diff --git a/vm/alien.cpp b/vm/alien.cpp
index 8c31ac5b63..9768908f2f 100644
--- a/vm/alien.cpp
+++ b/vm/alien.cpp
@@ -47,8 +47,8 @@ cell factor_vm::allot_alien(cell delegate_, cell displacement) {
 }
 
 /* Allocates memory */
-cell factor_vm::allot_alien(void* address) {
-  return allot_alien(false_object, (cell)address);
+cell factor_vm::allot_alien(cell address) {
+  return allot_alien(false_object, address);
 }
 
 /* make an alien pointing at an offset of another alien */
diff --git a/vm/callbacks.cpp b/vm/callbacks.cpp
index baaa7da1dd..a4700c3912 100644
--- a/vm/callbacks.cpp
+++ b/vm/callbacks.cpp
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ void factor_vm::primitive_callback() {
 
   cell func = callbacks->add(w.value(), return_rewind)->entry_point();
   CODE_TO_FUNCTION_POINTER_CALLBACK(this, func);
-  ctx->push(allot_alien((void*)func));
+  ctx->push(allot_alien(func));
 }
 
 void factor_vm::primitive_free_callback() {
diff --git a/vm/callstack.cpp b/vm/callstack.cpp
index 411073305d..52a2b20c76 100644
--- a/vm/callstack.cpp
+++ b/vm/callstack.cpp
@@ -114,8 +114,8 @@ void factor_vm::primitive_set_innermost_stack_frame_quotation() {
 
 /* Allocates memory (allot_alien) */
 void factor_vm::primitive_callstack_bounds() {
-  ctx->push(allot_alien((void*)ctx->callstack_seg->start));
-  ctx->push(allot_alien((void*)ctx->callstack_seg->end));
+  ctx->push(allot_alien(ctx->callstack_seg->start));
+  ctx->push(allot_alien(ctx->callstack_seg->end));
 }
 
 }
diff --git a/vm/code_blocks.cpp b/vm/code_blocks.cpp
index 72bd86c47c..892dfd2a47 100644
--- a/vm/code_blocks.cpp
+++ b/vm/code_blocks.cpp
@@ -149,31 +149,27 @@ cell factor_vm::compute_dlsym_address(array* parameters, cell index) {
 
   dll* d = (to_boolean(library) ? untag<dll>(library) : NULL);
 
-  void* undefined_symbol = (void*)factor::undefined_symbol;
+  cell undefined_symbol = (cell)factor::undefined_symbol;
   undefined_symbol = FUNCTION_CODE_POINTER(undefined_symbol);
   if (d != NULL && !d->handle)
-    return (cell)undefined_symbol;
+    return undefined_symbol;
 
   switch (tagged<object>(symbol).type()) {
     case BYTE_ARRAY_TYPE: {
       symbol_char* name = alien_offset(symbol);
-      void* sym = ffi_dlsym(d, name);
-
-      if (sym)
-        return (cell)sym;
-      else
-        return (cell)undefined_symbol;
+      cell sym = ffi_dlsym(d, name);
+      return sym ? sym : undefined_symbol;
     }
     case ARRAY_TYPE: {
       array* names = untag<array>(symbol);
       for (cell i = 0; i < array_capacity(names); i++) {
         symbol_char* name = alien_offset(array_nth(names, i));
-        void* sym = ffi_dlsym(d, name);
+        cell sym = ffi_dlsym(d, name);
 
         if (sym)
-          return (cell)sym;
+          return sym;
       }
-      return (cell)undefined_symbol;
+      return undefined_symbol;
     }
     default:
       return -1;
@@ -187,30 +183,26 @@ cell factor_vm::compute_dlsym_toc_address(array* parameters, cell index) {
 
   dll* d = (to_boolean(library) ? untag<dll>(library) : NULL);
 
