diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 9cb79ae4645011cc932e5180c8e2ef1d5477e292..70c4a6e20445e97ecaddc94729d31c4326b4baef 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -37,7 +37,8 @@ set(CMAKE_C_STANDARD 99)
 if(UNIX)
   set(TARGET_PLATFORM ""  CACHE STRING "i686 / x86_64")
   set(CLANG           ""  CACHE STRING "1=msan / 2=asan / 3=usan")
-  set(GCOV            OFF CACHE BOOL   "enable GCOV")
+  set(MSAN_TRACK_ORIGINS OFF CACHE BOOL "enable origin tracking for Clang MSAN")
+  set(COVERAGE            OFF CACHE BOOL   "enable coverage instrumentation")
   set(STRIP           OFF CACHE BOOL   "enable STRIP")
 
   if(NOT CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE)
@@ -62,13 +63,19 @@ if(UNIX)
   # to be uncommented in CI
   # set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -Werror")
 
+  # set C compiler
+  find_program(cc NAMES clang-18 clang REQUIRED)
+  set(CMAKE_C_COMPILER "${cc}" CACHE STRING "")
+
   # CLANG
   if(CLANG)
-    find_program(clangBin NAMES /home/amm-archiv/soft/Linux/clang/current/bin/clang clang REQUIRED)
-    set(CMAKE_C_COMPILER "${clangBin}" CACHE STRING "")
     if("${CLANG}" MATCHES "1" OR "${CLANG}" MATCHES "msan")
       set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -fsanitize=memory")
       set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS "${CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS} -fsanitize=memory")
+      if(MSAN_TRACK_ORIGINS)
+        set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -fsanitize-memory-track-origins")
+        set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS "${CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS} -fsanitize-memory-track-origins")
+      endif()
     elseif("${CLANG}" MATCHES "2" OR "${CLANG}" MATCHES "asan")
       set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -fsanitize=address")
       set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS "${CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS} -fsanitize=address")
@@ -89,8 +96,8 @@ if(UNIX)
       message(FATAL_ERROR "Unknown CLANG setting: ${CLANG}")
     endif()
   endif()
-  # GCOV
-  if(GCOV)
+  # COVERAGE
+  if(COVERAGE)
     set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -fprofile-arcs -ftest-coverage -fprofile-update=atomic")
     set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS "${CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS} -fprofile-arcs -ftest-coverage -fprofile-update=atomic")
   endif()
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index c9ae4493ddacc2edbd9bdbe7c874b7d48a768b75..a9a9397425d9783cb985dc9cf3a20d885d50870c 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ LIB_LC3PLUS  	?= liblc3plus.a
 LIB_LIBUTIL  	?= libivasutil.a
 
 # Default tool settings
-CC        ?= gcc
+CC        ?= cc
 RM        ?= rm -f
 AR        ?= ar
 
@@ -65,32 +65,43 @@ endif
 CFLAGS   += -std=c99 -pedantic -Wcast-qual -Wall -W -Wextra -Wno-long-long     \
             -Wpointer-arith -Wstrict-prototypes -Wmissing-prototypes  \
             -Werror-implicit-function-declaration \
-            -Wno-implicit-fallthrough -ffp-contract=off
+            -Wno-implicit-fallthrough -ffp-contract=off \
+            -Winit-self -Wunused-but-set-variable
 # to be uncommented in CI
 # CFLAGS += -Werror
-CFLAGS += -Winit-self
-CFLAGS += -Wunused-but-set-variable
 
 # libs to link
 LDLIBS   += -lm
 
-# Clang sanitizer compiler options
-CCCLANG = clang
-ifeq "$(CLANG)" "0"
-CC       = $(CCCLANG)
+# check if clang is available on system and use it if it is there
+CLANG_EXISTS := $(shell which clang)
+
+ifneq "$(CLANG_EXISTS)" ""
+CC = clang
+else
+$(warning clang compiler not found - falling back to cc)
 endif
+
+# Clang sanitizer compiler options
 ifeq "$(CLANG)" "1"
-CC       = $(CCCLANG)
+CC       = clang
 CFLAGS  += -fsanitize=memory
 LDFLAGS += -fsanitize=memory
+
+# can be set in call to make, e.g. "make CLANG=1 MSAN_TRACK_ORIGINS=1"
+ifeq "$(MSAN_TRACK_ORIGINS)" "1"
+CFLAGS  += -fsanitize-memory-track-origins
+LDFLAGS += -fsanitize-memory-track-origins
+endif
+
 endif
 ifeq "$(CLANG)" "2"
-CC       = $(CCCLANG)
+CC       = clang
 CFLAGS  += -fsanitize=address
 LDFLAGS += -fsanitize=address
 endif
 ifeq "$(CLANG)" "3"
-CC       = $(CCCLANG) 
+CC       = clang
 # NOTE: keep in sync with list in CMakeLists.txt
 usan_checks = undefined,float-divide-by-zero,implicit-conversion,local-bounds
 CFLAGS  += -fsanitize=$(usan_checks)
@@ -114,7 +125,8 @@ CFLAGS   += -g3
 LDFLAGS  += -g3
 endif
 
-ifeq "$(GCOV)" "1"
+ifeq "$(COVERAGE)" "1"
+CC       = gcc
 CFLAGS  += -fprofile-arcs -ftest-coverage -fprofile-update=atomic
 LDFLAGS += -fprofile-arcs -ftest-coverage -fprofile-update=atomic
 endif