diff --git a/cmake/enable_sdks.cmake b/cmake/enable_sdks.cmake
index cbf83f5d..2640b771 100644
--- a/cmake/enable_sdks.cmake
+++ b/cmake/enable_sdks.cmake
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 # make CPM available
 include(cmake/CPM.cmake)
 
+
 if (${CLAP_WRAPPER_DOWNLOAD_DEPENDENCIES})
 	message(STATUS "clap-wrapper: Downloading dependencies using CPM")
 
@@ -247,6 +248,34 @@ if (APPLE)
 	endif()
 endif()
 
+
+add_library(clap-wrapper-compile-options INTERFACE)
+add_library(clap-wrapper-sanitizer-options INTERFACE)
+
+target_compile_options(clap-wrapper-compile-options INTERFACE -D${CLAP_WRAPPER_PLATFORM}=1)
+if (APPLE)
+	target_link_libraries(clap-wrapper-compile-options INTERFACE macos_filesystem_support)
+endif()
+if(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "Clang|GNU")
+	target_compile_options(clap-wrapper-compile-options INTERFACE -Wall -Wextra -Wno-unused-parameter -Wpedantic -Werror)
+	if (${CLAP_WRAPPER_ENABLE_SANITIZER})
+		message(STATUS "clap-wrapper: enabling sanitizer build")
+
+		target_compile_options(clap-wrapper-sanitizer-options INTERFACE
+				-fsanitize=address,undefined,float-divide-by-zero
+				-fsanitize-address-use-after-return=always
+				-fsanitize-address-use-after-scope
+				)
+		target_link_options(clap-wrapper-sanitizer-options INTERFACE
+				-fsanitize=address,undefined,float-divide-by-zero
+				-fsanitize-address-use-after-return=always
+				-fsanitize-address-use-after-scope
+				)
+		target_link_libraries(clap-wrapper-compile-options INTERFACE clap-wrapper-sanitizer-options)
+	endif()
+endif()
+
+
 # define libraries
 function(target_add_vst3_wrapper)
 	set(oneValueArgs
@@ -291,6 +320,7 @@ function(target_add_vst3_wrapper)
 		add_library(base-sdk-vst3 STATIC ${vst3sources})
 		target_include_directories(base-sdk-vst3 PUBLIC ${VST3_SDK_ROOT} ${VST3_SDK_ROOT}/public.sdk ${VST3_SDK_ROOT}/pluginterfaces)
 		target_compile_options(base-sdk-vst3 PUBLIC $<IF:$<CONFIG:Debug>,-DDEVELOPMENT=1,-DRELEASE=1>) # work through steinbergs alternate choices for these
+		target_link_libraries(base-sdk-vst3 PUBLIC clap-wrapper-sanitizer-options)
 		# The VST3SDK uses sprintf, not snprintf, which macOS flags as deprecated
 		# to move people to snprintf. Silence that warning on the VST3 build
 		if (APPLE)
@@ -322,19 +352,11 @@ function(target_add_vst3_wrapper)
 		target_link_libraries(${V3_TARGET}-clap-wrapper-vst3-lib PUBLIC clap base-sdk-vst3)
 
 		# clap-wrapper-extensions are PUBLIC, so a clap linking the library can access the clap-wrapper-extensions
-		target_compile_definitions(${V3_TARGET}-clap-wrapper-vst3-lib PUBLIC -D${CLAP_WRAPPER_PLATFORM}=1)
-		target_link_libraries(${V3_TARGET}-clap-wrapper-vst3-lib PUBLIC clap-wrapper-extensions clap-wrapper-shared-detail)
+		target_link_libraries(${V3_TARGET}-clap-wrapper-vst3-lib PUBLIC clap-wrapper-extensions clap-wrapper-compile-options clap-wrapper-shared-detail)
 
 		target_compile_options(${V3_TARGET}-clap-wrapper-vst3-lib PRIVATE
 				-DCLAP_SUPPORTS_ALL_NOTE_EXPRESSIONS=$<IF:$<BOOL:${V3_SUPPORTS_ALL_NOTE_EXPRESSIONS}>,1,0>
 				)
-
-		if(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "Clang|GNU")
-			target_compile_options(${V3_TARGET}-clap-wrapper-vst3-lib PRIVATE -Wall -Wextra -Wno-unused-parameter -Wpedantic -Werror)
-		endif()
-		if (APPLE)
-			target_link_libraries(${V3_TARGET}-clap-wrapper-vst3-lib PUBLIC macos_filesystem_support)
-		endif()
 	endif()
 
