diff --git a/packages/ludic.i18n/index.ludic b/packages/ludic.i18n/index.ludic
index 65ffb6ca..732d5f5b 100644
--- a/packages/ludic.i18n/index.ludic
+++ b/packages/ludic.i18n/index.ludic
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ module ludic_i18n uses
 numbers float
 import "ports.ludic"
 import "state.ludic"
+import "tables.ludic"
 import "bytes.ludic"
 import "po.ludic"
 import "langs.ludic"
diff --git a/packages/ludic.i18n/langs.ludic b/packages/ludic.i18n/langs.ludic
index af1a735a..673c4f82 100644
--- a/packages/ludic.i18n/langs.ludic
+++ b/packages/ludic.i18n/langs.ludic
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ export function i18n_init(i18n_st: mut I18nState) -> void {
   i18n_st.names = new []string
   i18n_st.paths = new []string
   i18n_st.fonts = new []string
+  i18n_st.tabs = new []I18nTables
   lang_add(i18n_st, "en", "English", "", "")
   let idx = Fs.read_text(i18n_st.lang_dir + "/languages.txt")
   if idx != null {
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@ function lang_add(i18n_st: mut I18nState, code: string, name: string, path: stri
       i18n_st.names[i] = name
       i18n_st.paths[i] = path
       i18n_st.fonts[i] = font
+      if tables_have(i18n_st, i) { i18n_st.tabs[i] = null }   # another file for it: read that one next time
       return
     }
   }
diff --git a/packages/ludic.i18n/ports.ludic b/packages/ludic.i18n/ports.ludic
index 31bcb362..93e099fb 100644
--- a/packages/ludic.i18n/ports.ludic
+++ b/packages/ludic.i18n/ports.ludic
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ export state I18nState {
   plural: Dict = null                 # a plural msgid (the singular) -> index into forms / 3
   forms: []string = null              # three forms per entry, "" where the file has fewer
   plural_rule: int = 0                # PL_*
+  tabs: []I18nTables = null           # by language: its lookups once read, kept for the next switch
 }
 
 # where the shipped languages are (a directory with languages.txt and <code>.po), and the atlas a
diff --git a/packages/ludic.i18n/tables.ludic b/packages/ludic.i18n/tables.ludic
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fadd8403
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/ludic.i18n/tables.ludic
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+# tables.ludic - a language's lookups, kept once read: switching back to it is a copy of references,
+# not the .po parsed again (every change of language once dropped the old tables for good)
+property I18nTables {
+  exact: Dict = null
+  out: []string = null
+  lits: []string = null
+  pat_out: []string = null
+  pat_l0: words = null
+  pat_nl: words = null
+  pat_sc: words = null
+  pat_ph: words = null
+  pat_n: int = 0
+  pfx: Dict = null
+  sfx: Dict = null
+  gen_head: int = 0
+  nx_p: words = null
+  nx_s: words = null
+  nx_g: words = null
+  cache: Dict = null
+  cache_out: []string = null
+  caps: []string = null
+  plural: Dict = null
+  forms: []string = null
+  plural_rule: int = 0
+}
+
+@alloc_ok("once per language: its lookups, kept")
+function tables_keep(i18n_st: I18nState) -> I18nTables {
+  let t = new I18nTables
+  t.exact = i18n_st.exact
+  t.out = i18n_st.out
+  t.lits = i18n_st.lits
+  t.pat_out = i18n_st.pat_out
+  t.pat_l0 = i18n_st.pat_l0
+  t.pat_nl = i18n_st.pat_nl
+  t.pat_sc = i18n_st.pat_sc
+  t.pat_ph = i18n_st.pat_ph
+  t.pat_n = i18n_st.pat_n
+  t.pfx = i18n_st.pfx
+  t.sfx = i18n_st.sfx
