diff --git a/lib/compress/fse_compress.c b/lib/compress/fse_compress.c
index 158ba80ca94..1ce3cf16ac1 100644
--- a/lib/compress/fse_compress.c
+++ b/lib/compress/fse_compress.c
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 #include "../common/error_private.h"
 #define ZSTD_DEPS_NEED_MALLOC
 #define ZSTD_DEPS_NEED_MATH64
-#include "../common/zstd_deps.h"  /* ZSTD_malloc, ZSTD_free, ZSTD_memcpy, ZSTD_memset */
+#include "../common/zstd_deps.h"  /* ZSTD_memset */
 #include "../common/bits.h" /* ZSTD_highbit32 */
 
 
diff --git a/lib/dictBuilder/cover.c b/lib/dictBuilder/cover.c
index e7fcfd2099b..44f9029acd9 100644
--- a/lib/dictBuilder/cover.c
+++ b/lib/dictBuilder/cover.c
@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@
 #endif
 
 #include "../common/mem.h" /* read */
-#include "../common/pool.h"
-#include "../common/threading.h"
+#include "../common/pool.h" /* POOL_ctx */
+#include "../common/threading.h" /* ZSTD_pthread_mutex_t */
 #include "../common/zstd_internal.h" /* includes zstd.h */
 #include "../common/bits.h" /* ZSTD_highbit32 */
 #include "../zdict.h"
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ static clock_t g_time = 0;
 #undef  LOCALDISPLAYUPDATE
 #define LOCALDISPLAYUPDATE(displayLevel, l, ...)                               \
   if (displayLevel >= l) {                                                     \
-    if ((clock() - g_time > g_refreshRate) || (displayLevel >= 4)) {             \
+    if ((clock() - g_time > g_refreshRate) || (displayLevel >= 4)) {           \
       g_time = clock();                                                        \
       DISPLAY(__VA_ARGS__);                                                    \
     }                                                                          \
@@ -301,9 +301,10 @@ static int WIN_CDECL COVER_strict_cmp8(const void *lp, const void *rp) {
  * Returns the first pointer in [first, last) whose element does not compare
  * less than value.  If no such element exists it returns last.
  */
-static const size_t *COVER_lower_bound(const size_t *first, const size_t *last,
+static const size_t *COVER_lower_bound(const size_t* first, const size_t* last,
                                        size_t value) {
-  size_t count = last - first;
+  size_t count = (size_t)(last - first);
+  assert(last >= first);
   while (count != 0) {
     size_t step = count / 2;
     const size_t *ptr = first;
@@ -549,7 +550,8 @@ static void COVER_ctx_destroy(COVER_ctx_t *ctx) {
  */
 static size_t COVER_ctx_init(COVER_ctx_t *ctx, const void *samplesBuffer,
                           const size_t *samplesSizes, unsigned nbSamples,
-                          unsigned d, double splitPoint) {
+                          unsigned d, double splitPoint)
+{
   const BYTE *const samples = (const BYTE *)samplesBuffer;
   const size_t totalSamplesSize = COVER_sum(samplesSizes, nbSamples);
   /* Split samples into testing and training sets */
@@ -907,8 +909,10 @@ void COVER_best_start(COVER_best_t *best) {
  * Decrements liveJobs and signals any waiting threads if liveJobs == 0.
  * If this dictionary is the best so far save it and its parameters.
  */
-void COVER_best_finish(COVER_best_t *best, ZDICT_cover_params_t parameters,
-                              COVER_dictSelection_t selection) {
+void COVER_best_finish(COVER_best_t* best,
+                      ZDICT_cover_params_t parameters,
+                      COVER_dictSelection_t selection)
+{
   void* dict = selection.dictContent;
   size_t compressedSize = selection.totalCompressedSize;
   size_t dictSize = selection.dictSize;
@@ -980,8 +984,8 @@ COVER_dictSelection_t COVER_selectDict(BYTE* customDictContent, size_t dictBuffe
   size_t largestCompressed = 0;
   BYTE* customDictContentEnd = customDictContent + dictContentSize;
 
-  BYTE * largestDictbuffer = (BYTE *)malloc(dictBufferCapacity);
-  BYTE * candidateDictBuffer = (BYTE *)malloc(dictBufferCapacity);
+  BYTE* largestDictbuffer = (BYTE*)malloc(dictBufferCapacity);
+  BYTE* candidateDictBuffer = (BYTE*)malloc(dictBufferCapacity);
   double regressionTolerance = ((double)params.shrinkDictMaxRegression / 100.0) + 1.00;
 
   if (!largestDictbuffer || !candidateDictBuffer) {
diff --git a/lib/dictBuilder/cover.h b/lib/dictBuilder/cover.h
index 252624bdeb5..a5d7506ef6d 100644
--- a/lib/dictBuilder/cover.h
+++ b/lib/dictBuilder/cover.h
@@ -12,14 +12,8 @@
 #  define ZDICT_STATIC_LINKING_ONLY
 #endif
 
-#include <stdio.h>  /* fprintf */
-#include <stdlib.h> /* malloc, free, qsort */
-#include <string.h> /* memset */
-#include <time.h>   /* clock */
-#include "../common/mem.h" /* read */
-#include "../common/pool.h"
-#include "../common/threading.h"
-#include "../common/zstd_internal.h" /* includes zstd.h */
+#include "../common/threading.h" /* ZSTD_pthread_mutex_t */
+#include "../common/mem.h"   /* U32, BYTE */
 #include "../zdict.h"
 
 /**