diff --git a/include/string_span.h b/include/string_span.h
index feb5ac6..23158ed 100644
--- a/include/string_span.h
+++ b/include/string_span.h
@@ -87,64 +87,70 @@ using wzstring = wchar_t*;
 //
 // Will fail-fast if sentinel cannot be found before max elements are examined.
 //
-template<typename T, const T Sentinel>
-span<T, dynamic_range> ensure_sentinel(T* seq, std::ptrdiff_t max = PTRDIFF_MAX)
+template <typename T, T Sentinel>
+span<T, dynamic_range> ensure_sentinel(T const* const seq, ptrdiff_t const max = PTRDIFF_MAX)
 {
-    auto cur = seq;
-    while ((cur - seq) < max && *cur != Sentinel) ++cur;
-    Ensures(*cur == Sentinel);
-    return{ seq, cur - seq };
+    auto const it = std::find(seq, seq + max, Sentinal);
+    Ensures(*it == Sentinel);
+    return{ seq, it - seq };
 }
 
-
-//
-// ensure_z - creates a span for a czstring or cwzstring.
-// Will fail fast if a null-terminator cannot be found before
-// the limit of size_type.
-//
-template<typename T>
-inline span<T, dynamic_range> ensure_z(T* const & sz, std::ptrdiff_t max = PTRDIFF_MAX)
+namespace details
 {
-    return ensure_sentinel<T, 0>(sz, max);
+    inline ptrdiff_t length_func(char const* const sz, ptrdiff_t const len) noexcept
+    {
+        return narrow_cast<ptrdiff_t>(strnlen(sz, narrow_cast<size_t>(len)));
+    }
+
+    inline ptrdiff_t length_func(wchar_t const* const sz, ptrdiff_t const len) noexcept
+    {
+        return narrow_cast<ptrdiff_t>(wcsnlen(sz, narrow_cast<size_t>(len)));
+    }
+
+    template <typename T, typename U = std::remove_cv_t<T>>
+    using is_char_t = std::bool_constant<
+        std::is_same<char, U>::value || std::is_same<wchar_t, U>::value>;
+
+    template <typename T, typename U = std::remove_pointer_t<T>>
+    inline span<U> ensure_z(T const sz, ptrdiff_t const max, std::true_type)
+    {
+        auto const len = length_func(sz, max);
+        Ensures(sz[len] == 0);
+        return{ sz, narrow_cast<ptrdiff_t>(len) };
+    }
+
+    //
+    // ensure_z - creates a span for a czstring or cwzstring.
+    // Will fail fast if a null-terminator cannot be found before
+    // the limit of size_type.
+    //
+    template <typename T, typename U = std::remove_pointer_t<T>>
+    inline span<U> ensure_z(T const sz, ptrdiff_t const max, std::false_type)
+    {
+        return ensure_sentinel<T, 0>(sz, max);
+    }
 }
 
-// TODO (neilmac) there is probably a better template-magic way to get the const and non-const overloads to share an implementation
-inline span<char, dynamic_range> ensure_z(char* const& sz, std::ptrdiff_t max)
+template <typename T>
+inline span<T> ensure_z(T* const& sz, ptrdiff_t const max = PTRDIFF_MAX)
 {
-    auto len = strnlen(sz, narrow_cast<size_t>(max));
-    Ensures(sz[len] == 0);
-    return{ sz, static_cast<std::ptrdiff_t>(len) };
+    return details::ensure_z(sz, max, details::is_char_t<T> {});
 }
 
-inline span<const char, dynamic_range> ensure_z(const char* const& sz, std::ptrdiff_t max)
+template <typename T, size_t N>
+inline span<T> ensure_z(T (&sz)[N])
 {
-    auto len = strnlen(sz, narrow_cast<size_t>(max));
-    Ensures(sz[len] == 0);
-    return{ sz, static_cast<std::ptrdiff_t>(len) };
+    return details::ensure_z(sz, narrow_cast<ptrdiff_t>(N), details::is_char_t<T> {});
 }
 
-inline span<wchar_t, dynamic_range> ensure_z(wchar_t* const& sz, std::ptrdiff_t max)
+template <typename Cont>
+inline auto ensure_z(Cont& cont) -> span<std::remove_pointer_t<decltype(cont.data())>>
 {
-    auto len = wcsnlen(sz, narrow_cast<size_t>(max));
-    Ensures(sz[len] == 0);
-    return{ sz, static_cast<std::ptrdiff_t>(len) };
+    return ensure_z(cont.data(), static_cast<ptrdiff_t>(cont.size()));
 }
 
-inline span<const wchar_t, dynamic_range> ensure_z(const wchar_t* const& sz, std::ptrdiff_t max)
-{
-    auto len = wcsnlen(sz, narrow_cast<size_t>(max));
-    Ensures(sz[len] == 0);
-    return{ sz, static_cast<std::ptrdiff_t>(len) };
-}
-
-template<typename T, size_t N>
-span<T, dynamic_range> ensure_z(T(&sz)[N]) { return ensure_z(&sz[0], static_cast<std::ptrdiff_t>(N)); }
-
-template<class Cont>
-span<typename std::remove_pointer<typename Cont::pointer>::type, dynamic_range> ensure_z(Cont& cont)
-{
-    return ensure_z(cont.data(), static_cast<std::ptrdiff_t>(cont.length()));
-}
+template <typename Cont, typename T = typename Cont::value_type>
+span<T> ensure_z(Cont&& cont) = delete;
 