+  t.gen_head = i18n_st.gen_head
+  t.nx_p = i18n_st.nx_p
+  t.nx_s = i18n_st.nx_s
+  t.nx_g = i18n_st.nx_g
+  t.cache = i18n_st.cache
+  t.cache_out = i18n_st.cache_out
+  t.caps = i18n_st.caps
+  t.plural = i18n_st.plural
+  t.forms = i18n_st.forms
+  t.plural_rule = i18n_st.plural_rule
+  return t
+}
+
+function tables_put(i18n_st: mut I18nState, t: I18nTables) -> void {
+  i18n_st.exact = t.exact
+  i18n_st.out = t.out
+  i18n_st.lits = t.lits
+  i18n_st.pat_out = t.pat_out
+  i18n_st.pat_l0 = t.pat_l0
+  i18n_st.pat_nl = t.pat_nl
+  i18n_st.pat_sc = t.pat_sc
+  i18n_st.pat_ph = t.pat_ph
+  i18n_st.pat_n = t.pat_n
+  i18n_st.pfx = t.pfx
+  i18n_st.sfx = t.sfx
+  i18n_st.gen_head = t.gen_head
+  i18n_st.nx_p = t.nx_p
+  i18n_st.nx_s = t.nx_s
+  i18n_st.nx_g = t.nx_g
+  i18n_st.cache = t.cache
+  i18n_st.cache_out = t.cache_out
+  i18n_st.caps = t.caps
+  i18n_st.plural = t.plural
+  i18n_st.forms = t.forms
+  i18n_st.plural_rule = t.plural_rule
+}
+
+function tables_have(i18n_st: I18nState, k: int) -> bool {
+  if i18n_st.tabs == null or k >= len(i18n_st.tabs) { return false }
+  return i18n_st.tabs[k] != null
+}
+
+@alloc_ok("once per language: the slot its lookups are kept in")
+function tables_file(i18n_st: mut I18nState, k: int) -> void {
+  if i18n_st.tabs == null { i18n_st.tabs = new []I18nTables }
+  while len(i18n_st.tabs) <= k { push(i18n_st.tabs, null) }
+  i18n_st.tabs[k] = tables_keep(i18n_st)
+}
diff --git a/packages/ludic.i18n/tests/i18n_test.ludic b/packages/ludic.i18n/tests/i18n_test.ludic
index 77cc9307..fd206573 100644
--- a/packages/ludic.i18n/tests/i18n_test.ludic
+++ b/packages/ludic.i18n/tests/i18n_test.ludic
@@ -114,6 +114,19 @@ program I18nTest {
     expect(i18n_font_now(i18n_st) == "font_default")
   }
 
+  test "a language switched back to is its kept tables, not its file read again; a new probe reads it" (i18n_st: mut I18nState, i18n_test_st: mut I18nTestState) {
+    fresh(i18n_st, i18n_test_st)
+    i18n_use(i18n_st, "tt")
+    let first = L(i18n_st, "Settings")
+    Fs.write_text(dir() + "/tt.po", header("Tongue", "") + po_line("Settings", "Changed"))
+    i18n_use(i18n_st, "en")
+    i18n_use(i18n_st, "tt")
+    expect(L(i18n_st, "Settings") == first)
+    i18n_init(i18n_st)
+    i18n_use(i18n_st, "tt")
+    expect(L(i18n_st, "Settings") == "Changed")
+  }
+
   test "a mod in the player's folder is found, replaces a shipped code, and goes when removed" (i18n_st: mut I18nState, i18n_test_st: mut I18nTestState) {
     fresh(i18n_st, i18n_test_st)
     Fs.write_text(mods() + "/zz.po", header("Mod Tongue", "") + po_line("Settings", "Mettings"))
diff --git a/packages/ludic.i18n/use.ludic b/packages/ludic.i18n/use.ludic
index 096ec7d5..08fdce80 100644
--- a/packages/ludic.i18n/use.ludic
+++ b/packages/ludic.i18n/use.ludic
@@ -7,10 +7,16 @@ export function i18n_use(i18n_st: mut I18nState, code: string) -> void {
   let forced = I18nWorld.forced()
   if len(forced) > 0 { k = i18n_index(i18n_st, forced) }
   var font = ""
-  if k > 0 {
+  if k > 0 and tables_have(i18n_st, k) {
+    tables_put(i18n_st, i18n_st.tabs[k])
+    i18n_st.on = true
+    i18n_st.cur = i18n_st.codes[k]
+    font = i18n_st.fonts[k]
+  } else if k > 0 {
     let text = Fs.read_text(i18n_st.paths[k])
     if text != null {
       i18n_load_text(i18n_st, text)
+      tables_file(i18n_st, k)
       i18n_st.on = true
       i18n_st.cur = i18n_st.codes[k]
       font = i18n_st.fonts[k]