Techniques are provided for executing wavefronts. The techniques include at a first time for issuing instructions for execution, performing first identifying, including identifying that sufficient processing resources exist to execute a first set of instructions together within a processing lane; in response to the first identifying, executing the first set of instructions together; at a second time for issuing instructions for execution, performing second identifying, including identifying that no instructions are available for which sufficient processing resources exist for execution together within the processing lane; and in response to the second identifying, executing an instruction independently of any other instruction.