 template<typename CharT, std::ptrdiff_t>
 class basic_string_span;
@@ -162,46 +168,6 @@ namespace details
     template <typename T>
     struct is_basic_string_span : is_basic_string_span_oracle<std::remove_cv_t<T>>
     {};
-
-    template <typename T>
-    struct length_func
-    {};
-
-    template <>
-    struct length_func<char>
-    {
-        std::ptrdiff_t operator()(char* const ptr, std::ptrdiff_t length) noexcept
-        {
-            return narrow_cast<std::ptrdiff_t>(strnlen(ptr, narrow_cast<size_t>(length)));
-        }
-    };
-
-    template <>
-    struct length_func<wchar_t>
-    {
-        std::ptrdiff_t operator()(wchar_t* const ptr, std::ptrdiff_t length) noexcept
-        {
-            return narrow_cast<std::ptrdiff_t>(wcsnlen(ptr, narrow_cast<size_t>(length)));
-        }
-    };
-
-    template <>
-    struct length_func<const char>
-    {
-        std::ptrdiff_t operator()(const char* const ptr, std::ptrdiff_t length) noexcept
-        {
-            return narrow_cast<std::ptrdiff_t>(strnlen(ptr, narrow_cast<size_t>(length)));
-        }
-    };
-
-    template <>
-    struct length_func<const wchar_t>
-    {
-        std::ptrdiff_t operator()(const wchar_t* const ptr, std::ptrdiff_t length) noexcept
-        {
-            return narrow_cast<std::ptrdiff_t>(wcsnlen(ptr, narrow_cast<size_t>(length)));
-        }
-    };
 }
 
 
@@ -431,7 +397,7 @@ private:
 
     static impl_type remove_z(pointer const& sz, std::ptrdiff_t max) noexcept
     {
-        return{ sz, details::length_func<value_type>()(sz, max)};
+        return{ sz, details::length_func(sz, max)};
     }
 
     template<size_t N>
@@ -550,7 +516,7 @@ bool operator==(const T& one, gsl::basic_string_span<CharT, Extent> other) noexc
     return std::equal(tmp.begin(), tmp.end(), other.begin(), other.end());
 }
 
-#ifndef _MSC_VER 
+#ifndef _MSC_VER
 
 // VS treats temp and const containers as convertible to basic_string_span,
 // so the cases below are already covered by the previous operators
@@ -604,7 +570,7 @@ bool operator!=(const T& one, gsl::basic_string_span<CharT, Extent> other) noexc
     return !(one == other);
 }
 
-#ifndef _MSC_VER 
+#ifndef _MSC_VER
 
 // VS treats temp and const containers as convertible to basic_string_span,
 // so the cases below are already covered by the previous operators
@@ -658,7 +624,7 @@ bool operator<(const T& one, gsl::basic_string_span<CharT, Extent> other) noexce
     return std::lexicographical_compare(tmp.begin(), tmp.end(), other.begin(), other.end());
 }
 
-#ifndef _MSC_VER 
+#ifndef _MSC_VER
 
 // VS treats temp and const containers as convertible to basic_string_span,
 // so the cases below are already covered by the previous operators
@@ -712,7 +678,7 @@ bool operator<=(const T& one, gsl::basic_string_span<CharT, Extent> other) noexc
     return !(other < one);
 }
 
-#ifndef _MSC_VER 
+#ifndef _MSC_VER
 
 // VS treats temp and const containers as convertible to basic_string_span,
 // so the cases below are already covered by the previous operators
@@ -764,7 +730,7 @@ bool operator>(const T& one, gsl::basic_string_span<CharT, Extent> other) noexce
     return other < one;
 }
 
-#ifndef _MSC_VER 
+#ifndef _MSC_VER
 
 // VS treats temp and const containers as convertible to basic_string_span,
 // so the cases below are already covered by the previous operators
@@ -816,7 +782,7 @@ bool operator>=(const T& one, gsl::basic_string_span<CharT, Extent> other) noexc
     return !(one < other);
 }
 
-#ifndef _MSC_VER 
+#ifndef _MSC_VER
 
 // VS treats temp and const containers as convertible to basic_string_span,
 // so the cases below are already covered by the previous operators
diff --git a/tests/string_span_tests.cpp b/tests/string_span_tests.cpp
index 18fda26..ee1b81f 100644
--- a/tests/string_span_tests.cpp
+++ b/tests/string_span_tests.cpp
@@ -40,15 +40,39 @@ SUITE(string_span_tests)
     TEST(TestConstructFromStdString)
     {
         std::string s = "Hello there world";
+        auto const len = static_cast<cstring_span<>::size_type>(s.length());
+
         cstring_span<> v = s;
-        CHECK(v.length() == static_cast<cstring_span<>::size_type>(s.length()));
+        CHECK(v.length() == len);
+
+        s.back() = 0;
+        v = ensure_z(s);
+        CHECK(v.length() == len - 1);
     }
 
     TEST(TestConstructFromStdVector)
     {
         std::vector<char> vec(5, 'h');
+        auto const size = static_cast<cstring_span<>::size_type>(vec.size());
+
         string_span<> v = vec;
-        CHECK(v.length() == static_cast<string_span<>::size_type>(vec.size()));
+        CHECK(v.length() == size);
+
+        vec.back() = 0;
+        v = ensure_z(vec);
+        CHECK(v.length() == size - 1);
+    }
+
+    TEST(TestConstructFromStdArray)
+    {
+        std::array<char, 5> arr {"1234"};
+        auto const size = static_cast<cstring_span<>::size_type>(arr.size());
+
+        string_span<> v = arr;
+        CHECK(v.length() == 5);
+
+        v = ensure_z(arr);
+        CHECK(v.length() == 4);
     }
 
     TEST(TestStackArrayConstruction)
@@ -264,7 +288,7 @@ SUITE(string_span_tests)
             string_span<> _span{ _ptr, 5 };
 
             // non-const span, non-const other type
-            
+
             CHECK(_span == _ar);
             CHECK(_span == _ar1);
             CHECK(_span == _ar2);