diff --git a/alib2measure/src/measurements/frames/CounterDataFrame.cpp b/alib2measure/src/measurements/frames/CounterDataFrame.cpp
index 5924d6e04fe5e9d80b862172cee79d15b7ef6134..6cd25725fc252999cc37191840aa831a57bb5ab3 100644
--- a/alib2measure/src/measurements/frames/CounterDataFrame.cpp
+++ b/alib2measure/src/measurements/frames/CounterDataFrame.cpp
@@ -26,17 +26,9 @@ void CounterDataFrame::hint ( unsigned frame_idx, measurements::stealth_vector <
 		delta = hint.value;
 		break;
 
-	case CounterHint::Type::INC:
-		delta = 1;
-		break;
-
 	case CounterHint::Type::SUB:
 		delta = -hint.value;
 		break;
-
-	case CounterHint::Type::DEC:
-		delta = -1;
-		break;
 	}
 
 	frames[frame_idx].counter.real_counters[hint.name] += delta;
diff --git a/alib2measure/src/measurements/frames/CounterDataFrame.hpp b/alib2measure/src/measurements/frames/CounterDataFrame.hpp
index 1f84f8a7e05a762fd3703194d38c5cafd49f2cba..98f600e79b1709c93705492eb788772dd7ecb1ef 100644
--- a/alib2measure/src/measurements/frames/CounterDataFrame.hpp
+++ b/alib2measure/src/measurements/frames/CounterDataFrame.hpp
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ struct CounterHint {
 	using frame_type = CounterDataFrame;
 	using value_type = long long int;
 	enum class Type {
-		ADD, SUB, INC, DEC
+		ADD, SUB
 	};
 
 	measurements::stealth_string name;
diff --git a/alib2measure/src/measurements/measurements.cpp b/alib2measure/src/measurements/measurements.cpp
index 8c3ca967ee055fcbe042807d156edbdcfb0e629b..98450ac84fe4ff0cefbc32b912ed97c08f9a989d 100644
--- a/alib2measure/src/measurements/measurements.cpp
+++ b/alib2measure/src/measurements/measurements.cpp
@@ -36,4 +36,13 @@ void hint ( Hint hint ) {
 
 template void hint < MemoryHint > ( MemoryHint );
 template void hint < CounterHint > ( CounterHint );
+
+void counterInc ( const measurements::stealth_string & counterName, CounterHint::value_type val ) {
+	hint ( CounterHint { counterName, CounterHint::Type::ADD, val } );
+}
+
+void counterDec ( const measurements::stealth_string & counterName, CounterHint::value_type val ) {
+	hint ( CounterHint { counterName, CounterHint::Type::SUB, val } );
+}
+
 }
diff --git a/alib2measure/src/measurements/measurements.hpp b/alib2measure/src/measurements/measurements.hpp
index 0cd6c04c373c9e425d6c9ada99a6b6266b52a296..aed9fdecbe0066ace314fad1e7e6d4dad54ff0b4 100644
--- a/alib2measure/src/measurements/measurements.hpp
+++ b/alib2measure/src/measurements/measurements.hpp
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@ MeasurementResults results ( );
 
 template < typename Hint >
 void hint ( Hint hint );
+
+ // hint shortcuts
+void counterInc ( const measurements::stealth_string &, CounterHint::value_type = 1 );
+void counterDec ( const measurements::stealth_string &, CounterHint::value_type = 1 );
 }
 
 #endif /* MEASUREMENTS_HPP_ */
diff --git a/alib2measure/test-src/measurements/MeasurementsTest.cpp b/alib2measure/test-src/measurements/MeasurementsTest.cpp
index d714157573ccb135590ff79ebba7f93085c17a03..3ad0114b5c36e18e6a3aeee5caea470b89e4bfab 100644
--- a/alib2measure/test-src/measurements/MeasurementsTest.cpp
+++ b/alib2measure/test-src/measurements/MeasurementsTest.cpp
@@ -93,21 +93,21 @@ void MeasurementsTest::testMemoryMeasurements ( ) {
 void MeasurementsTest::testCounterMeasurements ( ) {
 
 	measurements::start ( "chunk1", measurements::Type::MAIN );
-	measurements::hint ( measurements::CounterHint { "test1", measurements::CounterHint::Type::ADD, 5 } );
-	measurements::hint ( measurements::CounterHint { "test2", measurements::CounterHint::Type::INC, 0 } );
+	measurements::counterInc ( "test1", 5 );
+	measurements::counterInc ( "test2" );
 	measurements::start ( "chunk11", measurements::Type::MAIN );
-	measurements::hint ( measurements::CounterHint { "test3", measurements::CounterHint::Type::DEC, 0 } );
+	measurements::counterDec ( "test3" );
 	measurements::start ( "chunk111", measurements::Type::MAIN );
-	measurements::hint ( measurements::CounterHint { "test1", measurements::CounterHint::Type::DEC, 0 } );
-	measurements::hint ( measurements::CounterHint { "test2", measurements::CounterHint::Type::SUB, 10 } );
-	measurements::hint ( measurements::CounterHint { "test3", measurements::CounterHint::Type::DEC, 0 } );
-	measurements::hint ( measurements::CounterHint { "test4", measurements::CounterHint::Type::DEC, 0 } );
+	measurements::counterDec ( "test1" );
+	measurements::counterDec ( "test2", 10 );
+	measurements::counterDec ( "test3" );
+	measurements::counterDec ( "test4" );
 	measurements::end ( );
 	measurements::start ( "chunk112", measurements::Type::MAIN );
-	measurements::hint ( measurements::CounterHint { "test1", measurements::CounterHint::Type::DEC, 0 } );
-	measurements::hint ( measurements::CounterHint { "test2", measurements::CounterHint::Type::SUB, 10 } );
-	measurements::hint ( measurements::CounterHint { "test3", measurements::CounterHint::Type::DEC, 0 } );
-	measurements::hint ( measurements::CounterHint { "test4", measurements::CounterHint::Type::DEC, 0 } );
+	measurements::counterDec ( "test1" );
+	measurements::counterDec ( "test2", 10 );
+	measurements::counterDec ( "test3" );
+	measurements::counterDec ( "test4" );
 	measurements::end ( );
 	measurements::end ( );
 	measurements::end ( );