diff --git a/.clang-format b/.clang-format
index 83ce5d01..f6eb2334 100644
--- a/.clang-format
+++ b/.clang-format
@@ -19,6 +19,5 @@ SortIncludes: false
 SpaceAfterCStyleCast: true
 Standard: Cpp03
 StatementMacros:
-  - ACC_BLOCK_BEGIN
   - CLANG_FORMAT_DUMMY_STATEMENT
 ...
diff --git a/.github/workflows/weekly-ci-rt-checkers.yml b/.github/workflows/weekly-ci-rt-checkers.yml
index acb38d6e..c5b0c253 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/weekly-ci-rt-checkers.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/weekly-ci-rt-checkers.yml
@@ -20,9 +20,9 @@ jobs:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         include:
-          - { container: 'alpine:3.18',      release: debug,   qemu: 'qemu-x86_64 -cpu Westmere' }
-          - { container: 'alpine:3.18',      release: release, qemu: 'qemu-x86_64 -cpu Westmere' }
-          - { container: 'alpine:edge',      release: release, qemu: 'qemu-x86_64 -cpu Westmere' }
+          - { container: 'alpine:3.18',      release: debug,   qemu: 'qemu-x86_64 -cpu Nehalem' }
+          - { container: 'alpine:3.18',      release: release, qemu: 'qemu-x86_64 -cpu Nehalem' }
+          - { container: 'alpine:edge',      release: release, qemu: 'qemu-x86_64 -cpu Nehalem' }
           - { container: 'i386/alpine:edge', release: release, qemu: 'qemu-i386' }
     name: ${{ format('{0} {1}', matrix.container, matrix.release) }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index f278fff0..9c5ba125 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ function(upx_cache_bool_vars)
 endfunction()
 
 # global settings
-if(${CMAKE_VERSION} VERSION_GREATER "3.14.7" AND NOT DEFINED CMAKE_MSVC_RUNTIME_LIBRARY)
+if(${CMAKE_VERSION} VERSION_GREATER "3.14.99" AND NOT DEFINED CMAKE_MSVC_RUNTIME_LIBRARY)
     set(CMAKE_MSVC_RUNTIME_LIBRARY "MultiThreaded")
     cmake_policy(SET CMP0091 NEW)
 endif()
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 6d302bf0..40544927 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -67,6 +67,6 @@ CTEST = ctest
 test: $(.DEFAULT_GOAL)
 	cd $(.DEFAULT_GOAL) && $(CTEST)
 ifneq ($(wildcard /usr/bin/env),) # needs bash, perl, xargs, etc.
-check-whitespace clang-format run-testsuite run-testsuite-debug run-testsuite-release: PHONY src/Makefile
+check-whitespace clang-format run-testsuite run-testsuite-debug run-testsuite-release: src/Makefile PHONY
 	$(MAKE) -C src $@
 endif
diff --git a/misc/testsuite/test_symlinks.sh b/misc/testsuite/test_symlinks.sh
index 9e15e963..841b768c 100755
--- a/misc/testsuite/test_symlinks.sh
+++ b/misc/testsuite/test_symlinks.sh
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ argv0=$0; argv0abs=$(readlink -fn "$argv0"); argv0dir=$(dirname "$argv0abs")
 # test file system behaviour with symlinks; requires:
 #   $upx_exe                (required, but with convenience fallback "./upx")
 # optional settings:
-#   $upx_exe_runner         (e.g. "qemu-x86_64 -cpu Westmere" or "valgrind")
+#   $upx_exe_runner         (e.g. "qemu-x86_64 -cpu Nehalem" or "valgrind")
 #
 
