diff --git a/src/binary_c_macros.h b/src/binary_c_macros.h
index c63056d94b2dc1d161450a5c80bc8f28fca573f7..a244e3d77467a0bd7cabce410c81e06e34a49262 100644
--- a/src/binary_c_macros.h
+++ b/src/binary_c_macros.h
@@ -1008,5 +1008,20 @@
 #define NOVA_TYPE_HYDROGEN 0
 #define NOVA_TYPE_HELIUM 1
 
+/*
+ * Number of letters in the (English) alphabet
+ */
+#define NUMBER_OF_LETTERS_IN_THE_ALPHABET 26
+
+/*
+ * Number of alphabetical cases
+ */
+#define NUMBER_OF_ALPHABETICAL_CASES 2
+
+/*
+ * Alpha-args parameters list size (see parse_arguments.c)
+ */
+#define ALPHA_ARGS_SIZE \
+    (NUMBER_OF_LETTERS_IN_THE_ALPHABET * NUMBER_OF_ALPHABETICAL_CASES)
 
 #endif /* BINARY_MACROS_H */
diff --git a/src/memory/free_tmpstore.c b/src/memory/free_tmpstore.c
index 3aa7ceed9d5e5a7dbf1f16cbd2754b32a2d094a7..8b629bbb91bf484b4445ba6286c3b7861382efe4 100644
--- a/src/memory/free_tmpstore.c
+++ b/src/memory/free_tmpstore.c
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ void free_tmpstore(struct tmpstore_t * RESTRICT const tmpstore)
 #endif
 #ifdef WTTS_LOG
         {
-            int i;
+            unsigned int i;
             for(i=0;i<=1;i++)
             {
                 Safe_fclose(tmpstore->fp_star[i]);
@@ -92,6 +92,18 @@ void free_tmpstore(struct tmpstore_t * RESTRICT const tmpstore)
             Safe_free(tmpstore->rinterpolate_data);
         }
 
+#ifdef ALPHA_ARGS
+        {
+            unsigned int i;
+            for(i=0;i < ALPHA_ARGS_SIZE;i++)
+            {
+                Safe_free(tmpstore->cmd_line_args_alpha[i]);
+            }
+            Safe_free(tmpstore->cmd_line_args_alpha);
+            Safe_free(tmpstore->cmd_line_args_alpha_count);
+        }
+#endif
+        
         /*
          * Free the memory in tmpstore, but don't set it
          * to NULL
diff --git a/src/setup/parse_arguments.c b/src/setup/parse_arguments.c
index 1255761d9fed219ea11532df0e12d0b0e2fefecb..6bf6eec5f16274205538e8f0df7166a70e153340 100644
--- a/src/setup/parse_arguments.c
+++ b/src/setup/parse_arguments.c
@@ -71,29 +71,31 @@ void parse_arguments(const int start,
          * between 0 and 51 (inclusive).
          */
         tmpstore->cmd_line_args_alpha = 
-            Malloc(sizeof(struct cmd_line_arg_t *)*26*2);
+            Malloc(sizeof(struct cmd_line_arg_t *)*ALPHA_ARGS_SIZE);
 
         /*
          * Set all counts to zero
          */
-        tmpstore->cmd_line_args_alpha_count = Calloc(26*2,sizeof(unsigned int));
+        tmpstore->cmd_line_args_alpha_count =
+            Calloc(ALPHA_ARGS_SIZE,sizeof(unsigned int));
 
         unsigned int u;
-        for(u=0;u<2;u++)
+        for(u=0; u<NUMBER_OF_ALPHABETICAL_CASES; u++)
         {
             /*
              * u = 0 -> lower case
              * u = 1 -> upper case
              */
             unsigned int a; 
-            const unsigned int offset = u == 0 ? 97 : 65;
-            for(a=0;a<26;a++)
+            const unsigned int offset =
+                (const unsigned int) (u == 0 ? 'a' : 'A');
+            for(a=0; a<NUMBER_OF_LETTERS_IN_THE_ALPHABET; a++)
             {
                 /* 
                  * Hence the char that is the first letter
                  */
-                unsigned char c = offset + a;
-                const unsigned int index = a + u * 26;
+                const unsigned char c = offset + a;
+                const unsigned int index = a + u * NUMBER_OF_LETTERS_IN_THE_ALPHABET;
                 Aprint("allocate alpha structure %d (char %d = %c = %c)\n",
                        a,
                        (int)c,
@@ -207,9 +209,11 @@ void parse_arguments(const int start,
                 /*
                  * First character is a letter: use the alpha map 
                  */
-                const unsigned int u = ASCII_lower_case(arg[0]) ? 0 : 1;
-                const unsigned int offset = u == 0 ? 97 : 65;
-                const unsigned int index = arg[0] - offset + 26 * u;
+                const unsigned int u = ASCII_lower_case(arg[0])==TRUE ? 0 : 1;
+                const unsigned int offset =
+                    (const unsigned int) u == 0 ? 'a' : 'A';
+                const unsigned int index =
+                    arg[0] - offset + NUMBER_OF_LETTERS_IN_THE_ALPHABET * u;
                 
                 arg_count = stardata->tmpstore->cmd_line_args_alpha_count[index];
                 cmd_line_args = stardata->tmpstore->cmd_line_args_alpha[index];