 
@@ -588,8 +610,7 @@ if (APPLE)
 				target_link_libraries(${AUV2_TARGET}-clap-wrapper-auv2-lib INTERFACE clap base-sdk-auv2)
 
 				# clap-wrapper-extensions are PUBLIC, so a clap linking the library can access the clap-wrapper-extensions
-				target_compile_definitions(${AUV2_TARGET}-clap-wrapper-auv2-lib INTERFACE -D${CLAP_WRAPPER_PLATFORM}=1)
-				target_link_libraries(${AUV2_TARGET}-clap-wrapper-auv2-lib INTERFACE clap-wrapper-extensions clap-wrapper-shared-detail macos_filesystem_support)
+				target_link_libraries(${AUV2_TARGET}-clap-wrapper-auv2-lib INTERFACE clap-wrapper-extensions clap-wrapper-shared-detail clap-wrapper-compile-options)
 
 			endif()
 
@@ -653,15 +674,10 @@ add_library(clap-wrapper-shared-detail STATIC
 		src/detail/clap/fsutil.cpp
 		src/detail/clap/automation.h
 		)
-target_compile_options(clap-wrapper-shared-detail PUBLIC -D${CLAP_WRAPPER_PLATFORM}=1)
-target_link_libraries(clap-wrapper-shared-detail PUBLIC clap clap-wrapper-extensions)
+target_link_libraries(clap-wrapper-shared-detail PUBLIC clap clap-wrapper-extensions clap-wrapper-compile-options)
 target_include_directories(clap-wrapper-shared-detail PUBLIC libs/fmt)
 target_include_directories(clap-wrapper-shared-detail PUBLIC src)
 
-if(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "Clang|GNU")
-	target_compile_options(clap-wrapper-shared-detail PRIVATE -Wall -Wextra -Wno-unused-parameter -Wpedantic -Werror)
-endif()
-
 
 if (APPLE)
 	target_sources(clap-wrapper-shared-detail PRIVATE
diff --git a/src/detail/auv2/auv2_shared.h b/src/detail/auv2/auv2_shared.h
index 99ce22df..b3f445c9 100644
--- a/src/detail/auv2/auv2_shared.h
+++ b/src/detail/auv2/auv2_shared.h
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ struct ClapBridge
 
     if (_clapid.empty())
     {
-      if (_idx < 0 || _idx >= _library.plugins.size())
+      if (_idx < 0 || _idx >= (int)_library.plugins.size())
       {
         std::cout << "[ERROR] cannot load by index" << std::endl;
         return;
diff --git a/src/detail/auv2/build-helper/build-helper.cpp b/src/detail/auv2/build-helper/build-helper.cpp
index 06b59521..97594ded 100644
--- a/src/detail/auv2/build-helper/build-helper.cpp
+++ b/src/detail/auv2/build-helper/build-helper.cpp
@@ -132,13 +132,16 @@ bool buildUnitsFromClap(const std::string &clapfile, const std::string &clapname
       clap_plugin_info_as_auv2_t v2inf;
       auto res =
           loader._pluginFactoryAUv2Info->get_auv2_info(loader._pluginFactoryAUv2Info, idx, &v2inf);
-      if (v2inf.au_type[0] != 0)
+      if (res)
       {
-        u.type = v2inf.au_type;
-      }
-      if (v2inf.au_subt[0] != 0)
-      {
-        u.subt = v2inf.au_subt;
+        if (v2inf.au_type[0] != 0)
+        {
+          u.type = v2inf.au_type;
+        }
+        if (v2inf.au_subt[0] != 0)
+        {
+          u.subt = v2inf.au_subt;
+        }
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/detail/vst3/os/osutil.h b/src/detail/vst3/os/osutil.h
index c1d2572b..30d9dea0 100644
--- a/src/detail/vst3/os/osutil.h
+++ b/src/detail/vst3/os/osutil.h
@@ -7,12 +7,54 @@
 
