diff --git a/include/erasurecode/erasurecode_helpers.h b/include/erasurecode/erasurecode_helpers.h
index 8265bdc..9b1fc2b 100644
--- a/include/erasurecode/erasurecode_helpers.h
+++ b/include/erasurecode/erasurecode_helpers.h
@@ -34,10 +34,6 @@
 
 /* ==~=*=~==~=*=~==~=*=~==~=*=~==~=*=~==~=*=~==~=*=~==~=*=~==~=*=~==~=*=~== */
 
-#define PYECC_HEADER_MAGIC  0xb0c5ecc
-
-#define talloc(type, num)   (type *) malloc(sizeof(type) * (num))
-
 #if __STDC_VERSION__ < 199901L
     #if __GNUC__ >= 2
         #define __func__ __FUNCTION__
@@ -49,9 +45,12 @@
 #define log_error(str) \
     fprintf(stderr, "%s:%d (%s): %s\n", __FILE__, __LINE__, __func__, str)
 
-/*
- * Prevent the compiler from padding
- * this by using the __packed__ keyword
+/* ==~=*=~==~=*=~==~=*=~==~=*=~==~=*=~==~=*=~==~=*=~==~=*=~==~=*=~==~=*=~== */
+
+/**
+ * liberasurecode fragment header definition
+ *
+ * Prevent the compiler from padding this by using the __packed__ keyword
  */
 typedef struct __attribute__((__packed__)) fragment_header_s
 {
@@ -66,8 +65,12 @@ typedef struct __attribute__((__packed__)) fragment_header_s
     uint32_t aligned_padding[3];
 } fragment_header_t;
 
+#define LIBERASURECODE_FRAG_HEADER_MAGIC  0xb0c5ecc
+
 /* ==~=*=~==~=*=~==~=*=~==~=*=~==~=*=~==~=*=~==~=*=~==~=*=~==~=*=~==~=*=~== */
 
+#define talloc(type, num)   (type *) malloc(sizeof(type) * (num))
+
 /* Determine if an address is aligned to a particular boundary */
 static inline
 int is_addr_aligned(unsigned long addr, int align)
@@ -122,7 +125,7 @@ void init_fragment_header(char *buf)
 {
     fragment_header_t *header = (fragment_header_t *) buf;
 
-    header->magic = PYECC_HEADER_MAGIC;
+    header->magic = LIBERASURECODE_FRAG_HEADER_MAGIC;
 }
 
 /* ==~=*=~==~=*=~==~=*=~==~=*=~==~=*=~==~=*=~==~=*=~==~=*=~==~=*=~==~=*=~== */
diff --git a/src/erasurecode_helpers.c b/src/erasurecode_helpers.c
index 94648e7..aaa31d7 100644
--- a/src/erasurecode_helpers.c
+++ b/src/erasurecode_helpers.c
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ char *alloc_fragment_buffer(int size)
 
     if (buf) {
         header = (fragment_header_t *) buf;
-        header->magic = PYECC_HEADER_MAGIC;
+        header->magic = LIBERASURECODE_FRAG_HEADER_MAGIC;
     }
 
     return buf;
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ int free_fragment_buffer(char *buf)
     buf -= sizeof(fragment_header_t);
 
     header = (fragment_header_t *) buf;
-    if (header->magic != PYECC_HEADER_MAGIC) {
+    if (header->magic != LIBERASURECODE_FRAG_HEADER_MAGIC) {
         fprintf(stderr,
             "Invalid fragment header (free fragment)!");
         return -1;
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ char *get_fragment_ptr_from_data(char *buf)
 
     header = (fragment_header_t *) buf;
 
-    if (header->magic != PYECC_HEADER_MAGIC) {
+    if (header->magic != LIBERASURECODE_FRAG_HEADER_MAGIC) {
         fprintf(stderr, "Invalid fragment header (get header ptr)!\n");
         return NULL;
     }
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ int set_fragment_idx(char *buf, int idx)
 {
     fragment_header_t *header = (fragment_header_t *) buf;
 
-    if (header->magic != PYECC_HEADER_MAGIC) {
+    if (header->magic != LIBERASURECODE_FRAG_HEADER_MAGIC) {
         fprintf(stderr, "Invalid fragment header (idx check)!\n");
         return -1;
     }
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ int get_fragment_idx(char *buf)
 {
     fragment_header_t *header = (fragment_header_t *) buf;
 
-    if (header->magic != PYECC_HEADER_MAGIC) {
+    if (header->magic != LIBERASURECODE_FRAG_HEADER_MAGIC) {
         fprintf(stderr, "Invalid fragment header (get idx)!");
         return -1;
     }
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ int set_fragment_size(char *buf, int size)
 {
     fragment_header_t *header = (fragment_header_t *) buf;
 
-    if (header->magic != PYECC_HEADER_MAGIC) {
+    if (header->magic != LIBERASURECODE_FRAG_HEADER_MAGIC) {
         fprintf(stderr, "Invalid fragment header (size check)!");
         return -1;
     }
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ int get_fragment_size(char *buf)
 {
     fragment_header_t *header = (fragment_header_t *) buf;
 
-    if (header->magic != PYECC_HEADER_MAGIC) {
+    if (header->magic != LIBERASURECODE_FRAG_HEADER_MAGIC) {
         fprintf(stderr, "Invalid fragment header (get size)!");
         return -1;
     }
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ int set_orig_data_size(char *buf, int orig_data_size)
 {
     fragment_header_t *header = (fragment_header_t *) buf;
 
-    if (header->magic != PYECC_HEADER_MAGIC) {
+    if (header->magic != LIBERASURECODE_FRAG_HEADER_MAGIC) {
         fprintf(stderr, "Invalid fragment header (set orig data check)!");
         return -1;
     }
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ int get_orig_data_size(char *buf)
 {
     fragment_header_t *header = (fragment_header_t *) buf;
 
-    if (header->magic != PYECC_HEADER_MAGIC) {
+    if (header->magic != LIBERASURECODE_FRAG_HEADER_MAGIC) {
         fprintf(stderr, "Invalid fragment header (get orig data check)!");
         return -1;
     }
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ int validate_fragment(char *buf)
 {
     fragment_header_t *header = (fragment_header_t *) buf;
 
-    if (header->magic != PYECC_HEADER_MAGIC) {
+    if (header->magic != LIBERASURECODE_FRAG_HEADER_MAGIC) {
         return -1;
     }