diff --git a/src/field.h b/src/field.h
index 327e63fc9..b1bc4b979 100644
--- a/src/field.h
+++ b/src/field.h
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ static const secp256k1_fe secp256k1_const_beta = SECP256K1_FE_CONST(
 #  define secp256k1_fe_cmp_var secp256k1_fe_impl_cmp_var
 #  define secp256k1_fe_set_b32 secp256k1_fe_impl_set_b32
 #  define secp256k1_fe_get_b32 secp256k1_fe_impl_get_b32
+#  define secp256k1_fe_negate secp256k1_fe_impl_negate
 #endif /* !defined(VERIFY) */
 
 /** Normalize a field element.
@@ -192,8 +193,13 @@ static int secp256k1_fe_set_b32(secp256k1_fe *r, const unsigned char *a);
  */
 static void secp256k1_fe_get_b32(unsigned char *r, const secp256k1_fe *a);
 
-/** Set a field element equal to the additive inverse of another. Takes a maximum magnitude of the input
- *  as an argument. The magnitude of the output is one higher. */
+/** Negate a field element.
+ *
+ * On input, r does not need to be initialized. a must be a valid field element with
+ * magnitude not exceeding m. m must be an integer in [0,31].
+ * Performs {r = -a}.
+ * On output, r will not be normalized, and will have magnitude m+1.
+ */
 static void secp256k1_fe_negate(secp256k1_fe *r, const secp256k1_fe *a, int m);
 
 /** Adds a small integer (up to 0x7FFF) to r. The resulting magnitude increases by one. */
diff --git a/src/field_10x26_impl.h b/src/field_10x26_impl.h
index c3f49c86e..9e29f6adf 100644
--- a/src/field_10x26_impl.h
+++ b/src/field_10x26_impl.h
@@ -349,15 +349,15 @@ static void secp256k1_fe_impl_get_b32(unsigned char *r, const secp256k1_fe *a) {
     r[31] = a->n[0] & 0xff;
 }
 
-SECP256K1_INLINE static void secp256k1_fe_negate(secp256k1_fe *r, const secp256k1_fe *a, int m) {
-#ifdef VERIFY
-    VERIFY_CHECK(a->magnitude <= m);
-    secp256k1_fe_verify(a);
+SECP256K1_INLINE static void secp256k1_fe_impl_negate(secp256k1_fe *r, const secp256k1_fe *a, int m) {
+    /* For all legal values of m (0..31), the following properties hold: */
     VERIFY_CHECK(0x3FFFC2FUL * 2 * (m + 1) >= 0x3FFFFFFUL * 2 * m);
     VERIFY_CHECK(0x3FFFFBFUL * 2 * (m + 1) >= 0x3FFFFFFUL * 2 * m);
     VERIFY_CHECK(0x3FFFFFFUL * 2 * (m + 1) >= 0x3FFFFFFUL * 2 * m);
     VERIFY_CHECK(0x03FFFFFUL * 2 * (m + 1) >= 0x03FFFFFUL * 2 * m);
-#endif
+
+    /* Due to the properties above, the left hand in the subtractions below is never less than
+     * the right hand. */
     r->n[0] = 0x3FFFC2FUL * 2 * (m + 1) - a->n[0];
     r->n[1] = 0x3FFFFBFUL * 2 * (m + 1) - a->n[1];
     r->n[2] = 0x3FFFFFFUL * 2 * (m + 1) - a->n[2];
@@ -368,11 +368,6 @@ SECP256K1_INLINE static void secp256k1_fe_negate(secp256k1_fe *r, const secp256k
     r->n[7] = 0x3FFFFFFUL * 2 * (m + 1) - a->n[7];
     r->n[8] = 0x3FFFFFFUL * 2 * (m + 1) - a->n[8];
     r->n[9] = 0x03FFFFFUL * 2 * (m + 1) - a->n[9];
-#ifdef VERIFY
-    r->magnitude = m + 1;
-    r->normalized = 0;
-    secp256k1_fe_verify(r);
-#endif
 }
 
 SECP256K1_INLINE static void secp256k1_fe_mul_int(secp256k1_fe *r, int a) {
diff --git a/src/field_5x52_impl.h b/src/field_5x52_impl.h
index 0994087c5..4775ee0ce 100644
--- a/src/field_5x52_impl.h
+++ b/src/field_5x52_impl.h
@@ -318,24 +318,19 @@ static void secp256k1_fe_impl_get_b32(unsigned char *r, const secp256k1_fe *a) {
     r[31] = a->n[0] & 0xFF;
 }
 
-SECP256K1_INLINE static void secp256k1_fe_negate(secp256k1_fe *r, const secp256k1_fe *a, int m) {
-#ifdef VERIFY
-    VERIFY_CHECK(a->magnitude <= m);
-    secp256k1_fe_verify(a);
+SECP256K1_INLINE static void secp256k1_fe_impl_negate(secp256k1_fe *r, const secp256k1_fe *a, int m) {
+    /* For all legal values of m (0..31), the following properties hold: */
     VERIFY_CHECK(0xFFFFEFFFFFC2FULL * 2 * (m + 1) >= 0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFULL * 2 * m);
     VERIFY_CHECK(0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFULL * 2 * (m + 1) >= 0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFULL * 2 * m);
     VERIFY_CHECK(0x0FFFFFFFFFFFFULL * 2 * (m + 1) >= 0x0FFFFFFFFFFFFULL * 2 * m);
-#endif
+
+    /* Due to the properties above, the left hand in the subtractions below is never less than
+     * the right hand. */
     r->n[0] = 0xFFFFEFFFFFC2FULL * 2 * (m + 1) - a->n[0];
     r->n[1] = 0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFULL * 2 * (m + 1) - a->n[1];
     r->n[2] = 0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFULL * 2 * (m + 1) - a->n[2];
     r->n[3] = 0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFULL * 2 * (m + 1) - a->n[3];
     r->n[4] = 0x0FFFFFFFFFFFFULL * 2 * (m + 1) - a->n[4];
-#ifdef VERIFY
-    r->magnitude = m + 1;
-    r->normalized = 0;
-    secp256k1_fe_verify(r);
-#endif
 }
 
 SECP256K1_INLINE static void secp256k1_fe_mul_int(secp256k1_fe *r, int a) {
diff --git a/src/field_impl.h b/src/field_impl.h
index a09c7a6be..1c7079516 100644
--- a/src/field_impl.h
+++ b/src/field_impl.h
@@ -253,6 +253,17 @@ SECP256K1_INLINE static void secp256k1_fe_get_b32(unsigned char *r, const secp25
     VERIFY_CHECK(a->normalized);
     secp256k1_fe_impl_get_b32(r, a);
 }
+
+static void secp256k1_fe_impl_negate(secp256k1_fe *r, const secp256k1_fe *a, int m);
+SECP256K1_INLINE static void secp256k1_fe_negate(secp256k1_fe *r, const secp256k1_fe *a, int m) {
+    secp256k1_fe_verify(a);
+    VERIFY_CHECK(m >= 0 && m <= 31);
+    VERIFY_CHECK(a->magnitude <= m);
+    secp256k1_fe_impl_negate(r, a, m);
+    r->magnitude = m + 1;
+    r->normalized = 0;
+    secp256k1_fe_verify(r);
+}
 #endif /* defined(VERIFY) */
 
 #endif /* SECP256K1_FIELD_IMPL_H */