diff --git a/hash.go b/hash.go
index bcd5585..1698b40 100644
--- a/hash.go
+++ b/hash.go
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 package arbo
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"crypto/sha256"
+	"fmt"
 	"math/big"
 
 	fr_bls12377 "github.com/consensys/gnark-crypto/ecc/bls12-377/fr"
@@ -387,55 +389,54 @@ func (f HashMiMC7) SafeBigInt(b *big.Int) []byte {
 }
 
 // ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-//  Poseidon2 implementation (BN254, Merkle–Damgård, 32-byte digest)
+// Poseidon-2 (BN254) – Merkle–Damgård, width-2, 32-byte digest
 // ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
-// HashPoseidon2 implements the HashFunction interface using the
-// gnark-crypto Poseidon2 permutation in Merkle-Damgård mode
-// (width = 2, rF = 6, rP = 50).
 type HashPoseidon2 struct{}
 
-// Type returns the function label.
 func (HashPoseidon2) Type() []byte { return TypeHashPoseidon2 }
+func (HashPoseidon2) Len() int     { return 32 }
 
-// Len returns the byte length of the digest (one BN254 field element).
-func (HashPoseidon2) Len() int { return 32 }
+var perm2 = poseidon2.NewPermutation(2 /*t*/, 6 /*rF*/, 50 /*rP*/)
 
-// Hash concatenates the inputs and hashes them with Poseidon2.
-// Each Write call handles its own padding; no chunking is required here.
-// Normalizes the order of inputs to ensure consistent hashing regardless
-// of the order in which values are provided.
-func (f HashPoseidon2) Hash(b ...[]byte) ([]byte, error) {
-	// For Merkle intermediate nodes, we have exactly 2 inputs
-	if len(b) == 2 {
-		// Convert both inputs to big.Int for deterministic comparison
-		bigA := new(big.Int).SetBytes(b[0])
-		bigB := new(big.Int).SetBytes(b[1])
-
-		// Compare and consistently order the inputs
-		if bigA.Cmp(bigB) > 0 {
-			// Swap if a > b to ensure consistent ordering
-			b[0], b[1] = b[1], b[0]
-		}
+func (h HashPoseidon2) Hash(inp ...[]byte) ([]byte, error) {
+	// accept 2 (internal) or 3 (leaf) elements
+	if len(inp) != 2 && len(inp) != 3 {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Poseidon-2: need 2 or 3 inputs, got %d", len(inp))
+	}
+	// canonicalise each limb
+	safe := make([][]byte, len(inp))
+	for i, b := range inp {
+		safe[i] = h.SafeBigInt(new(big.Int).SetBytes(b))
 	}
 
-	h := poseidon2.NewMerkleDamgardHasher() // implements hash.Hash
-	for _, in := range b {
-		if _, err := h.Write(f.SafeValue(in)); err != nil {
+	// internal node ⇒ order min‖max
+	if len(inp) == 2 && bytes.Compare(safe[0], safe[1]) > 0 {
+		safe[0], safe[1] = safe[1], safe[0]
+	}
+
+	md := hash.NewMerkleDamgardHasher(perm2, make([]byte, 32)) // IV = 0
+	for _, b := range safe {
+		if _, err := md.Write(b); err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
 	}
-	return h.Sum(nil), nil // 32-byte digest
+	return md.Sum(nil), nil
 }
 
-// SafeValue converts an arbitrary little-endian byte slice to a
-// canonical BN254 field-element encoding.
-func (f HashPoseidon2) SafeValue(b []byte) []byte {
-	return f.SafeBigInt(new(big.Int).SetBytes(b))
+// helpers ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+func (HashPoseidon2) SafeValue(x []byte) []byte {
+	return BigIntToFFwithPadding(new(big.Int).SetBytes(x), BN254BaseField)
 }
 
-// SafeBigInt converts an arbitrary big.Int into a byte slice that is a
-// valid BN254 base-field element in little-endian form.
-func (HashPoseidon2) SafeBigInt(b *big.Int) []byte {
-	return ExplicitZero(BigToFF(BN254BaseField, b).Bytes())
+func (HashPoseidon2) SafeBigInt(x *big.Int) []byte {
+	return BigIntToFFwithPadding(x, BN254BaseField)
+}
+
+func BigIntToFFwithPadding(x, modulus *big.Int) []byte {
+	b := BigToFF(modulus, x).Bytes()
+	for len(b) < 32 {
+		b = append([]byte{0}, b...)
+	}
+	return b
 }
diff --git a/hash_test.go b/hash_test.go
index 43aec20..b3a98a3 100644
--- a/hash_test.go
+++ b/hash_test.go
@@ -67,3 +67,16 @@ func TestHashMiMC(t *testing.T) {
 		qt.Equals,
 		"f881f34991492d823e02565c778b824bac5eacef6340b70ee90a8966a2e63900")
 }
+
+func TestHashPoseidon2(t *testing.T) {
+	// Poseidon hash
+	hashFunc := &HashPoseidon2{}
+	bLen := hashFunc.Len()
+	h, err := hashFunc.Hash(
+		BigIntToBytes(bLen, big.NewInt(1)),
+		BigIntToBytes(bLen, big.NewInt(2)))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	t.Logf("hash: %x", h)
+}