diff --git a/include/sparrow/dictionary_encoded_layout.hpp b/include/sparrow/dictionary_encoded_layout.hpp
index 1f754427..91db85fe 100644
--- a/include/sparrow/dictionary_encoded_layout.hpp
+++ b/include/sparrow/dictionary_encoded_layout.hpp
@@ -53,6 +53,9 @@ namespace sparrow
         using sub_layout = mpl::constify_t<SL, is_const>;
         using sub_layout_reference = sub_layout&;
         
+        // `dictionary_value_iterator` needs to be default constructible
+        // to satisfy `dictionary_encoded_layout::const_value_range`'s
+        // constraints.
         dictionary_value_iterator() noexcept = default;
         dictionary_value_iterator(index_iterator index_it, sub_layout_reference sub_layout_reference);
 
@@ -114,7 +117,7 @@ namespace sparrow
         using const_reference = const_reference_proxy<SL>;
         using size_type = std::size_t;
         using indexes_layout = fixed_size_layout<IT>;
-        using iterator_tag = std::contiguous_iterator_tag;
+        using iterator_tag = std::random_access_iterator_tag;
 
         /**
          * These types have to be public to be accessible when
@@ -129,6 +132,8 @@ namespace sparrow
         using data_iterator = data_type*;
         using const_data_iterator = const data_type*;
 
+        // TODO: implement the iterator once #35 is merged
+        // using iterator = layout_iterator<self_type, false>;
         using const_iterator = layout_iterator<self_type, true>;
 
         using bitmap_iterator = indexes_layout::bitmap_iterator;
diff --git a/test/CMakeLists.txt b/test/CMakeLists.txt
index c7b7caca..0a196bf6 100644
--- a/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ set(SPARROW_TESTS_SOURCES
     test_layout.cpp
     test_variable_size_binary_layout.cpp
     test_dictionary_encoded_layout.cpp
+    test_memory.cpp
 )
 set(test_target "test_sparrow_lib")
 add_executable(${test_target} ${SPARROW_TESTS_SOURCES})
diff --git a/test/test_dictionary_encoded_layout.cpp b/test/test_dictionary_encoded_layout.cpp
index c420a9d8..f8126300 100644
--- a/test/test_dictionary_encoded_layout.cpp
+++ b/test/test_dictionary_encoded_layout.cpp
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 
 using data_type_t = uint8_t;
 constexpr size_t element_count = 10;
-static const std::array<data_type_t, element_count> indexes {1,0,3, 0,1,2,3, 2, 4,2};
+static const std::array<data_type_t, element_count> indexes {1, 0,3, 0, 1, 2, 3, 2, 4, 2};
 
 namespace sparrow
 {
@@ -92,13 +92,10 @@ namespace sparrow
 
         TEST_CASE_FIXTURE(dictionary_encoded_fixture, "constructors")
         {
-            CHECK(m_data.dictionary.use_count() == 1);
             CHECK(m_data.buffers.size() == 1);
             const layout_type l_copy(m_data);
-            CHECK(m_data.dictionary.use_count() == 2);
             CHECK(m_data.buffers.size() == 1);
             const layout_type l_move(std::move(m_data));
-            CHECK(m_data.dictionary.use_count() == 0);
             CHECK(m_data.buffers.size() == 0);
         }