diff --git a/.github/workflows/CI.yml b/.github/workflows/CI.yml
index 73a91f1..6c68fb8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/CI.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/CI.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 name: build
 
-on: [push, pull_request]
+on:
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - main
+  pull_request:
 
 jobs:
   build:
@@ -14,7 +18,9 @@ jobs:
         with:
           submodules: recursive
           fetch-depth: 0
-      - uses: mlugg/setup-zig@v2
+      - uses: zed-industries/setup-zig@node24
+        with:
+          version: 0.17.0
 
       - name: Testing
         run: zig run runall.zig
@@ -23,5 +29,7 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v7
-      - uses: mlugg/setup-zig@v2
+      - uses: zed-industries/setup-zig@node24
+        with:
+          version: 0.17.0
       - run: zig fmt --check --ast-check */*.zig
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ac4343f..09aa417 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
 ### How to build
 
 **Require:**
-- [Zig v0.16.0 or higher](https://ziglang.org/download), self-hosting (stage3) compiler.
+- [Zig v0.17.0 or higher](https://ziglang.org/download), self-hosting (stage3) compiler.
 
 ### Test all
 
diff --git a/search/binarySearchTree.zig b/search/binarySearchTree.zig
index cd18872..c4d5a7e 100644
--- a/search/binarySearchTree.zig
+++ b/search/binarySearchTree.zig
@@ -42,11 +42,11 @@ pub fn BinarySearchTree(comptime T: type) type {
         // Arguments:
         //      key: T - the key to be removed from the tree
         pub fn remove(self: *Self, key: T) !void {
-            if (self.root == null) {
-                return;
+            var removed = false;
+            self.root = try self._remove(self.root, key, &removed);
+            if (removed) {
+                self.size -= 1;
             }
-            self.root = try self._remove(self.root, key);
-            self.size -= 1;
         }
 
         // Function to search if a key exists in the tree
@@ -84,10 +84,8 @@ pub fn BinarySearchTree(comptime T: type) type {
         // Function that destroys the allocated memory of the whole tree
         // Uses the _destroy helper private function
         pub fn destroy(self: *Self) void {
-            if (self.root == null) {
-                return;
-            }
             self._destroy(self.root);
+            self.root = null;
             self.size = 0;
         }
 
@@ -114,16 +112,17 @@ pub fn BinarySearchTree(comptime T: type) type {
             return root;
         }
 
-        fn _remove(self: *Self, root: ?*node, key: T) !?*node {
+        fn _remove(self: *Self, root: ?*node, key: T, removed: *bool) !?*node {
             if (root == null) {
                 return root;
             }
 
             if (root.?.info < key) {
-                root.?.right = try self._remove(root.?.right, key);
+                root.?.right = try self._remove(root.?.right, key, removed);
             } else if (root.?.info > key) {
-                root.?.left = try self._remove(root.?.left, key);
+                root.?.left = try self._remove(root.?.left, key, removed);
             } else {
+                removed.* = true;
                 if (root.?.left == null and root.?.right == null) {
                     self.allocator.destroy(root.?);
                     return null;
@@ -139,7 +138,7 @@ pub fn BinarySearchTree(comptime T: type) type {
                     var curr: ?*node = root.?.right;
                     while (curr.?.left != null) : (curr = curr.?.left) {}
                     root.?.info = curr.?.info;
-                    root.?.right = try self._remove(root.?.right, curr.?.info);
+                    root.?.right = try self._remove(root.?.right, curr.?.info, removed);
                 }
             }
 
@@ -282,4 +281,43 @@ test "Testing operations on empty trees" {
     try testing.expect(t.search(10) == false);
     try t.remove(10);
     try testing.expect(t.search(10) == false);
+    try testing.expect(t.size == 0);
+}
+
+test "Testing removal of absent keys keeps size" {
+    var gpa = std.heap.DebugAllocator(.{}){};
+    defer assert(gpa.deinit() == .ok);
+    var allocator = gpa.allocator();
+
+    var t = BinarySearchTree(i32){ .allocator = &allocator };
+    defer t.destroy();
+
+    try t.insert(10);
+    try t.insert(5);
+    try t.insert(15);
+
+    try t.remove(7);
+    try testing.expect(t.size == 3);
+    try t.remove(7);
+    try testing.expect(t.size == 3);
+    try testing.expect(t.search(10) == true);
+
+    try t.remove(10);
+    try testing.expect(t.size == 2);
+}
+
+test "Testing destroy leaves an empty reusable tree" {
+    var gpa = std.heap.DebugAllocator(.{}){};
+    defer assert(gpa.deinit() == .ok);
+    var allocator = gpa.allocator();
+
+    var t = BinarySearchTree(i32){ .allocator = &allocator };
+    defer t.destroy();
+
+    try t.insert(10);
+    t.destroy();
+    try testing.expect(t.size == 0);
+    try testing.expect(t.root == null);
+    try t.insert(5);
+    try testing.expect(t.size == 1);
 }
diff --git a/tiger_style/raft_consensus.zig b/tiger_style/raft_consensus.zig
index 9f54218..1ac7d33 100644
--- a/tiger_style/raft_consensus.zig
+++ b/tiger_style/raft_consensus.zig
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ pub const NodeState = enum(u8) {
 
     pub fn validate(self: NodeState) void {
         // Ensure state is valid
-        assert(@intFromEnum(self) <= 2);
+        assert(@backingInt(self) <= 2);
     }
 };
 
diff --git a/tiger_style/two_phase_commit.zig b/tiger_style/two_phase_commit.zig
index 1b420e4..f171cad 100644
--- a/tiger_style/two_phase_commit.zig
+++ b/tiger_style/two_phase_commit.zig
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ pub const CoordinatorState = enum(u8) {
     aborted,
 
     pub fn validate(self: CoordinatorState) void {
-        assert(@intFromEnum(self) <= 3);
+        assert(@backingInt(self) <= 3);
     }
 };
 
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ pub const ParticipantVote = enum(u8) {
     no_response,
 
     pub fn validate(self: ParticipantVote) void {
-        assert(@intFromEnum(self) <= 2);
+        assert(@backingInt(self) <= 2);
     }
 };
 
diff --git a/tiger_style/vsr_consensus.zig b/tiger_style/vsr_consensus.zig
index 6bfc67e..1d3cd29 100644
--- a/tiger_style/vsr_consensus.zig
+++ b/tiger_style/vsr_consensus.zig
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ pub const ReplicaState = enum(u8) {
     recovering, // Replica recovering
 
     pub fn validate(self: ReplicaState) void {
-        assert(@intFromEnum(self) <= 2);
+        assert(@backingInt(self) <= 2);
     }
 };