diff --git a/lib/common/huf.h b/lib/common/huf.h
index 772b11f1..1afef90c 100644
--- a/lib/common/huf.h
+++ b/lib/common/huf.h
@@ -135,12 +135,16 @@ HUF_PUBLIC_API size_t HUF_compress4X_wksp (void* dst, size_t dstCapacity,
 #define HUF_COMPRESSBOUND(size) (HUF_CTABLEBOUND + HUF_BLOCKBOUND(size))   /* Macro version, useful for static allocation */
 
 /* static allocation of HUF's Compression Table */
+/* this is a private definition, just exposed for allocation and strict aliasing purpose. never EVER access its members directly */
+struct HUF_CElt_s {
+  U16  val;
+  BYTE nbBits;
+};   /* typedef'd to HUF_CElt */
+typedef struct HUF_CElt_s HUF_CElt;   /* consider it an incomplete type */
 #define HUF_CTABLE_SIZE_U32(maxSymbolValue)   ((maxSymbolValue)+1)   /* Use tables of U32, for proper alignment */
 #define HUF_CTABLE_SIZE(maxSymbolValue)       (HUF_CTABLE_SIZE_U32(maxSymbolValue) * sizeof(U32))
 #define HUF_CREATE_STATIC_CTABLE(name, maxSymbolValue) \
-    U32 name##hb[HUF_CTABLE_SIZE_U32(maxSymbolValue)]; \
-    void* name##hv = &(name##hb); \
-    HUF_CElt* name = (HUF_CElt*)(name##hv)   /* no final ; */
+    HUF_CElt name[HUF_CTABLE_SIZE_U32(maxSymbolValue)] /* no final ; */
 
 /* static allocation of HUF's DTable */
 typedef U32 HUF_DTable;
@@ -186,7 +190,6 @@ size_t HUF_decompress4X2_DCtx_wksp(HUF_DTable* dctx, void* dst, size_t dstSize,
  *  or to save and regenerate 'CTable' using external methods.
  */
 unsigned HUF_optimalTableLog(unsigned maxTableLog, size_t srcSize, unsigned maxSymbolValue);
-typedef struct HUF_CElt_s HUF_CElt;   /* incomplete type */
 size_t HUF_buildCTable (HUF_CElt* CTable, const unsigned* count, unsigned maxSymbolValue, unsigned maxNbBits);   /* @return : maxNbBits; CTable and count can overlap. In which case, CTable will overwrite count content */
 size_t HUF_writeCTable (void* dst, size_t maxDstSize, const HUF_CElt* CTable, unsigned maxSymbolValue, unsigned huffLog);
 size_t HUF_compress4X_usingCTable(void* dst, size_t dstSize, const void* src, size_t srcSize, const HUF_CElt* CTable);
diff --git a/lib/compress/huf_compress.c b/lib/compress/huf_compress.c
index 359a949a..231b4d86 100644
--- a/lib/compress/huf_compress.c
+++ b/lib/compress/huf_compress.c
@@ -102,11 +102,6 @@ static size_t HUF_compressWeights (void* dst, size_t dstSize, const void* weight
 }
 
 
-struct HUF_CElt_s {
-  U16  val;
-  BYTE nbBits;
-};   /* typedef'd to HUF_CElt within "huf.h" */
-
 /*! HUF_writeCTable() :
     `CTable` : Huffman tree to save, using huf representation.
     @return : size of saved CTable */
diff --git a/lib/compress/zstd_compress_internal.h b/lib/compress/zstd_compress_internal.h
index ee052345..c04998b8 100644
--- a/lib/compress/zstd_compress_internal.h
+++ b/lib/compress/zstd_compress_internal.h
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ typedef struct {
 } ZSTD_localDict;
 
 typedef struct {
-    U32 CTable[HUF_CTABLE_SIZE_U32(255)];
+    HUF_CElt CTable[HUF_CTABLE_SIZE_U32(255)];
     HUF_repeat repeatMode;
 } ZSTD_hufCTables_t;