diff --git a/breaker.go b/breaker.go
index f7f1285..767fadd 100644
--- a/breaker.go
+++ b/breaker.go
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ type EWMABreaker struct {
 // higher sample counts to avoid opening up on small hiccups.
 //
 // The failureThreshold is the failure rate above which the breaker should open (0.0-1.0).
-func NewEWMABreaker(sampleCount int, failureThreshold float64) *EWMABreaker {
+func NewEWMABreaker(sampleCount uint, failureThreshold float64) *EWMABreaker {
 	e := &EWMABreaker{
 		// https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exponential_smoothing
 		decay:     2 / (float64(sampleCount)/2 + 1),
diff --git a/hoglet.go b/hoglet.go
index d1d3c39..856889f 100644
--- a/hoglet.go
+++ b/hoglet.go
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import (
 // Circuit wraps a function and behaves like a simple circuit and breaker: it opens when the wrapped function fails and
 // stops calling the wrapped function until it closes again, returning [ErrCircuitOpen] in the meantime.
 //
-// A zero circuit will not panic, but wraps a noop. Use [NewCircuit] instead.
+// A zero Circuit will panic, analogous to calling a nil function variable. Initialize with [NewCircuit].
 type Circuit[IN, OUT any] struct {
 	f       BreakableFunc[IN, OUT]
 	breaker Breaker
@@ -47,8 +47,8 @@ type Breaker interface {
 // BreakableFunc is the type of the function wrapped by a Breaker.
 type BreakableFunc[IN, OUT any] func(context.Context, IN) (OUT, error)
 
-// NewCircuit instantiates a new circuit breaker that wraps the given function. See [Circuit.Call] for calling semantics.
-// A Circuit with a nil breaker will never open.
+// NewCircuit instantiates a new [Circuit] that wraps the provided function. See [Circuit.Call] for calling semantics.
+// A Circuit with a nil breaker is a noop wrapper around the provided function and will never open.
 func NewCircuit[IN, OUT any](f BreakableFunc[IN, OUT], breaker Breaker, opts ...Option) *Circuit[IN, OUT] {
 	b := &Circuit[IN, OUT]{
 		f:       f,
@@ -126,10 +126,6 @@ func (c *Circuit[IN, OUT]) setOpenedAt(i int64) {
 //
 // Panics are observed as failures, but are not recovered (i.e.: they are "repanicked" instead).
 func (c *Circuit[IN, OUT]) Call(ctx context.Context, in IN) (out OUT, err error) {
-	if c.f == nil {
-		return out, nil
-	}
-
 	obs := c.observerForCall()
 	if obs == nil {
 		return out, ErrCircuitOpen
diff --git a/hoglet_test.go b/hoglet_test.go
index d642e55..72f2d2c 100644
--- a/hoglet_test.go
+++ b/hoglet_test.go
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ func noop(ctx context.Context, in noopIn) (struct{}, error) {
 
 func BenchmarkHoglet_Do_EWMA(b *testing.B) {
 	breaker := NewCircuit(
-		func(context.Context, struct{}) (struct{}, error) { return struct{}{}, nil },
+		func(context.Context, struct{}) (out struct{}, err error) { return },
 		NewEWMABreaker(10, 0.9),
 	)
 
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ func BenchmarkHoglet_Do_EWMA(b *testing.B) {
 
 func BenchmarkHoglet_Do_SlidingWindow(b *testing.B) {
 	breaker := NewCircuit(
-		func(context.Context, struct{}) (struct{}, error) { return struct{}{}, nil },
+		func(context.Context, struct{}) (out struct{}, err error) { return },
 		NewSlidingWindowBreaker(10*time.Second, 0.9),
 	)
 
@@ -68,12 +68,6 @@ func BenchmarkHoglet_Do_SlidingWindow(b *testing.B) {
 	})
 }
 
-func TestBreaker_zero_value_does_not_panic(t *testing.T) {
-	b := &Circuit[struct{}, struct{}]{}
-	_, err := b.Call(context.Background(), struct{}{})
-	assert.NoError(t, err)
-}
-
 func TestBreaker_nil_breaker_does_not_open(t *testing.T) {
 	b := NewCircuit(noop, nil)
 	_, err := b.Call(context.Background(), noopInFailure)