An improvement for a method and system for tracking a spreading code, used in a code division multiple access (CDMA) system. An input signal has spread-spectrum modulation. The spreading code embedded in the spread-spectrum modulation has a plurality of chips. The input signal is sampled, and half-chip offset samples are formed from the sampled input signal. An even set of the half-chip offset samples are grouped into an early set of samples, and an odd set of the half-chip offset samples are grouped into a late set of samples. Each early set of samples is multiplied by the spreading code c(n+1), c(n+2), . . . , c(n+L), to generate a first plurality of products. L is approximately equal to the number of chips of delay between the earliest and latest multipath signals. A first plurality of sums and magnitudes are computed from the first plurality of products. The first plurality of magnitudes are summed to generate an early signal-energy value. Each late set of samples is multiplied by the spreading-code c(n-1), c(n-2), . . . , c(n-L), thereby generating a second plurality of products. A second plurality of sums and magnitudes are computed from the second plurality of products. The second plurality of magnitudes are summed to generate a late signal-energy value. A difference is calculated between the early signal-energy value and the late signal-energy value, thereby producing an error signal.