diff --git a/src/iter.rs b/src/iter.rs
index 85d9e79..2dde2e7 100644
--- a/src/iter.rs
+++ b/src/iter.rs
@@ -40,19 +40,6 @@ impl<'a> Bytes<'a> {
             None
         }
     }
-
-    #[inline]
-    pub fn peek_ahead(&self, n: usize) -> Option<u8> {
-        // SAFETY: obtain a potentially OOB pointer that is later compared against the `self.end`
-        // pointer.
-        let ptr = self.cursor.wrapping_add(n);
-        if ptr < self.end {
-            // SAFETY: bounds checked pointer dereference is safe
-            Some(unsafe { *ptr })
-        } else {
-            None
-        }
-    }
     
     #[inline]
     pub fn peek_n<'b: 'a, U: TryFrom<&'a [u8]>>(&'b self, n: usize) -> Option<U> {
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 4ccd783..1eb9724 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -853,7 +853,11 @@ pub fn parse_method<'a>(bytes: &mut Bytes<'a>) -> Result<&'a str> {
             };
             Ok(Status::Complete(method))
         }
-        Some(POST) if bytes.peek_ahead(4) == Some(b' ') => {
+        Some(POST)
+            if unsafe {
+                (bytes.cursor.add(4) < bytes.end).then(|| *bytes.cursor.add(4)) == Some(b' ')
+            } =>
+        {
             // SAFETY: matched the ASCII string and boundary checked
             let method = unsafe {
                 bytes.advance(5);