diff --git a/api/all/src/jmh/java/io/opentelemetry/api/trace/SpanIdBenchmark.java b/api/all/src/jmh/java/io/opentelemetry/api/trace/SpanIdBenchmark.java
index 975cb0c157..47dd55b2bd 100644
--- a/api/all/src/jmh/java/io/opentelemetry/api/trace/SpanIdBenchmark.java
+++ b/api/all/src/jmh/java/io/opentelemetry/api/trace/SpanIdBenchmark.java
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ import org.openjdk.jmh.annotations.Warmup;
 @Warmup(iterations = 5, time = 1)
 @Measurement(iterations = 15, time = 1)
 @OutputTimeUnit(TimeUnit.NANOSECONDS)
-@Fork(1)
+@Fork(3)
 @Threads(1)
 public class SpanIdBenchmark {
 
diff --git a/api/all/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/api/internal/OtelEncodingUtils.java b/api/all/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/api/internal/OtelEncodingUtils.java
index e4203d5228..3014ec28f9 100644
--- a/api/all/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/api/internal/OtelEncodingUtils.java
+++ b/api/all/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/api/internal/OtelEncodingUtils.java
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ public final class OtelEncodingUtils {
   static final int BYTE_BASE16 = 2;
   static final int LONG_BASE16 = BYTE_BASE16 * LONG_BYTES;
   private static final String ALPHABET = "0123456789abcdef";
-  private static final int ASCII_CHARACTERS = 128;
+  private static final int NUM_ASCII_CHARACTERS = 128;
   private static final char[] ENCODING = buildEncodingArray();
   private static final byte[] DECODING = buildDecodingArray();
 
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ public final class OtelEncodingUtils {
   }
 
   private static byte[] buildDecodingArray() {
-    byte[] decoding = new byte[ASCII_CHARACTERS];
+    byte[] decoding = new byte[NUM_ASCII_CHARACTERS];
     Arrays.fill(decoding, (byte) -1);
     for (int i = 0; i < ALPHABET.length(); i++) {
       char c = ALPHABET.charAt(i);
@@ -110,10 +110,12 @@ public final class OtelEncodingUtils {
    * @return the resulting {@code byte}
    */
   public static byte byteFromBase16(char first, char second) {
-    Utils.checkArgument(
-        first < ASCII_CHARACTERS && DECODING[first] != -1, () -> "invalid character " + first);
-    Utils.checkArgument(
-        second < ASCII_CHARACTERS && DECODING[second] != -1, () -> "invalid character " + second);
+    if (first >= NUM_ASCII_CHARACTERS || DECODING[first] == -1) {
+      throw new IllegalArgumentException("invalid character " + first);
+    }
+    if (second >= NUM_ASCII_CHARACTERS || DECODING[second] == -1) {
+      throw new IllegalArgumentException("invalid character " + second);
+    }
     int decoded = DECODING[first] << 4 | DECODING[second];
     return (byte) decoded;
   }
diff --git a/api/all/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/api/internal/Utils.java b/api/all/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/api/internal/Utils.java
index 5fda975b43..2f6603e0da 100644
--- a/api/all/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/api/internal/Utils.java
+++ b/api/all/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/api/internal/Utils.java
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 
 package io.opentelemetry.api.internal;
 
-import java.util.function.Supplier;
 import javax.annotation.concurrent.Immutable;
 
 /** General internal utility methods. */
@@ -26,17 +25,4 @@ public final class Utils {
       throw new IllegalArgumentException(errorMessage);
     }
   }
-
-  /**
-   * Throws an {@link IllegalArgumentException} if the argument is false. This method is similar to
-   * {@code Preconditions.checkArgument(boolean, Object)} from Guava.
-   *
-   * @param isValid whether the argument check passed.
-   * @param errorMessage the supplier of the message to use for the exception.
-   */
-  public static void checkArgument(boolean isValid, Supplier<String> errorMessage) {
-    if (!isValid) {
-      throw new IllegalArgumentException(errorMessage.get());
-    }
-  }
 }