diff --git a/source/meta/type_traits.h b/source/meta/type_traits.h
index a45f7b2846..5b0a5b8481 100644
--- a/source/meta/type_traits.h
+++ b/source/meta/type_traits.h
@@ -455,7 +455,7 @@ namespace emp {
 
   template <typename Needle, typename Haystack,
             template <typename, typename> class... Cmp>
-  static constexpr auto variadic_index_of_v = {
+  static constexpr size_t variadic_index_of_v{
     variadic_index_of<Needle, Haystack, Cmp...>::value};
 
   namespace __impl_variadics_type_traits {
diff --git a/source/tools/attrs.h b/source/tools/attrs.h
index c02dd401fb..1a9319cdea 100644
--- a/source/tools/attrs.h
+++ b/source/tools/attrs.h
@@ -911,7 +911,7 @@ namespace emp {
     ///  of attributes and returns a pack containing each of those attributes.
     template <class... T>
     constexpr Attrs<std::decay_t<T>...> MakeAttrs(T&&... props) {
-      return {std::forward<T>(props)...};
+      return Attrs<std::decay_t<T>...>(std::forward<T>(props)...);
     };
 
     namespace __impl_attrs_merge {