diff --git a/utest/DArenaIterator.test.cpp b/utest/DArenaIterator.test.cpp
index 8eb1614..7d26e62 100644
--- a/utest/DArenaIterator.test.cpp
+++ b/utest/DArenaIterator.test.cpp
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ namespace xo {
 
             /* arbitrary alloc size */
             size_t req_z = 13;
-            byte * mem = a1o.alloc(typeseq::anon(), req_z);
+            byte * mem = a1o.alloc(typeseq::sentinel(), req_z);
 
             REQUIRE(arena.error_count_ == 0);
             REQUIRE(mem != nullptr);
diff --git a/utest/arena.test.cpp b/utest/arena.test.cpp
index 42ffa90..e9358a1 100644
--- a/utest/arena.test.cpp
+++ b/utest/arena.test.cpp
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ namespace xo {
             REQUIRE(a1o.allocated() == 0);
 
             size_t z0 = 1;
-            byte * m0 = a1o.alloc(typeseq::anon(), 1);
+            byte * m0 = a1o.alloc(typeseq::sentinel(), 1);
 
             REQUIRE(m0);
             REQUIRE(a1o.last_error().error_ == error::ok);
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ namespace xo {
             REQUIRE(a1o.committed() <= a1o.reserved());
 
             size_t z1 = 16;
-            byte * m1 = a1o.alloc(typeseq::anon(), z1);
+            byte * m1 = a1o.alloc(typeseq::sentinel(), z1);
 
             REQUIRE(m1);
             REQUIRE(a1o.last_error().error_ == error::ok);
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ namespace xo {
             REQUIRE(a1o.allocated() == 0);
 
             size_t z0 = 1;
-            byte * m0 = a1o.alloc(typeseq::anon(), 1);
+            byte * m0 = a1o.alloc(typeseq::sentinel(), 1);
 
             REQUIRE(m0);
 
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ namespace xo {
             REQUIRE(a1o.allocated() == 0);
 
             size_t z0 = 1;
-            byte * m0 = a1o.alloc(typeseq::anon(), 1);
+            byte * m0 = a1o.alloc(typeseq::sentinel(), 1);
 
             REQUIRE(m0);
 
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ namespace xo {
             REQUIRE(a1o.allocated() == 0);
 
             size_t z0 = cfg.hugepage_z_ + 1;
-            byte * m0 = a1o.alloc(typeseq::anon(), z0);
+            byte * m0 = a1o.alloc(typeseq::sentinel(), z0);
 
             REQUIRE(!m0);
 
diff --git a/utest/random_allocs.cpp b/utest/random_allocs.cpp
index 1f7f833..2325140 100644
--- a/utest/random_allocs.cpp
+++ b/utest/random_allocs.cpp
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ namespace utest {
 
             bool ok_flag = true;
 
-            std::byte * mem = mm.alloc(typeseq::anon(), z);
+            std::byte * mem = mm.alloc(typeseq::sentinel(), z);
 
             log && log(xtag("i_alloc", i_alloc),
                        xtag("si", si),