diff --git a/theta/include/bit_packing.hpp b/theta/include/bit_packing.hpp
index 284239f5..4298a0cd 100644
--- a/theta/include/bit_packing.hpp
+++ b/theta/include/bit_packing.hpp
@@ -6201,7 +6201,7 @@ static inline void pack_bits_block8(const uint64_t* values, uint8_t* ptr, uint8_
     case 61: pack_bits_61(values, ptr); break;
     case 62: pack_bits_62(values, ptr); break;
     case 63: pack_bits_63(values, ptr); break;
-    default: throw std::logic_error("wrong number of bits " + std::to_string(bits));
+    default: throw std::logic_error("wrong number of bits in pack_bits_block8: " + std::to_string(bits));
   }
 }
 
@@ -6270,7 +6270,7 @@ static inline void unpack_bits_block8(uint64_t* values, const uint8_t* ptr, uint
     case 61: unpack_bits_61(values, ptr); break;
     case 62: unpack_bits_62(values, ptr); break;
     case 63: unpack_bits_63(values, ptr); break;
-    default: throw std::logic_error("wrong number of bits " + std::to_string(bits));
+    default: throw std::logic_error("wrong number of bits in unpack_bits_block8: " + std::to_string(bits));
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/theta/test/bit_packing_test.cpp b/theta/test/bit_packing_test.cpp
index bc9e08f5..b39f8996 100644
--- a/theta/test/bit_packing_test.cpp
+++ b/theta/test/bit_packing_test.cpp
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ static const uint64_t IGOLDEN64 = 0x9e3779b97f4a7c13ULL;
 
 TEST_CASE("pack unpack bits") {
   uint64_t value = 0xaa55aa55aa55aa55ULL; // arbitrary starting value
-  for (int m = 0; m < 100; ++m) {
+  for (int m = 0; m < 10000; ++m) {
     for (uint8_t bits = 1; bits <= 63; ++bits) {
       int n = 8;
       const uint64_t mask = (1ULL << bits) - 1;
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ TEST_CASE("pack unpack bits") {
 
 TEST_CASE("pack unpack blocks") {
   uint64_t value = 0xaa55aa55aa55aa55ULL; // arbitrary starting value
-  for (int n = 0; n < 100; ++n) {
+  for (int n = 0; n < 10000; ++n) {
     for (uint8_t bits = 1; bits <= 63; ++bits) {
       const uint64_t mask = (1ULL << bits) - 1;
       std::vector<uint64_t> input(8, 0);