diff --git a/include/boost/histogram/axis/category.hpp b/include/boost/histogram/axis/category.hpp
index 857000d4..ee112f16 100644
--- a/include/boost/histogram/axis/category.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/histogram/axis/category.hpp
@@ -70,8 +70,12 @@ public:
    */
   template <class It, class = detail::requires_iterator<It>>
   category(It begin, It end, metadata_type meta = {}, allocator_type alloc = {})
-      : metadata_base<MetaData>(std::move(meta)), vec_(begin, end, alloc) {
-    if (size() == 0) BOOST_THROW_EXCEPTION(std::invalid_argument("bins > 0 required"));
+      : metadata_base<MetaData>(std::move(meta)), vec_(alloc) {
+    if (std::distance(begin, end) < 0)
+      BOOST_THROW_EXCEPTION(
+          std::invalid_argument("end must be reachable by incrementing begin"));
+    vec_.reserve(std::distance(begin, end));
+    while (begin != end) vec_.emplace_back(*begin++);
   }
 
   /** Construct axis from iterable sequence of unique values.
diff --git a/include/boost/histogram/axis/integer.hpp b/include/boost/histogram/axis/integer.hpp
index 28d7dca3..ba94ac36 100644
--- a/include/boost/histogram/axis/integer.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/histogram/axis/integer.hpp
@@ -77,7 +77,8 @@ public:
       : metadata_base<MetaData>(std::move(meta))
       , size_(static_cast<index_type>(stop - start))
       , min_(start) {
-    if (stop <= start) BOOST_THROW_EXCEPTION(std::invalid_argument("bins > 0 required"));
+    if (!(stop >= start))
+      BOOST_THROW_EXCEPTION(std::invalid_argument("stop >= start required"));
   }
 
   /// Constructor used by algorithm::reduce to shrink and rebin.
diff --git a/include/boost/histogram/axis/variable.hpp b/include/boost/histogram/axis/variable.hpp
index 53af4416..ef24ca57 100644
--- a/include/boost/histogram/axis/variable.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/histogram/axis/variable.hpp
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ public:
   template <class It, class = detail::requires_iterator<It>>
   variable(It begin, It end, metadata_type meta = {}, allocator_type alloc = {})
       : metadata_base<MetaData>(std::move(meta)), vec_(std::move(alloc)) {
-    if (std::distance(begin, end) <= 1)
+    if (std::distance(begin, end) < 2)
       BOOST_THROW_EXCEPTION(std::invalid_argument("bins > 0 required"));
 
     vec_.reserve(std::distance(begin, end));
diff --git a/test/axis_category_test.cpp b/test/axis_category_test.cpp
index 5afe477c..92951a56 100644
--- a/test/axis_category_test.cpp
+++ b/test/axis_category_test.cpp
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 // (See accompanying file LICENSE_1_0.txt
 // or copy at http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt)
 
+#include <boost/core/ignore_unused.hpp>
 #include <boost/core/lightweight_test.hpp>
 #include <boost/core/lightweight_test_trait.hpp>
 #include <boost/histogram/axis/category.hpp>
@@ -26,10 +27,11 @@ int main() {
   BOOST_TEST(std::is_nothrow_move_assignable<axis::category<int>>::value);
   BOOST_TEST(std::is_nothrow_move_assignable<axis::category<std::string>>::value);
 
-  // bad_ctors
+  // bad ctor
   {
-    auto empty = std::vector<int>(0);
-    BOOST_TEST_THROWS((axis::category<>(empty)), std::invalid_argument);
+    int x[2];
+    boost::ignore_unused(x);
+    BOOST_TEST_THROWS(axis::category<int>(x + 1, x), std::invalid_argument);
   }
 
   // value should return copy for arithmetic types and const reference otherwise
@@ -50,6 +52,17 @@ int main() {
     BOOST_TEST_TRAIT_SAME(decltype(std::declval<axis::category<int>>().value(0)), int);
   }
 
+  // empty axis::category
+  {
+    axis::category<int> a;
+    axis::category<int> b(std::vector<int>(0));
+    BOOST_TEST_EQ(a, b);
+    BOOST_TEST_EQ(a.size(), 0);
+    BOOST_TEST_EQ(a.index(-1), 0);
+    BOOST_TEST_EQ(a.index(0), 0);
+    BOOST_TEST_EQ(a.index(1), 0);
+  }
+
   // axis::category
   {
     std::string A("A"), B("B"), C("C"), other;
diff --git a/test/axis_integer_test.cpp b/test/axis_integer_test.cpp
index d3556f41..9ea2b5b8 100644
--- a/test/axis_integer_test.cpp
+++ b/test/axis_integer_test.cpp
@@ -22,10 +22,7 @@ int main() {
   BOOST_TEST(std::is_nothrow_move_constructible<axis::integer<>>::value);
 
   // bad_ctor
-  {
-    BOOST_TEST_THROWS(axis::integer<>(1, 1), std::invalid_argument);
-    BOOST_TEST_THROWS(axis::integer<>(1, -1), std::invalid_argument);
-  }
+  { BOOST_TEST_THROWS(axis::integer<>(1, -1), std::invalid_argument); }
 
   // axis::integer with double type
   {
@@ -60,6 +57,34 @@ int main() {
     BOOST_TEST_EQ(d, a);
   }
 