 #include <atomic>
 #include <string>
+#include <functional>
 #define FMT_HEADER_ONLY 1
 #include "fmt/format.h"
 #include "fmt/ranges.h"
 
 namespace os
 {
+
+class State
+{
+  // the State class ensures that a specific function pair (like init/terminate) is only called in pairs.
+  // the bool _state reflects if the _on lambda has already been called
+  // on destruction, it makes sure that the _off lambda is definitely called.
+  //
+  // the construct should only be applied to when no state machine can cover this properly
+  // or your own code depends on correct calling sequences of an external code base and should
+  // help to implement defensive programming.
+
+ public:
+  State(std::function<void()> on, std::function<void()> off) : _on(on), _off(off)
+  {
+  }
+  ~State()
+  {
+    off();
+  }
+  void on()
+  {
+    if (!_state)
+    {
+      _on();
+    }
+    _state = true;
+  }
+  void off()
+  {
+    if (_state)
+    {
+      _off();
+    }
+    _state = false;
+  }
+
+ private:
+  bool _state = false;
+  std::function<void()> _on, _off;
+};
+
 class IPlugObject
 {
  public:
@@ -90,4 +132,4 @@ class fixedqueue
   std::atomic_uint32_t _head = 0u;
   std::atomic_uint32_t _tail = 0u;
 };
-};  // namespace util
\ No newline at end of file
+};  // namespace util
diff --git a/src/wrapasvst3.cpp b/src/wrapasvst3.cpp
index 2e081662..97a8204e 100644
--- a/src/wrapasvst3.cpp
+++ b/src/wrapasvst3.cpp
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ tresult PLUGIN_API ClapAsVst3::terminate()
 {
   if (_plugin)
   {
+    _os_attached.off();  // ensure we are detached
     _plugin->terminate();
     _plugin.reset();
   }
@@ -87,11 +88,12 @@ tresult PLUGIN_API ClapAsVst3::setActive(TBool state)
         _expressionmap & clap_supported_note_expressions::AS_VST3_NOTE_EXPRESSION_TUNING);
     updateAudioBusses();
 
-    os::attach(this);
+    _os_attached.on();
   }
   if (!state)
   {
-    os::detach(this);
+    _os_attached.off();
+
     if (_active)
     {
       _plugin->deactivate();
@@ -461,7 +463,6 @@ Vst::UnitID ClapAsVst3::getOrCreateUnitInfo(const char* modulename)
     }
     else
     {
-      // the unit needs to be created
       Steinberg::Vst::String128 name;
       std::string u8name(path[i]);
       if (VST3::StringConvert::convert(u8name, name))
@@ -581,10 +582,14 @@ void ClapAsVst3::setupParameters(const clap_plugin_t* plugin, const clap_plugin_
   units.clear();
 
   {
-    Vst::String128 rootname(STR16("root"));
-    Vst::Unit* newunit = new Vst::Unit(rootname, Vst::kNoParentUnitId,
-                                       Vst::kRootUnitId);  // a new unit without a program list
-    addUnit(newunit);
+    Vst::UnitInfo rootInfo;
+    rootInfo.id = Vst::kRootUnitId;
+    rootInfo.parentUnitId = Vst::kNoParentUnitId;
+    rootInfo.programListId = Vst::kNoProgramListId;
+    VST3::StringConvert::convert(std::string("Root"), rootInfo.name);
+
+    auto rootUnit = new Vst::Unit(rootInfo);
+    addUnit(rootUnit);
   }
 
   auto numparams = params->count(plugin);
diff --git a/src/wrapasvst3.h b/src/wrapasvst3.h
index 579bbf33..eca10d7d 100644
--- a/src/wrapasvst3.h
+++ b/src/wrapasvst3.h
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ class ClapAsVst3 : public Steinberg::Vst::SingleComponentEffect,
     , _library(lib)
     , _libraryIndex(number)
     , _creationcontext(context)
+    , _os_attached([this] { os::attach(this); }, [this] { os::detach(this); })
   {
   }
 
@@ -253,6 +254,7 @@ class ClapAsVst3 : public Steinberg::Vst::SingleComponentEffect,
 
   // plugin state
   bool _active = false;
+  os::State _os_attached;
   bool _processing = false;
   std::mutex _processingLock;
   std::atomic_bool _requestedFlush = false;