diff --git a/packages/ludic.jobs/facts.ludic b/packages/ludic.jobs/facts.ludic
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..23f67446
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/ludic.jobs/facts.ludic
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+# facts.ludic - a jobs fact's record: one no drain holds any more, made fresh (and kept) only when
+# every one is held. A deed that moves a job is a fact, and a record a fact is never given back
+# (the ludic.wildlife idiom)
+function jobs__fact_record(jobs_st: mut JobsState) -> JobsFact {
+  if jobs_st.jobs__fnext[0] >= len(jobs_st.jobs__ffree) {
+    q_unheld(jobs_st.jobs__q, jobs_st.jobs__fpool, jobs_st.jobs__ffree)
+    jobs_st.jobs__fnext[0] = 0
+  }
+  if jobs_st.jobs__fnext[0] < len(jobs_st.jobs__ffree) {
+    let f = jobs_st.jobs__ffree[jobs_st.jobs__fnext[0]]
+    jobs_st.jobs__fnext[0] += 1
+    return f
+  }
+  let f = new JobsFact
+  push(jobs_st.jobs__fpool, f)
+  return f
+}
+# how many fact records have ever been made: the peak held at once, not the facts said
+export function jobs_fact_records(jobs_st: JobsState) -> int { return len(jobs_st.jobs__fpool) }
diff --git a/packages/ludic.jobs/index.ludic b/packages/ludic.jobs/index.ludic
index 6ff8a86a..30203e2b 100644
--- a/packages/ludic.jobs/index.ludic
+++ b/packages/ludic.jobs/index.ludic
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import "ludic.base"
 import "defs.ludic"
 import "ports.ludic"
 import "state.ludic"
+import "facts.ludic"
 import "jobs.ludic"
 import "giveup.ludic"
 import "count.ludic"
diff --git a/packages/ludic.jobs/state.ludic b/packages/ludic.jobs/state.ludic
index 370701f2..509038c8 100644
--- a/packages/ludic.jobs/state.ludic
+++ b/packages/ludic.jobs/state.ludic
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ export state JobsState {
   jobs__seed: int = 1000
   jobs__dice: Rng = rng_new(1000)
   jobs__q: Queue<JobsFact> = jobs__q__new()
+  jobs__fpool: []JobsFact = new []JobsFact   # every fact record made, reused once no drain holds it (facts.ludic)
+  jobs__ffree: []JobsFact = new []JobsFact
+  jobs__fnext: []int = words(1)
 }
 
 # the posts, every board's slots end to end from jobs__off[b]
@@ -58,8 +61,8 @@ export function jobs_facts(jobs_st: JobsState) -> Queue<JobsFact> {
   return jobs_st.jobs__q
 }
 
-function jobs__fact(jobs_st: JobsState, what: int, job: int, b: int, s: int, have: int, need: int) -> void {
-  let f = new JobsFact
+function jobs__fact(jobs_st: mut JobsState, what: int, job: int, b: int, s: int, have: int, need: int) -> void {
+  let f = jobs__fact_record(jobs_st)
   f.what = what
   f.job = job
   f.board = b
diff --git a/packages/ludic.jobs/tests/giveup_test.ludic b/packages/ludic.jobs/tests/giveup_test.ludic
index 96b83c66..49a600b6 100644
--- a/packages/ludic.jobs/tests/giveup_test.ludic
+++ b/packages/ludic.jobs/tests/giveup_test.ludic
@@ -129,4 +129,17 @@ program JobsGiveUpTest {
     jobs_test_st.day = 2
     expect(jobs_offered(jobs_st, JOB_CATCH))
   }
+
+  test "two hundred jobs taken and given up, their facts drained each time, reuse a handful of records" (jobs_st: mut JobsState, jobs_test_st: mut JobsTestState) {
+    fresh(jobs_st, jobs_test_st)
+    for k in 0 .. 200 {
+      jobs_take(jobs_st, JOB_CATCH)
+      count_of(jobs_st, 0)
+      jobs_give_up(jobs_st, JOB_CATCH)
+      count_of(jobs_st, 0)
+      jobs_st.jobs__back[JOB_CATCH] = -1
+    }
+    print(`jobs: 200 taken and given up, {jobs_fact_records(jobs_st)} fact records made`)
+    expect(jobs_fact_records(jobs_st) < 10)
+  }
 }