diff --git a/include/builder/build.impl b/include/builder/build.impl
index dab731c..a30e7c4 100644
--- a/include/builder/build.impl
+++ b/include/builder/build.impl
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ void dictionary<kmer_t>::build(std::string const& filename,
         throw std::runtime_error("m must be less <= " + std::to_string(kmer_t::max_m) +
                                  " but got m = " + std::to_string(build_config.m));
     }
-    if (build_config.m > build_config.k) throw std::runtime_error("m must be < k");
+    if (build_config.m > build_config.k) throw std::runtime_error("m must be <= k");
     if (build_config.l >= constants::max_l) {
         throw std::runtime_error("l must be < " + std::to_string(constants::max_l));
     }
@@ -76,6 +76,11 @@ void dictionary<kmer_t>::build(std::string const& filename,
         mm::file_source<minimizer_tuple> input(data.minimizers.get_minimizers_filename(),
                                                mm::advice::sequential);
         minimizers_tuples_iterator iterator(input.data(), input.data() + input.size());
+
+        if (build_config.verbose) {
+            std::cout << "num_minimizers " << data.minimizers.num_minimizers() << std::endl;
+        }
+
         m_minimizers.build(iterator, data.minimizers.num_minimizers(), build_config);
         input.close();
     }
diff --git a/include/cover/parse_file.hpp b/include/cover/parse_file.hpp
index 53581c7..f9f78f0 100644
--- a/include/cover/parse_file.hpp
+++ b/include/cover/parse_file.hpp
@@ -159,8 +159,7 @@ struct lines_iterator {
 
     std::string read_line() {
         uint8_t const* begin = m_begin;
-        while (m_begin != m_end and *m_begin++ != '\n')
-            ;
+        while (m_begin != m_end and *m_begin++ != '\n');
         if (begin == m_begin) return std::string("");
         return std::string(reinterpret_cast<const char*>(begin), m_begin - begin - 1);
     }
diff --git a/include/info.impl b/include/info.impl
index 8658c6d..02c3d6c 100644
--- a/include/info.impl
+++ b/include/info.impl
@@ -1,5 +1,41 @@
 namespace sshash {
 
+double bits_per_kmer_formula(uint64_t k, /* kmer length */
+                             uint64_t m, /* minimizer length */
+                             uint64_t n, /* num. kmers */
+                             uint64_t M) /* num. strings in SPSS */
+{
+    /*
+      Caveats:
+      1. we assume an alphabet of size 4
+      2. this assumes a random minimizer scheme, so num. super-kmers is ~ 2n/(k-m+2)
+      3. we neglect lower order terms and skew index space
+      4. no canonical parsing
+    */
+
+    assert(k > 0);
+    assert(k >= m);
+
+    const uint64_t N = n + M * (k - 1);  // num. symbols in SPSS
+
+    // double num_minimizers = (2.0 * n) / (k - m + 2);  // not distinct, hence num. of super-kmers
+    // std::cout << "num_minimizers = " << num_minimizers << std::endl;
+    // std::cout << "minimizers: " << (3.0 * num_minimizers) / n << " [bits/kmer]" << std::endl;
+    // std::cout << "pieces: " << (M * (2.0 + std::ceil(std::log2(static_cast<double>(N) / M)))) / n
+    //           << " [bits/kmer]" << std::endl;
+    // std::cout << "num_super_kmers_before_bucket: " << (2.0 * num_minimizers) / n << " [bits/kmer]
+    // "
+    //           << std::endl;
+    // std::cout << "offsets: " << (std::ceil(std::log2(N)) * num_minimizers) / n << " [bits/kmer]"
+    //           << std::endl;
+    // std::cout << "strings: " << (2.0 * N) / n << " [bits/kmer]" << std::endl;
+
+    double num_bits = 2 * n * (1.0 + (5.0 + std::ceil(std::log2(N))) / (k - m + 2)) +
+                      M * (2 * k + std::ceil(std::log2(static_cast<double>(n) / M + k - 1)));
+
+    return num_bits / n;
+}
+
 template <class kmer_t>
 void dictionary<kmer_t>::print_space_breakdown() const {
     const uint64_t num_bytes = (num_bits() + 7) / 8;
@@ -7,7 +43,9 @@ void dictionary<kmer_t>::print_space_breakdown() const {
               << essentials::convert(num_bytes, essentials::MB) << " [MB]" << '\n';
     std::cout << "SPACE BREAKDOWN:\n";
     std::cout << "  minimizers: " << static_cast<double>(m_minimizers.num_bits()) / size()
-              << " [bits/kmer]\n";
+              << " [bits/kmer] ("
+              << static_cast<double>(m_minimizers.num_bits()) / m_minimizers.size()
+              << " [bits/key])\n";
     std::cout << "  pieces: " << static_cast<double>(m_buckets.pieces.num_bits()) / size()
               << " [bits/kmer]\n";
     std::cout << "  num_super_kmers_before_bucket: "
@@ -25,6 +63,9 @@ void dictionary<kmer_t>::print_space_breakdown() const {
     std::cout << "  --------------\n";
     std::cout << "  total: " << static_cast<double>(num_bits()) / size() << " [bits/kmer]"
               << std::endl;
+
+    std::cout << "  Close-form formula: " << bits_per_kmer_formula(k(), m(), size(), num_contigs())
+              << " [bits/kmer]" << std::endl;
 }
 
 template <class kmer_t>