 # IMPORTANT NOTE: do NOT run as user root!!
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ upx_exe=$(readlink -fn "$upx_exe") # make absolute
 upx_run=()
 if [[ -n $upx_exe_runner ]]; then
     # usage examples:
-    #   export upx_exe_runner="qemu-x86_64 -cpu Westmere"
+    #   export upx_exe_runner="qemu-x86_64 -cpu Nehalem"
     #   export upx_exe_runner="valgrind --leak-check=no --error-exitcode=1 --quiet"
     #   export upx_exe_runner="wine"
     IFS=' ' read -r -a upx_run <<< "$upx_exe_runner" # split at spaces into array
diff --git a/misc/testsuite/upx_testsuite_1.sh b/misc/testsuite/upx_testsuite_1.sh
index 693c41b4..e92218db 100755
--- a/misc/testsuite/upx_testsuite_1.sh
+++ b/misc/testsuite/upx_testsuite_1.sh
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ argv0=$0; argv0abs=$(readlink -fn "$argv0"); argv0dir=$(dirname "$argv0abs")
 #   $upx_testsuite_BUILDDIR (optional)
 #
 # optional settings:
-#   $upx_exe_runner         (e.g. "qemu-x86_64 -cpu Westmere" or "valgrind")
+#   $upx_exe_runner         (e.g. "qemu-x86_64 -cpu Nehalem" or "valgrind")
 #   $UPX_TESTSUITE_VERBOSE
 #   $UPX_TESTSUITE_LEVEL
 #
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ upx_exe=$(readlink -fn "$upx_exe") # make absolute
 upx_run=()
 if [[ -n $upx_exe_runner ]]; then
     # usage examples:
-    #   export upx_exe_runner="qemu-x86_64 -cpu Westmere"
+    #   export upx_exe_runner="qemu-x86_64 -cpu Nehalem"
     #   export upx_exe_runner="valgrind --leak-check=no --error-exitcode=1 --quiet"
     #   export upx_exe_runner="wine"
     IFS=' ' read -r -a upx_run <<< "$upx_exe_runner" # split at spaces into array
diff --git a/src/Makefile b/src/Makefile
index c036b5de..e55d8713 100644
--- a/src/Makefile
+++ b/src/Makefile
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ endif
 #
 
 # NOTE that top-level Makefile .DEFAULT_GOAL is build/release
-.DEFAULT_GOAL = build/debug
+.DEFAULT_GOAL = build/all
 
 build/debug:   $(top_srcdir)/build/debug
 build/release: $(top_srcdir)/build/release
@@ -33,15 +33,14 @@ debug:   build/debug
 release: build/release
 all build/all: build/debug build/release
 
-$(top_srcdir)/build/debug: PHONY
-	$(MAKE) -C $(top_srcdir) build/debug
-$(top_srcdir)/build/release: PHONY
-	$(MAKE) -C $(top_srcdir) build/release
+# actual rules - redirect to top-level
+$(top_srcdir)/build/debug:   PHONY; $(MAKE) -C $(top_srcdir) build/debug
+$(top_srcdir)/build/release: PHONY; $(MAKE) -C $(top_srcdir) build/release
 
 # convenience
 CTEST = ctest
-test: $(top_srcdir)/$(.DEFAULT_GOAL)
-	cd $(top_srcdir)/$(.DEFAULT_GOAL) && $(CTEST)
+test:: $(top_srcdir)/build/debug   PHONY; cd $< && $(CTEST)
+test:: $(top_srcdir)/build/release PHONY; cd $< && $(CTEST)
 
 #
 # "make run-testsuite"
@@ -70,10 +69,10 @@ run-testsuite: run-testsuite-release
 run-testsuite-%: export upx_testsuite_SRCDIR   := $(upx_testsuite_SRCDIR)
 run-testsuite-%: export upx_testsuite_BUILDDIR := ./tmp-upx-testsuite
 run-testsuite-debug: export upx_exe := $(top_srcdir)/build/debug/upx
-run-testsuite-debug: PHONY $(top_srcdir)/build/debug
+run-testsuite-debug: $(top_srcdir)/build/debug PHONY
 	time -p bash $(top_srcdir)/misc/testsuite/upx_testsuite_1.sh
 run-testsuite-release: export upx_exe := $(top_srcdir)/build/release/upx
-run-testsuite-release: PHONY $(top_srcdir)/build/release
+run-testsuite-release: $(top_srcdir)/build/release PHONY
 	time -p bash $(top_srcdir)/misc/testsuite/upx_testsuite_1.sh
 endif
 endif
@@ -83,9 +82,9 @@ endif
 #
 
 ifneq ($(wildcard /usr/bin/env),) # needs bash, perl, xargs, etc.
-CHECK_WHITESPACE = $(top_srcdir)/misc/scripts/check_whitespace.sh $(top_srcdir)
+CHECK_WHITESPACE = bash $(top_srcdir)/misc/scripts/check_whitespace.sh $(top_srcdir)
 ifneq ($(wildcard $(top_srcdir)/.git/.),)
-CHECK_WHITESPACE = $(top_srcdir)/misc/scripts/check_whitespace_git.sh $(top_srcdir)
+CHECK_WHITESPACE = bash $(top_srcdir)/misc/scripts/check_whitespace_git.sh $(top_srcdir)
 endif
 check-whitespace: PHONY; $(CHECK_WHITESPACE)
 endif
@@ -102,7 +101,7 @@ CLANG_FORMAT_EXCLUDE_FILES += p_elf.h p_elf_enum.h p_lx_% p_mach% p_unix% p_vmli
 CLANG_FORMAT_FILES := $(sort $(wildcard *.[ch]* ../maint/src/*.[ch]* */*.[ch]*))
 CLANG_FORMAT_FILES += $(sort $(wildcard stub/tools/*/*.[ch]*))
 CLANG_FORMAT_FILES := $(filter-out $(CLANG_FORMAT_EXCLUDE_FILES),$(CLANG_FORMAT_FILES))
-clang-format: PHONY $(CLANG_FORMAT_FILES)
+clang-format: $(CLANG_FORMAT_FILES) PHONY
 	@echo "running upx-clang-format"
 	@$(top_srcdir)/misc/scripts/upx-clang-format.sh -i $(CLANG_FORMAT_FILES)
 endif
diff --git a/src/p_ps1.cpp b/src/p_ps1.cpp
index b8daee0a..031a071f 100644
--- a/src/p_ps1.cpp
+++ b/src/p_ps1.cpp
@@ -136,12 +136,10 @@ bool PackPs1::readBkupHeader() {
 }
 
