diff --git a/rogueviz/banachtarski.cpp b/rogueviz/banachtarski.cpp
index 36b6cfc3..7c29ff47 100644
--- a/rogueviz/banachtarski.cpp
+++ b/rogueviz/banachtarski.cpp
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ tuple<ld,bool,ld> quality(bantar_config cp) {
 
 int notry = 0;
 
-debugflags debug_bantar = {"demo_bantar"};
+debugflag debug_bantar = {"demo_bantar"};
 
 void bantar() {
   if(!on) return;
diff --git a/rogueviz/som/kohonen.cpp b/rogueviz/som/kohonen.cpp
index dfaf9844..dc332284 100644
--- a/rogueviz/som/kohonen.cpp
+++ b/rogueviz/som/kohonen.cpp
@@ -917,7 +917,7 @@ void initialize_dispersion() {
     cell *c = net[i].where;
     auto cid = get_cellcrawler_id(c);
     if(!scc.count(cid.first)) {
-      DEBB(debug_kohonen_dispoersion, ("Building cellcrawler id = ", itsh(cid.first)));
+      DEBB(debug_kohonen_dispersion, ("Building cellcrawler id = ", itsh(cid.first)));
       buildcellcrawler(c, scc[cid.first], cid.second);
       }
     }
diff --git a/rogueviz/som/tests.cpp b/rogueviz/som/tests.cpp
index e6c834bf..b2ec0d35 100644
--- a/rogueviz/som/tests.cpp
+++ b/rogueviz/som/tests.cpp
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ namespace rogueviz {
 
 transmatrix& memo_relative_matrix(cell *c1, cell *c2);
 
+namespace kohonen { extern debugflag debug_kohonen; }
+
 namespace kohonen_test {
 
 using namespace kohonen;
@@ -321,7 +323,7 @@ int qenergy = 0;
 double tot_energy = 0;
 
 bool check(bool deb) {
-  dynamicval dd(debugflags, 0);
+  dynamicval<bool> dd(debug_kohonen.enabled, false);
   set_neuron_initial();
   t = tmax;
   dynamicval dp(qpct, 0);
@@ -414,7 +416,7 @@ void som_table() {
       set_parameters(cnt);
       do {
         tries[cnt].second++;
-        dynamicval dd(debugflags, 0); 
+        dynamicval<bool> dd(debug_kohonen.enabled, false);
         bool chk = check(false);
         if(chk)
           tries[cnt].first++;
diff --git a/util.cpp b/util.cpp
index 83b0f889..5b53edd6 100644
--- a/util.cpp
+++ b/util.cpp
@@ -1031,11 +1031,11 @@ EX string find_file(string s) {
   return s;
   }
 
-EX void file_error(const char* fname) {
+EX void file_error(const string& fname) {
   throw hr_exception("missing file error");
   }
 
-EX void file_format_error(const char* fname) {
+EX void file_format_error(const string& fname) {
   throw hr_exception("file format error");
   }