diff --git a/include/gsl/span b/include/gsl/span
index bc278a9..cbc060e 100644
--- a/include/gsl/span
+++ b/include/gsl/span
@@ -420,18 +420,18 @@ public:
     constexpr span() noexcept : storage_(nullptr, details::extent_type<0>())
     {}
 
-     template<std::size_t extent = Extent, std::enable_if_t<extent != gsl::dynamic_extent, int> = 0>
-    constexpr span(pointer ptr, size_type count) noexcept : storage_(ptr, count)
+    template<std::size_t extent = Extent, std::enable_if_t<extent != gsl::dynamic_extent, int> = 0>
+    constexpr explicit span(pointer ptr, size_type count) noexcept : storage_(ptr, count)
     {
         Expects(count == Extent);
     }
 
-     template<std::size_t extent = Extent, std::enable_if_t<extent == gsl::dynamic_extent, int> = 0>
-    constexpr explicit span(pointer ptr, size_type count) noexcept : storage_(ptr, count)
+    template<std::size_t extent = Extent, std::enable_if_t<extent == gsl::dynamic_extent, int> = 0>
+    constexpr span(pointer ptr, size_type count) noexcept : storage_(ptr, count)
     {}
 
     template<std::size_t extent = Extent, std::enable_if_t<extent != gsl::dynamic_extent, int> = 0>
-    constexpr span(pointer firstElem, pointer lastElem) noexcept
+    constexpr explicit span(pointer firstElem, pointer lastElem) noexcept
         : storage_(firstElem, static_cast<std::size_t>(lastElem - firstElem))
     {
         Expects(lastElem - firstElem == static_cast<difference_type>(Extent));
@@ -519,7 +519,7 @@ public:
     constexpr span<element_type, Count> first() const noexcept
     {
         Expects(Count <= size());
-        return {data(), Count};
+        return span<element_type, Count>(data(), Count);
     }
 
     template <std::size_t Count>
@@ -529,7 +529,7 @@ public:
         constexpr span<element_type, Count> last() const noexcept
     {
         Expects(Count <= size());
-        return {data() + (size() - Count), Count};
+        return span<element_type, Count>(data() + (size() - Count), Count);
     }
 
     template <std::size_t Offset, std::size_t Count = dynamic_extent>
@@ -547,7 +547,7 @@ public:
     constexpr span<element_type, dynamic_extent> first(size_type count) const noexcept
     {
         Expects(count <= size());
-        return span<element_type>(data(), count);
+        return {data(), count};
     }
 
     constexpr span<element_type, dynamic_extent> last(size_type count) const noexcept
diff --git a/include/gsl/string_span b/include/gsl/string_span
index 405eca3..17df7fb 100644
--- a/include/gsl/string_span
+++ b/include/gsl/string_span
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ span<T, dynamic_extent> ensure_sentinel(T* seq,
     GSL_SUPPRESS(bounds.1) // NO-FORMAT: attribute // TODO: suppress does not work
     while (static_cast<std::size_t>(cur - seq) < max && *cur != Sentinel) ++cur;
     Ensures(*cur == Sentinel);
-    return span<T>(seq, static_cast<std::size_t>(cur - seq));
+    return {seq, static_cast<std::size_t>(cur - seq)};
 }
 
 //
diff --git a/tests/span_ext_tests.cpp b/tests/span_ext_tests.cpp
index 726d38f..d413e03 100644
--- a/tests/span_ext_tests.cpp
+++ b/tests/span_ext_tests.cpp
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ TEST(span_ext_test, make_span_from_array_constructor)
      {
          int arr[] = {1, 2, 3};
 
-         span<int> s1 = span<int>(&arr[0], 2); // shorter
+         span<int> s1 = {&arr[0], 2}; // shorter
          span<int> s2 = arr;          // longer
 
          EXPECT_TRUE(s1 != s2);
diff --git a/tests/span_tests.cpp b/tests/span_tests.cpp
index a3da486..ae4503e 100644
--- a/tests/span_tests.cpp
+++ b/tests/span_tests.cpp
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ TEST(span_test, from_pointer_length_constructor)
         for (int i = 0; i < 4; ++i)
         {
             {
-                span<int> s = span<int>(&arr[0], narrow_cast<std::size_t>(i));
+                span<int> s = {&arr[0], narrow_cast<std::size_t>(i)};
                 EXPECT_TRUE(s.size() == narrow_cast<std::size_t>(i));
                 EXPECT_TRUE(s.data() == &arr[0]);
                 EXPECT_TRUE(s.empty() == (i == 0));
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ TEST(span_test, from_pointer_length_constructor)
                     EXPECT_TRUE(arr[j] == s[narrow_cast<std::size_t>(j)]);
             }
             {
-                span<int> s = span<int>(&arr[i], 4 - narrow_cast<std::size_t>(i));
+                span<int> s = {&arr[i], 4 - narrow_cast<std::size_t>(i)};
                 EXPECT_TRUE(s.size() == 4 - narrow_cast<std::size_t>(i));
                 EXPECT_TRUE(s.data() == &arr[i]);
                 EXPECT_TRUE(s.empty() == ((4 - i) == 0));
@@ -678,7 +678,7 @@ TEST(span_test, from_array_constructor)
      s2 = s1;
      EXPECT_TRUE(s2.empty());
 
