Aspects of the invention include a computer-implemented method for executing one or more instructions by a processing unit. The method includes receiving, by an instruction fetch unit (IFU), a request to fetch an instruction for execution, wherein the instruction includes an effective address (EA). The IFU can further access an instruction cache directory (I-directory) using the EA of the requested instruction to determine whether the EA of the requested instruction matches an EA stored in an associated instruction cache (I-cache). An instruction cache (I-cache) can output the requested instruction in response to or based at least in part on determining that the requested instruction EA matches an entry in the I-cache. A decode unit can decode the requested instruction output by the I-cache.