diff --git a/examples/advanced_usages/overrides.c b/examples/advanced_usages/overrides.c
index cf72b30..00a8acb 100644
--- a/examples/advanced_usages/overrides.c
+++ b/examples/advanced_usages/overrides.c
@@ -1,13 +1,28 @@
 /*
 ** Example: overrides
 **
-** TODO full commentary
+** This example shows using the overrides system in Metadesk to plug in a
+** custom memory allocator and file loading routine. There are more options
+** in the overrides than are presented here. A full list of the overrides
+** options is kept in md.c 'Overrides & Options Macros'
+**
+** A few of the reasons one might want to use the Metadesk overrides are:
+**  1. Plugging in a custom allocator to control the memory allocations
+**  2. Plugging in a custom arena implementation for more seamless 
+**     interoperation between the codebase and library
+**  3. Provide implementation for unsupported OSes without having to modify
+ **     md.h or md.c
+**  4. Remove dependency on CRT
+**  5. Remove dependency on OS headers
 **
 */
 
-
 //~ example allocator /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
+// @notes This isn't really "the example" but we need something to play the
+//  role of a custom allocator, imagine this is any alloc & free style
+//  allocator you might already have in a codebase.
+
 typedef struct ExampleAllocatorNode{
     struct ExampleAllocatorNode *next;
     struct ExampleAllocatorNode *prev;
@@ -25,6 +40,11 @@ void  examp_free(ExampleAllocator *a, void *ptr);
 
 //~ include metadesk header ///////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
+// @notes We include the metadesk header before we define the overrides because
+//  some overrides require that metadesk base types be visible. There are
+//  exceptions to this pattern, in particular overrides for types need to be
+//  defined before including md.h, we aren't going that far here.
+
 #include "md.h"
 
 
@@ -32,6 +52,12 @@ void  examp_free(ExampleAllocator *a, void *ptr);
 
 // override memory to use malloc/free
 
+// @notes A common practice in setting up allocator overrides is to use a pass
+//  through opaque user context pointer. We took a look at that for *long time*
+//  and just really don't like the amount of baggage it adds to the entire API.
+//  Instead we recommend handling the context pointer with a global for single
+//  threaded use cases, or with a pointer in thread local storage for
+//  multi-threaded cases.
 ExampleAllocator* md_example_allocator = 0;
 
 void* md_reserve_by_example_allocator(unsigned long long size);
@@ -40,7 +66,7 @@ void  md_release_by_example_allocator(void *ptr, unsigned long long ignore);
 #define MD_IMPL_Reserve       md_reserve_by_example_allocator
 #define MD_IMPL_Commit(p,z)   (1)
 #define MD_IMPL_Decommit(p,z) ((void)0)
-#define MD_IMPL_Release(p,z)  md_release_by_example_allocator
+#define MD_IMPL_Release       md_release_by_example_allocator
 
 
 // override file loading
diff --git a/source/md.c b/source/md.c
index 6b19270..defa30c 100644
--- a/source/md.c
+++ b/source/md.c
@@ -4,6 +4,11 @@
 ** Overrides & Options Macros
 **
 ** Overridable
+**  "basic types" ** REQUIRED
+**   #define/typedef MD_i8, MD_i16, MD_i32, MD_i64
+**   #define/typedef MD_u8, MD_u16, MD_u32, MD_u64
+**   #define/typedef MD_f32, MD_f64
+**
 **  "memset" ** REQUIRED
 **   #define MD_IMPL_Memset             (void*, int, uint64) -> void*
 **   #define MD_IMPL_Memmove            (void*, void*, uint64) -> void*
@@ -42,6 +47,7 @@
 **
 ** Default Implementation Controls
 **  These controls default to '1' i.e. 'enabled'
+**   #define MD_DEFAULT_BASIC_TYPES -> construct "basic types" from stdint.h header
 **   #define MD_DEFAULT_MEMSET    -> construct "memset" from CRT
 **   #define MD_DEFAULT_FILE_ITER -> construct "file iteration" from OS headers
 **   #define MD_DEFAULT_MEMORY    -> construct "low level memory" from OS headers
diff --git a/source/md.h b/source/md.h
index 5d158d2..970eb32 100644
--- a/source/md.h
+++ b/source/md.h
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@
 #define MD_VERSION_MIN 0
 
 //~ Set default values for controls
+#if !defined(MD_DEFAULT_BASIC_TYPES)
+# define MD_DEFAULT_BASIC_TYPES 1
+#endif
 #if !defined(MD_DEFAULT_MEMSET)
 # define MD_DEFAULT_MEMSET 1
 #endif
@@ -374,9 +377,11 @@
 
 //~ Basic Types
 
-#include <stdint.h>
 #include <stdarg.h>
 
+#if defined(MD_DEFAULT_BASIC_TYPES)
+
+#include <stdint.h>
 typedef int8_t   MD_i8;
 typedef int16_t  MD_i16;
 typedef int32_t  MD_i32;
@@ -385,13 +390,16 @@ typedef uint8_t  MD_u8;
 typedef uint16_t MD_u16;
 typedef uint32_t MD_u32;
 typedef uint64_t MD_u64;
-typedef int8_t   MD_b8;
-typedef int16_t  MD_b16;
-typedef int32_t  MD_b32;
-typedef int64_t  MD_b64;
 typedef float    MD_f32;
 typedef double   MD_f64;
 
+#endif
+
+typedef MD_i8  MD_b8;
+typedef MD_i16 MD_b16;
+typedef MD_i32 MD_b32;
+typedef MD_i64 MD_b64;
+
 //~ Default Arena
 
 #if MD_DEFAULT_ARENA