 #define INIT_BH_BKUP(p, l)                                                                         \
-    ACC_BLOCK_BEGIN                                                                                \
-    {                                                                                              \
+    do {                                                                                           \
         (p)->id = '1';                                                                             \
         (p)->len = l;                                                                              \
-    }                                                                                              \
-    ACC_BLOCK_END
+    } while (0)
 #define ADLER16(a) (((a) >> 16) ^ ((a) &0xffff))
 
 void PackPs1::putBkupHeader(const byte *src, byte *dst, unsigned *len) {
diff --git a/src/packmast.cpp b/src/packmast.cpp
index 94b4f8a9..5042b511 100644
--- a/src/packmast.cpp
+++ b/src/packmast.cpp
@@ -137,19 +137,19 @@ static noinline tribool try_can_unpack(PackerBase *pb, void *user) may_throw {
 PackerBase *PackMaster::visitAllPackers(visit_func_t func, InputFile *f, const Options *o,
                                         void *user) may_throw {
 #define D(Klass)                                                                                   \
-    ACC_BLOCK_BEGIN                                                                                \
-    COMPILE_TIME_ASSERT(std::is_nothrow_destructible_v<Klass>)                                     \
-    auto pb = std::unique_ptr<PackerBase>(new Klass(f));                                           \
-    if (o->debug.debug_level)                                                                      \
-        fprintf(stderr, "visitAllPackers: (ver=%d, fmt=%3d) %s\n", pb->getVersion(),               \
-                pb->getFormat(), #Klass);                                                          \
-    pb->assertPacker();                                                                            \
-    tribool r = func(pb.get(), user);                                                              \
-    if (r)                                                                                         \
-        return pb.release(); /* success */                                                         \
-    if (r.isThird())                                                                               \
-        return nullptr; /* stop and fail early */                                                  \
-    ACC_BLOCK_END
+    do {                                                                                           \
+        COMPILE_TIME_ASSERT(std::is_nothrow_destructible_v<Klass>)                                 \
+        auto pb = std::unique_ptr<PackerBase>(new Klass(f));                                       \
+        if (o->debug.debug_level)                                                                  \
+            fprintf(stderr, "visitAllPackers: (ver=%d, fmt=%3d) %s\n", pb->getVersion(),           \
+                    pb->getFormat(), #Klass);                                                      \
+        pb->assertPacker();                                                                        \
+        tribool r = func(pb.get(), user);                                                          \
+        if (r)                                                                                     \
+            return pb.release(); /* success */                                                     \
+        if (r.isThird())                                                                           \
+            return nullptr; /* stop and fail early */                                              \
+    } while (0)
 
     // NOTE: order of tries is important !!!
 
diff --git a/src/util/util.cpp b/src/util/util.cpp
index 2d324992..bed4223d 100644
--- a/src/util/util.cpp
+++ b/src/util/util.cpp
@@ -285,13 +285,13 @@ static void memswap_no_overlap(byte *a, byte *b, size_t n) {
 #else // clang bug
     upx_alignas_max byte tmp_buf[16];
 #define SWAP(x)                                                                                    \
-    ACC_BLOCK_BEGIN                                                                                \
-    upx_memcpy_inline(tmp_buf, a, x);                                                              \
-    upx_memcpy_inline(a, b, x);                                                                    \
-    upx_memcpy_inline(b, tmp_buf, x);                                                              \
-    a += x;                                                                                        \
-    b += x;                                                                                        \
-    ACC_BLOCK_END
+    do {                                                                                           \
+        upx_memcpy_inline(tmp_buf, a, x);                                                          \
+        upx_memcpy_inline(a, b, x);                                                                \
+        upx_memcpy_inline(b, tmp_buf, x);                                                          \
+        a += x;                                                                                    \
+        b += x;                                                                                    \
+    } while (0)
 
     for (; n >= 16; n -= 16)
         SWAP(16);