A technique includes determining whether one or more instructions in an instruction group require cracking. Whether the instructions that require cracking are associated with a decode-time instruction optimization (DTIO) sequence is also determined. In response to a first instruction, included in the one or more instructions, requiring cracking and the first instruction not being part of a DTIO sequence, the first instruction is cracked into internal operations (IOPs). In response to a second instruction, included in the one or more instructions, requiring cracking and the second instruction being part of a DTIO sequence, an IOP sequence (that includes at least one IOP that is associated with at least a cracked version of the second instruction and at least a third instruction that is included in the one or more instructions and at least one other IOP that is associated with the cracked version of the second instruction) is generated.