Abstract: A method and apparatus involving an extensible rule-based technique for optimizing predicated code is disclosed. The technique includes if-converting an abstract internal representation and mapping the if-conversion to a machine representation. The technique may include eliminating predicates from the mapped if-conversion. The eliminating of predicates may include eliminating a predicate defining instruction by interpretation; eliminating a guarding predicate of a safe instruction by speculation; eliminating a guarding predicate of an unsafe instruction by compensation; and eliminating a guarding predicate of an unsuitable instruction by reverse if-conversion. The technique may include optimizing the machine representation.