diff --git a/limiter.go b/limiter.go
index 12dad3d..324fa59 100644
--- a/limiter.go
+++ b/limiter.go
@@ -16,10 +16,6 @@ type LimitCounter interface {
 }
 
 func NewRateLimiter(requestLimit int, windowLength time.Duration, options ...Option) *rateLimiter {
-	return newRateLimiter(requestLimit, windowLength, options...)
-}
-
-func newRateLimiter(requestLimit int, windowLength time.Duration, options ...Option) *rateLimiter {
 	rl := &rateLimiter{
 		requestLimit: requestLimit,
 		windowLength: windowLength,
@@ -43,14 +39,10 @@ func newRateLimiter(requestLimit int, windowLength time.Duration, options ...Opt
 	}
 
 	if rl.limitCounter == nil {
-		rl.limitCounter = &localCounter{
-			latestWindow:     time.Now().UTC().Truncate(windowLength),
-			latestCounters:   make(map[uint64]int),
-			previousCounters: make(map[uint64]int),
-			windowLength:     windowLength,
-		}
+		rl.limitCounter = NewLocalLimitCounter(windowLength)
+	} else {
+		rl.limitCounter.Config(requestLimit, windowLength)
 	}
-	rl.limitCounter.Config(requestLimit, windowLength)
 
 	if rl.onRequestLimit == nil {
 		rl.onRequestLimit = func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
diff --git a/local_counter.go b/local_counter.go
index 87a6ca4..d03cd55 100644
--- a/local_counter.go
+++ b/local_counter.go
@@ -7,27 +7,27 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cespare/xxhash/v2"
 )
 
-var _ LimitCounter = &localCounter{}
+// NewLocalLimitCounter creates an instance of localCounter,
+// which is an in-memory implementation of http.LimitCounter.
+func NewLocalLimitCounter(windowLength time.Duration) *localCounter {
+	return &localCounter{
+		windowLength:     windowLength,
+		latestWindow:     time.Now().UTC().Truncate(windowLength),
+		latestCounters:   make(map[uint64]int),
+		previousCounters: make(map[uint64]int),
+	}
+}
+
+var _ LimitCounter = (*localCounter)(nil)
 
 type localCounter struct {
+	windowLength     time.Duration
 	latestWindow     time.Time
-	previousCounters map[uint64]int
 	latestCounters   map[uint64]int
-	windowLength     time.Duration
+	previousCounters map[uint64]int
 	mu               sync.RWMutex
 }
 
-func (c *localCounter) Config(requestLimit int, windowLength time.Duration) {
-	c.mu.Lock()
-	defer c.mu.Unlock()
-
-	c.windowLength = windowLength
-}
-
-func (c *localCounter) Increment(key string, currentWindow time.Time) error {
-	return c.IncrementBy(key, currentWindow, 1)
-}
-
 func (c *localCounter) IncrementBy(key string, currentWindow time.Time, amount int) error {
 	c.mu.Lock()
 	defer c.mu.Unlock()
@@ -60,6 +60,14 @@ func (c *localCounter) Get(key string, currentWindow, previousWindow time.Time)
 	return 0, 0, nil
 }
 
+// Config implements LimitCounter but is redundant.
+func (c *localCounter) Config(requestLimit int, windowLength time.Duration) {}
+
+// Increment implements LimitCounter but is redundant.
+func (c *localCounter) Increment(key string, currentWindow time.Time) error {
+	return c.IncrementBy(key, currentWindow, 1)
+}
+
 func (c *localCounter) evict(currentWindow time.Time) {
 	if c.latestWindow == currentWindow {
 		return
@@ -73,7 +81,7 @@ func (c *localCounter) evict(currentWindow time.Time) {
 	}
 
 	c.latestWindow = currentWindow
-	// NOTE: Don't use clear() to keep backward-compatibility.
+	// NOTE: Don't use clear() to be compatible with older version of Go.
 	c.previousCounters, c.latestCounters = make(map[uint64]int), make(map[uint64]int)
 }
 
diff --git a/local_counter_test.go b/local_counter_test.go
index 7f6fd32..b3ee478 100644
--- a/local_counter_test.go
+++ b/local_counter_test.go
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-package httprate
+package httprate_test
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
@@ -7,18 +7,12 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/go-chi/httprate"
 	"golang.org/x/sync/errgroup"
 )
 
 func TestLocalCounter(t *testing.T) {
-	limitCounter := &localCounter{
-		latestWindow:     time.Now().UTC().Truncate(time.Minute),
-		latestCounters:   make(map[uint64]int),
-		previousCounters: make(map[uint64]int),
-		windowLength:     time.Minute,
-	}
-
-	limitCounter.Config(1000, time.Minute)
+	limitCounter := httprate.NewLocalLimitCounter(time.Minute)
 
 	currentWindow := time.Now().UTC().Truncate(time.Minute)
 	previousWindow := currentWindow.Add(-time.Minute)
@@ -146,12 +140,7 @@ func TestLocalCounter(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func BenchmarkLocalCounter(b *testing.B) {
-	limitCounter := &localCounter{
-		latestWindow:     time.Now().UTC().Truncate(time.Minute),
-		latestCounters:   make(map[uint64]int),
-		previousCounters: make(map[uint64]int),
-		windowLength:     time.Minute,
-	}
+	limitCounter := httprate.NewLocalLimitCounter(time.Minute)
 
 	currentWindow := time.Now().UTC().Truncate(time.Minute)
 	previousWindow := currentWindow.Add(-time.Minute)