-  void* undefined_toc = (void*)factor::undefined_symbol;
+  cell undefined_toc = (cell)factor::undefined_symbol;
   undefined_toc = FUNCTION_TOC_POINTER(undefined_toc);
   if (d != NULL && !d->handle)
-    return (cell)undefined_toc;
+    return undefined_toc;
 
   switch (tagged<object>(symbol).type()) {
     case BYTE_ARRAY_TYPE: {
       symbol_char* name = alien_offset(symbol);
-      void* toc = ffi_dlsym_toc(d, name);
-      if (toc)
-        return (cell)toc;
-      else
-        return (cell)undefined_toc;
+      cell toc = ffi_dlsym_toc(d, name);
+      return toc ? toc : undefined_toc;
     }
     case ARRAY_TYPE: {
       array* names = untag<array>(symbol);
       for (cell i = 0; i < array_capacity(names); i++) {
         symbol_char* name = alien_offset(array_nth(names, i));
-        void* toc = ffi_dlsym_toc(d, name);
-
+        cell toc = ffi_dlsym_toc(d, name);
         if (toc)
-          return (cell)toc;
+          return toc;
       }
-      return (cell)undefined_toc;
+      return undefined_toc;
     }
     default:
       return -1;
diff --git a/vm/contexts.cpp b/vm/contexts.cpp
index 3cd1d052d6..a58365b4fa 100644
--- a/vm/contexts.cpp
+++ b/vm/contexts.cpp
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ context* factor_vm::new_context() {
 
 /* Allocates memory */
 void factor_vm::init_context(context* ctx) {
-  ctx->context_objects[OBJ_CONTEXT] = allot_alien(ctx);
+  ctx->context_objects[OBJ_CONTEXT] = allot_alien((cell)ctx);
 }
 
 /* Allocates memory (init_context(), but not parent->new_context() */
diff --git a/vm/io.cpp b/vm/io.cpp
index 1e862cd109..7b78ad6dbd 100644
--- a/vm/io.cpp
+++ b/vm/io.cpp
@@ -171,8 +171,9 @@ void factor_vm::primitive_fopen() {
   path.untag_check(this);
 
   FILE* file;
-  file = safe_fopen((char*)(path.untagged() + 1), (char*)(mode.untagged() + 1));
-  ctx->push(allot_alien(file));
+  file = safe_fopen((char*)(path.untagged() + 1),
+                    (char*)(mode.untagged() + 1));
+  ctx->push(allot_alien((cell)file));
 }
 
 FILE* factor_vm::pop_file_handle() { return (FILE*)alien_offset(ctx->pop()); }
diff --git a/vm/os-unix.cpp b/vm/os-unix.cpp
index b9b1dcbef1..bbaaf5cbba 100644
--- a/vm/os-unix.cpp
+++ b/vm/os-unix.cpp
@@ -39,16 +39,16 @@ void factor_vm::ffi_dlopen(dll* dll) {
   dll->handle = dlopen(alien_offset(dll->path), RTLD_LAZY | RTLD_GLOBAL);
 }
 
-void* factor_vm::ffi_dlsym_raw(dll* dll, symbol_char* symbol) {
-  return dlsym(dll ? dll->handle : null_dll, symbol);
+cell factor_vm::ffi_dlsym_raw(dll* dll, symbol_char* symbol) {
+  return (cell)dlsym(dll ? dll->handle : null_dll, symbol);
 }
 
-void* factor_vm::ffi_dlsym(dll* dll, symbol_char* symbol) {
+cell factor_vm::ffi_dlsym(dll* dll, symbol_char* symbol) {
   return FUNCTION_CODE_POINTER(ffi_dlsym_raw(dll, symbol));
 }
 
