diff --git a/bench/bench_alloc_shrink_to_fit.cpp b/bench/bench_alloc_shrink_to_fit.cpp
index 7a9ae62..d8a9404 100644
--- a/bench/bench_alloc_shrink_to_fit.cpp
+++ b/bench/bench_alloc_shrink_to_fit.cpp
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ template<> struct get_allocator_name<AllocatorPlusV1>
 
 class MyInt
 {
-   int int_;
+   std::size_t int_; //Use a type that will grow on 64 bit machines
 
    public:
    MyInt(int i = 0) : int_(i){}
@@ -133,10 +133,18 @@ int main(int argc, const char *argv[])
 {
    #define SINGLE_TEST
    #ifndef SINGLE_TEST
+      #ifdef NDEBUG
       unsigned int numit [] =  { 100,   1000, 10000 };
+      #else
+      unsigned int numit [] =  { 10,   100, 1000 };
+      #endif
       unsigned int numele [] = { 10000, 2000, 500   };
    #else
+      #ifdef NDEBUG
       unsigned int numit [] =  { 500 };
+      #else
+      unsigned int numit [] =  { 50 };
+      #endif
       unsigned int numele [] = { 2000   };
    #endif
 
diff --git a/bench/bench_set.hpp b/bench/bench_set.hpp
index f606b38..cdc3043 100644
--- a/bench/bench_set.hpp
+++ b/bench/bench_set.hpp
@@ -76,12 +76,17 @@ vector<string> random_range_string;
 
 void fill_range_strings()
 {
+   string model_s;
+   model_s.append(sizeof(string), '*');
+
    //sorted_unique_range_int
    sorted_unique_range_string.resize(NElements);
+   std::stringstream sstr;
+
    for(std::size_t i = 0, max = sorted_unique_range_string.size(); i != max; ++i){
-      std::stringstream sstr;
+      sstr.str(std::string());
       sstr << std::setfill('0') << std::setw(10) << i;
-      sorted_unique_range_string[i] = "really_long_long_prefix_to_ssb_and_increase_comparison_costs_";
+      sorted_unique_range_string[i] = model_s;
       const std::string &s = sstr.str();
       sorted_unique_range_string[i].append(s.begin(), s.end());
    }