+  // empty axis::integer
+  {
+    axis::integer<> a;
+    BOOST_TEST_EQ(a.size(), 0);
+    BOOST_TEST_EQ(a.bin(1), 1);
+    BOOST_TEST_EQ(a.bin(0), 0);
+    BOOST_TEST_EQ(a.bin(-1), -1);
+    BOOST_TEST_EQ(a.index(-10), -1);
+    BOOST_TEST_EQ(a.index(-1), -1);
+    BOOST_TEST_EQ(a.index(0), 0);
+    BOOST_TEST_EQ(a.index(10), 0);
+
+    BOOST_TEST_EQ(str(a), "integer(0, 0, options=underflow | overflow)");
+
+    axis::integer<> b{1, 1};
+    BOOST_TEST_EQ(b.size(), 0);
+    BOOST_TEST_EQ(b.bin(1), 2);
+    BOOST_TEST_EQ(b.bin(0), 1);
+    BOOST_TEST_EQ(b.bin(-1), 0);
+    BOOST_TEST_EQ(b.index(-10), -1);
+    BOOST_TEST_EQ(b.index(-1), -1);
+    BOOST_TEST_EQ(b.index(0), -1);
+    BOOST_TEST_EQ(b.index(1), 0);
+    BOOST_TEST_EQ(b.index(10), 0);
+
+    BOOST_TEST_EQ(str(b), "integer(1, 1, options=underflow | overflow)");
+  }
+
   // axis::integer with int type
   {
     axis::integer<int> a{-1, 2};
diff --git a/test/histogram_dynamic_test.cpp b/test/histogram_dynamic_test.cpp
index 655d571b..8200f94a 100644
--- a/test/histogram_dynamic_test.cpp
+++ b/test/histogram_dynamic_test.cpp
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 // or copy at http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt)
 
 #include <algorithm>
+#include <boost/core/ignore_unused.hpp>
 #include <boost/core/lightweight_test.hpp>
 #include <boost/histogram/axis.hpp>
 #include <boost/histogram/axis/ostream.hpp>
@@ -67,10 +68,9 @@ int main() {
                                                 std::vector<int>(1, 0));
     h.fill(inputs); // should not crash
 
-#ifndef BOOST_NO_EXCEPTIONS
     auto bad = std::vector<I>(BOOST_HISTOGRAM_DETAIL_AXES_LIMIT + 1, I(0, 1));
+    boost::ignore_unused(bad);
     BOOST_TEST_THROWS((void)make_histogram(bad), std::invalid_argument);
-#endif
   }
 
   // bad fill
diff --git a/test/histogram_fill_test.cpp b/test/histogram_fill_test.cpp
index 6a0edf5d..76eae4ea 100644
--- a/test/histogram_fill_test.cpp
+++ b/test/histogram_fill_test.cpp
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 #include <array>
 #include <boost/config.hpp>
+#include <boost/core/ignore_unused.hpp>
 #include <boost/core/lightweight_test.hpp>
 #include <boost/histogram/accumulators.hpp>
 #include <boost/histogram/accumulators/ostream.hpp>
@@ -74,12 +75,12 @@ void run_tests(const std::vector<int>& x, const std::vector<int>& y,
     BOOST_TEST_EQ(h, h2);
     BOOST_TEST_EQ(h, h3);
 
-#ifndef BOOST_NO_EXCEPTIONS
     int bad1[2][4];
+    boost::ignore_unused(bad1);
     std::vector<std::array<int, 4>> bad2;
+    boost::ignore_unused(bad2);
     BOOST_TEST_THROWS(h.fill(bad1), std::invalid_argument);
     BOOST_TEST_THROWS(h.fill(bad2), std::invalid_argument);
-#endif
   }
 
   // 2D simple
@@ -93,14 +94,13 @@ void run_tests(const std::vector<int>& x, const std::vector<int>& y,
 
     BOOST_TEST_EQ(h, h2);
 
-#ifndef BOOST_NO_EXCEPTIONS
     // wrong rank
     BOOST_TEST_THROWS(h.fill(x), std::invalid_argument);
 
     // not rectangular
     std::array<std::vector<int>, 2> bad = {{std::vector<int>(2), std::vector<int>(3)}};
+    boost::ignore_unused(bad);
     BOOST_TEST_THROWS(h2.fill(bad), std::invalid_argument);
-#endif
   }
 
   // 1D variant and weight
@@ -130,11 +130,10 @@ void run_tests(const std::vector<int>& x, const std::vector<int>& y,
 
     BOOST_TEST_EQ(h1, h2);
 
-#ifndef BOOST_NO_EXCEPTIONS
     auto w2 = w;
     w2.resize(ndata - 1);
+    boost::ignore_unused(w2);
     BOOST_TEST_THROWS(h2.fill(v, weight(w2)), std::invalid_argument);
-#endif
   }
 
   // 2D variant and weight
diff --git a/test/histogram_test.cpp b/test/histogram_test.cpp
index 54585002..a18919ff 100644
--- a/test/histogram_test.cpp
+++ b/test/histogram_test.cpp
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 // (See accompanying file LICENSE_1_0.txt
 // or copy at http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt)
 
+#include <boost/core/ignore_unused.hpp>
 #include <boost/core/lightweight_test.hpp>
 #include <boost/histogram/accumulators.hpp>
 #include <boost/histogram/accumulators/ostream.hpp>
@@ -441,12 +442,12 @@ void run_tests() {
     int j11[] = {1, 1};
     BOOST_TEST_EQ(h.at(j11), 1);
     BOOST_TEST_EQ(h[j11], 1);
-#ifndef BOOST_NO_EXCEPTIONS
     int j111[] = {1, 1, 1};
+    boost::ignore_unused(j111);
     BOOST_TEST_THROWS((void)h.at(j111), std::invalid_argument);
     int j13[] = {1, 3};
+    boost::ignore_unused(j13);
     BOOST_TEST_THROWS((void)h.at(j13), std::out_of_range);
-#endif
 
     // tuple with weight
     h(std::make_tuple(weight(2), 0, 2.0));