 #ifdef FACTOR_PPC
-void* factor_vm::ffi_dlsym_toc(dll* dll, symbol_char* symbol) {
+cell factor_vm::ffi_dlsym_toc(dll* dll, symbol_char* symbol) {
   return FUNCTION_TOC_POINTER(ffi_dlsym_raw(dll, symbol));
 }
 #endif
@@ -384,12 +384,9 @@ void safe_close(int fd) {
 bool check_write(int fd, void* data, ssize_t size) {
   if (write(fd, data, size) == size)
     return true;
-  else {
-    if (errno == EINTR)
-      return check_write(fd, data, size);
-    else
-      return false;
-  }
+  if (errno == EINTR)
+    return check_write(fd, data, size);
+  return false;
 }
 
 void safe_write(int fd, void* data, ssize_t size) {
diff --git a/vm/os-windows.cpp b/vm/os-windows.cpp
index 5ac44999d6..6870fd3e4c 100644
--- a/vm/os-windows.cpp
+++ b/vm/os-windows.cpp
@@ -14,12 +14,12 @@ void factor_vm::ffi_dlopen(dll* dll) {
   dll->handle = LoadLibraryEx((WCHAR*)alien_offset(dll->path), NULL, 0);
 }
 
-void* factor_vm::ffi_dlsym(dll* dll, symbol_char* symbol) {
-  return (void*)GetProcAddress(dll ? (HMODULE) dll->handle : hFactorDll,
-                               symbol);
+cell factor_vm::ffi_dlsym(dll* dll, symbol_char* symbol) {
+  return (cell)GetProcAddress(dll ? (HMODULE) dll->handle : hFactorDll,
+                              symbol);
 }
 
-void* factor_vm::ffi_dlsym_raw(dll* dll, symbol_char* symbol) {
+cell factor_vm::ffi_dlsym_raw(dll* dll, symbol_char* symbol) {
   return ffi_dlsym(dll, symbol);
 }
 
diff --git a/vm/primitives.hpp b/vm/primitives.hpp
index 97005df147..26d5206998 100644
--- a/vm/primitives.hpp
+++ b/vm/primitives.hpp
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ namespace factor {
       _(wrapper)
 
 #define EACH_ALIEN_PRIMITIVE(_)                               \
-  _(signed_cell, fixnum, from_signed_cell, to_fixnum)         \
+      _(signed_cell, fixnum, from_signed_cell, to_fixnum)     \
       _(unsigned_cell, cell, from_unsigned_cell, to_cell)     \
       _(signed_8, int64_t, from_signed_8, to_signed_8)        \
       _(unsigned_8, uint64_t, from_unsigned_8, to_unsigned_8) \
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ namespace factor {
       _(unsigned_1, uint8_t, from_unsigned_cell, to_cell)     \
       _(float, float, allot_float, to_float)                  \
       _(double, double, allot_float, to_double)               \
-      _(cell, void*, allot_alien, pinned_alien_offset)
+      _(cell, cell, allot_alien, pinned_alien_offset)
 
 #define DECLARE_PRIMITIVE(name) \
   VM_C_API void primitive_##name(factor_vm * parent);
diff --git a/vm/vm.hpp b/vm/vm.hpp
index 545cab10c1..5084be7d88 100644
--- a/vm/vm.hpp
+++ b/vm/vm.hpp
@@ -659,7 +659,7 @@ struct factor_vm {
   // alien
   char* pinned_alien_offset(cell obj);
   cell allot_alien(cell delegate_, cell displacement);
-  cell allot_alien(void* address);
+  cell allot_alien(cell address);
   void primitive_displaced_alien();
   void primitive_alien_address();
   void* alien_pointer();
@@ -738,10 +738,10 @@ struct factor_vm {
   void move_file(const vm_char* path1, const vm_char* path2);
   void init_ffi();
   void ffi_dlopen(dll* dll);
-  void* ffi_dlsym(dll* dll, symbol_char* symbol);
-  void* ffi_dlsym_raw(dll* dll, symbol_char* symbol);
+  cell ffi_dlsym(dll* dll, symbol_char* symbol);
+  cell ffi_dlsym_raw(dll* dll, symbol_char* symbol);
 #ifdef FACTOR_PPC
-  void* ffi_dlsym_toc(dll* dll, symbol_char* symbol);
+  cell ffi_dlsym_toc(dll* dll, symbol_char* symbol);
 #endif
   void ffi_dlclose(dll* dll);
   void c_to_factor_toplevel(cell quot);