-     auto get_temp_span = [&]() -> span<int> { return span<int>(&arr[1], 2); };
+     auto get_temp_span = [&]() -> span<int> { return {&arr[1], 2}; };
      auto use_span = [&](span<const int> s) {
          EXPECT_TRUE(s.size() ==  2);
          EXPECT_TRUE(s.data() == &arr[1]);
@@ -1144,7 +1144,7 @@ TEST(span_test, from_array_constructor)
 
      // you can convert statically
      {
-         const span<int, 2> s2 = {&arr[0], 2};
+         const span<int, 2> s2(&arr[0], 2);
          static_cast<void>(s2);
      }
      {
@@ -1180,7 +1180,7 @@ TEST(span_test, from_array_constructor)
  #endif
      {
          auto f = [&]() {
-             const span<int, 4> _s4 = {arr2, 2};
+             const span<int, 4> _s4(arr2, 2);
              static_cast<void>(_s4);
          };
          EXPECT_DEATH(f(), deathstring);
diff --git a/tests/string_span_tests.cpp b/tests/string_span_tests.cpp
index 09e475e..86cf28e 100644
--- a/tests/string_span_tests.cpp
+++ b/tests/string_span_tests.cpp
@@ -128,7 +128,6 @@ cu16zstring_span<> CreateTempNameU16(u16string_span<> span)
     span[last] = u'\0';
 
     auto ret = span.subspan(0, 4);
-    // return cu16zstring_span<>(ret);
     return {ret};
 }
 
@@ -961,7 +960,7 @@ TEST(string_span_tests, zstring)
         char buf[1];
         buf[0] = '\0';
 
-        zstring_span<> zspan(span<char>(buf, 1));
+        zstring_span<> zspan({buf, 1});
 
         EXPECT_TRUE(generic::strlen(zspan.assume_z()) == 0);
         EXPECT_TRUE(zspan.as_string_span().size() == 0);
@@ -973,7 +972,7 @@ TEST(string_span_tests, zstring)
         char buf[1];
         buf[0] = 'a';
 
-        auto workaround_macro = [&]() { const zstring_span<> zspan(span<char>(buf, 1)); };
+        auto workaround_macro = [&]() { const zstring_span<> zspan({buf, 1}); };
         EXPECT_DEATH(workaround_macro(), deathstring);
     }
 
@@ -1002,7 +1001,7 @@ TEST(string_span_tests, wzstring)
         wchar_t buf[1];
         buf[0] = L'\0';
 
-        wzstring_span<> zspan(span<wchar_t>(buf, 1));
+        wzstring_span<> zspan({buf, 1});
 
         EXPECT_TRUE(generic::strnlen(zspan.assume_z(), 1) == 0);
         EXPECT_TRUE(zspan.as_string_span().size() == 0);
@@ -1014,7 +1013,7 @@ TEST(string_span_tests, wzstring)
         wchar_t buf[1];
         buf[0] = L'a';
 
-        const auto workaround_macro = [&]() { const wzstring_span<> zspan(span<wchar_t>(buf, 1)); };
+        const auto workaround_macro = [&]() { const wzstring_span<> zspan({buf, 1}); };
         EXPECT_DEATH(workaround_macro(), deathstring);
     }
 
@@ -1043,7 +1042,7 @@ TEST(string_span_tests, u16zstring)
         char16_t buf[1];
         buf[0] = L'\0';
 
-        u16zstring_span<> zspan(span<char16_t>(buf, 1));
+        u16zstring_span<> zspan({buf, 1});
 
         EXPECT_TRUE(generic::strnlen(zspan.assume_z(), 1) == 0);
         EXPECT_TRUE(zspan.as_string_span().size() == 0);
@@ -1055,7 +1054,7 @@ TEST(string_span_tests, u16zstring)
         char16_t buf[1];
         buf[0] = u'a';
 
-        const auto workaround_macro = [&]() { const u16zstring_span<> zspan(span<char16_t>(buf, 1)); };
+        const auto workaround_macro = [&]() { const u16zstring_span<> zspan({buf, 1}); };
         EXPECT_DEATH(workaround_macro(), deathstring);
     }
 
@@ -1084,7 +1083,7 @@ TEST(string_span_tests, u32zstring)
         char32_t buf[1];
         buf[0] = L'\0';
 
-        u32zstring_span<> zspan(span<char32_t>(buf, 1));
+        u32zstring_span<> zspan({buf, 1});
 
         EXPECT_TRUE(generic::strnlen(zspan.assume_z(), 1) == 0);
         EXPECT_TRUE(zspan.as_string_span().size() == 0);
@@ -1096,7 +1095,7 @@ TEST(string_span_tests, u32zstring)
         char32_t buf[1];
         buf[0] = u'a';
 
-        const auto workaround_macro = [&]() { const u32zstring_span<> zspan(span<char32_t>(buf, 1)); };
+        const auto workaround_macro = [&]() { const u32zstring_span<> zspan({buf, 1}); };
         EXPECT_DEATH(workaround_macro(), deathstring);
     }