diff --git a/src/gadgets/arithmetic.rs b/src/gadgets/arithmetic.rs
index 3fe90019..a053b761 100644
--- a/src/gadgets/arithmetic.rs
+++ b/src/gadgets/arithmetic.rs
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ impl<F: RichField + Extendable<D>, const D: usize> CircuitBuilder<F, D> {
 
     /// Exponentiate `base` to the power of `2^power_log`.
     pub fn exp_power_of_2(&mut self, base: Target, power_log: usize) -> Target {
-        if power_log > ArithmeticGate::new_from_config(&self.config).num_ops {
+        if power_log > self.num_base_arithmetic_ops_per_gate() {
             // Cheaper to just use `ExponentiateGate`.
             return self.exp_u64(base, 1 << power_log);
         }
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ impl<F: RichField + Extendable<D>, const D: usize> CircuitBuilder<F, D> {
         let base_t = self.constant(base);
         let exponent_bits: Vec<_> = exponent_bits.into_iter().map(|b| *b.borrow()).collect();
 
-        if exponent_bits.len() > ArithmeticGate::new_from_config(&self.config).num_ops {
+        if exponent_bits.len() > self.num_base_arithmetic_ops_per_gate() {
             // Cheaper to just use `ExponentiateGate`.
             return self.exp_from_bits(base_t, exponent_bits);
         }
diff --git a/src/gadgets/split_base.rs b/src/gadgets/split_base.rs
index 30bdea6a..d60324ce 100644
--- a/src/gadgets/split_base.rs
+++ b/src/gadgets/split_base.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 use std::borrow::Borrow;
 
+use itertools::Itertools;
+
 use crate::field::extension_field::Extendable;
 use crate::field::field_types::{Field, RichField};
 use crate::gates::base_sum::BaseSumGate;
@@ -29,21 +31,26 @@ impl<F: RichField + Extendable<D>, const D: usize> CircuitBuilder<F, D> {
     /// the number with little-endian bit representation given by `bits`.
     pub(crate) fn le_sum(
         &mut self,
-        bits: impl ExactSizeIterator<Item = impl Borrow<BoolTarget>> + Clone,
+        mut bits: impl Iterator<Item = impl Borrow<BoolTarget>>,
     ) -> Target {
+        let bits = bits.map(|b| *b.borrow()).collect_vec();
         let num_bits = bits.len();
         if num_bits == 0 {
             return self.zero();
-        } else if num_bits == 1 {
-            let mut bits = bits;
-            return bits.next().unwrap().borrow().target;
-        } else if num_bits == 2 {
-            let two = self.two();
-            let mut bits = bits;
-            let b0 = bits.next().unwrap().borrow().target;
-            let b1 = bits.next().unwrap().borrow().target;
-            return self.mul_add(two, b1, b0);
         }
+
+        // Check if it's cheaper to just do this with arithmetic operations.
+        let arithmetic_ops = num_bits - 1;
+        if arithmetic_ops <= self.num_base_arithmetic_ops_per_gate() {
+            let two = self.two();
+            let mut rev_bits = bits.iter().rev();
+            let mut sum = rev_bits.next().unwrap().target;
+            for &bit in rev_bits {
+                sum = self.mul_add(two, sum, bit.target);
+            }
+            return sum;
+        }
+
         debug_assert!(
             BaseSumGate::<2>::START_LIMBS + num_bits <= self.config.num_routed_wires,
             "Not enough routed wires."
@@ -51,10 +58,10 @@ impl<F: RichField + Extendable<D>, const D: usize> CircuitBuilder<F, D> {
         let gate_type = BaseSumGate::<2>::new_from_config::<F>(&self.config);
         let gate_index = self.add_gate(gate_type, vec![]);
         for (limb, wire) in bits
-            .clone()
+            .iter()
             .zip(BaseSumGate::<2>::START_LIMBS..BaseSumGate::<2>::START_LIMBS + num_bits)
         {
-            self.connect(limb.borrow().target, Target::wire(gate_index, wire));
+            self.connect(limb.target, Target::wire(gate_index, wire));
         }
         for l in gate_type.limbs().skip(num_bits) {
             self.assert_zero(Target::wire(gate_index, l));
@@ -62,7 +69,7 @@ impl<F: RichField + Extendable<D>, const D: usize> CircuitBuilder<F, D> {
 
         self.add_simple_generator(BaseSumGenerator::<2> {
             gate_index,
-            limbs: bits.map(|l| *l.borrow()).collect(),
+            limbs: bits,
         });
 
         Target::wire(gate_index, BaseSumGate::<2>::WIRE_SUM)
diff --git a/src/plonk/circuit_builder.rs b/src/plonk/circuit_builder.rs
index aac9d42e..4425f193 100644
--- a/src/plonk/circuit_builder.rs
+++ b/src/plonk/circuit_builder.rs
@@ -379,6 +379,20 @@ impl<F: RichField + Extendable<D>, const D: usize> CircuitBuilder<F, D> {
         }
     }
 
+    /// The number of (base field) `arithmetic` operations that can be performed in a single gate.
+    pub(crate) fn num_base_arithmetic_ops_per_gate(&self) -> usize {
+        if self.config.use_base_arithmetic_gate {
+            ArithmeticGate::new_from_config(&self.config).num_ops
+        } else {
+            self.num_ext_arithmetic_ops_per_gate()
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// The number of `arithmetic_extension` operations that can be performed in a single gate.
+    pub(crate) fn num_ext_arithmetic_ops_per_gate(&self) -> usize {
+        ArithmeticExtensionGate::<D>::new_from_config(&self.config).num_ops
+    }
+
     /// The number of polynomial values that will be revealed per opening, both for the "regular"
     /// polynomials and for the Z polynomials. Because calculating these values involves a recursive
     /// dependence (the amount of blinding depends on the degree, which depends on the blinding),