diff --git a/include/hibf/detail/sketch/toolbox.hpp b/include/hibf/detail/sketch/toolbox.hpp
index 7741468c..bfd5162b 100644
--- a/include/hibf/detail/sketch/toolbox.hpp
+++ b/include/hibf/detail/sketch/toolbox.hpp
@@ -49,9 +49,7 @@ struct entry
 using distance_matrix = std::vector<entry>;
 
 //!\brief Sorts filenames and cardinalities by looking only at the cardinalities.
-void sort_by_cardinalities(std::vector<hyperloglog> const & sketches,
-                           std::vector<size_t> const & counts,
-                           std::vector<size_t> & positions);
+void sort_by_cardinalities(std::vector<size_t> const & counts, std::vector<size_t> & positions);
 
 /*!\brief Estimate the cardinality of the union for a single user bin j with all prior ones j' < j.
  * \param[out] estimates output row
@@ -106,7 +104,6 @@ void rearrange_bins(std::vector<hyperloglog> const & sketches,
  */
 
 void cluster_bins(std::vector<hyperloglog> const & sketches,
-                  std::vector<size_t> const & counts,
                   std::vector<size_t> & positions,
                   std::vector<size_t> & permutation,
                   size_t const first,
diff --git a/src/detail/layout/hierarchical_binning.cpp b/src/detail/layout/hierarchical_binning.cpp
index 8dadef94..5c32438f 100644
--- a/src/detail/layout/hierarchical_binning.cpp
+++ b/src/detail/layout/hierarchical_binning.cpp
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ size_t hierarchical_binning::execute()
 
     if (!data->user_bins_arranged)
     {
-        sketch::toolbox::sort_by_cardinalities(*data->sketches, *data->kmer_counts, data->positions);
+        sketch::toolbox::sort_by_cardinalities(*data->kmer_counts, data->positions);
 
         if (!config.disable_estimate_union && !config.disable_rearrangement)
             sketch::toolbox::rearrange_bins(*data->sketches,
diff --git a/src/detail/sketch/toolbox.cpp b/src/detail/sketch/toolbox.cpp
index 551fe034..860d15c3 100644
--- a/src/detail/sketch/toolbox.cpp
+++ b/src/detail/sketch/toolbox.cpp
@@ -17,9 +17,7 @@
 namespace seqan::hibf::sketch::toolbox
 {
 
-void sort_by_cardinalities(std::vector<hyperloglog> const & sketches,
-                           std::vector<size_t> const & kmer_counts,
-                           std::vector<size_t> & positions)
+void sort_by_cardinalities(std::vector<size_t> const & kmer_counts, std::vector<size_t> & positions)
 {
     assert(positions.size() <= kmer_counts.size());
 
@@ -97,7 +95,7 @@ void rearrange_bins(std::vector<hyperloglog> const & sketches,
         if (last == positions.size() || kmer_counts[positions[first]] * max_ratio > kmer_counts[positions[last]])
         {
             // if this is not the first group, we want one bin overlap
-            cluster_bins(sketches, kmer_counts, positions, permutation, first, last, num_threads);
+            cluster_bins(sketches, positions, permutation, first, last, num_threads);
             first = last;
         }
         ++last;
@@ -114,7 +112,6 @@ void rearrange_bins(std::vector<hyperloglog> const & sketches,
 }
 
 void cluster_bins(std::vector<hyperloglog> const & sketches,
-                  std::vector<size_t> const & counts,
                   std::vector<size_t> & positions,
                   std::vector<size_t> & permutation,
                   size_t const first,
diff --git a/test/unit/hibf/detail/sketch/toolbox_test.cpp b/test/unit/hibf/detail/sketch/toolbox_test.cpp
index d613d058..e98081a2 100644
--- a/test/unit/hibf/detail/sketch/toolbox_test.cpp
+++ b/test/unit/hibf/detail/sketch/toolbox_test.cpp
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ struct toolbox_test : public ::testing::Test
 
 TEST_F(toolbox_test, sort_by_cardinalities)
 {
-    seqan::hibf::sketch::toolbox::sort_by_cardinalities(test_sketches, test_kmer_counts, test_positions);
+    seqan::hibf::sketch::toolbox::sort_by_cardinalities(test_kmer_counts, test_positions);
 
     // filenames do not change
     EXPECT_RANGE_EQ(test_filenames, (std::vector<std::string>{"small.fa", "small.fa", "small2.fa", "small2.fa"}));
@@ -264,7 +264,6 @@ TEST_F(toolbox_test, cluster_bins)
     { // whole range
         std::vector<size_t> permutation{};
         seqan::hibf::sketch::toolbox::cluster_bins(test_sketches,
-                                                   test_kmer_counts,
                                                    test_positions,
                                                    permutation,
                                                    0 /*interval start*/,
@@ -277,7 +276,6 @@ TEST_F(toolbox_test, cluster_bins)
     { // intervals
         std::vector<size_t> permutation{};
         seqan::hibf::sketch::toolbox::cluster_bins(test_sketches,
-                                                   test_kmer_counts,
                                                    test_positions,
                                                    permutation,
                                                    0 /*interval start*/,
@@ -285,7 +283,6 @@ TEST_F(toolbox_test, cluster_bins)
                                                    1 /*number of threads*/);
         EXPECT_RANGE_EQ(permutation, (std::vector<size_t>{0}));
         seqan::hibf::sketch::toolbox::cluster_bins(test_sketches,
-                                                   test_kmer_counts,
                                                    test_positions,
                                                    permutation,
                                                    1 /*interval start*/,