where no hotpatch is applied).