diff --git a/packages/ludic.hints/mute.ludic b/packages/ludic.hints/mute.ludic
index 6c5eb26f..dc70ffd5 100644
--- a/packages/ludic.hints/mute.ludic
+++ b/packages/ludic.hints/mute.ludic
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ export function hints_mutes_load(hints_st: mut HintsState, l: Val) -> void {
     if Value.kind(e) != 4 { continue }
     let k = Value.as_str(e)
     let id = hints_find(k)
-    if id >= 0 { hints_st.hn_mute[id] = true } else { push(hints_st.hn_foreign, k) }
+    if id >= 0 { hints_st.hn_mute[id] = true } else { push(hints_st.hn_foreign, intern(k)) }   # the tree is let go
   }
 }
 function hn_mutes() -> []bool {
diff --git a/packages/ludic.settings/file.ludic b/packages/ludic.settings/file.ludic
index e58a0514..deecb161 100644
--- a/packages/ludic.settings/file.ludic
+++ b/packages/ludic.settings/file.ludic
@@ -20,6 +20,22 @@ export function settings_put(settings_st: SettingsState, v: Val, id: int) -> voi
   }
 }
 
+# the store written into a kept object in place, in the file's own form: a Value is made only the
+# first time its key is seen (a screen reading the settings made a new tree on every change)
+export function settings_fill_json(settings_st: SettingsState, v: Val) -> void {
+  for i in 0 .. len(settings_st.sg_defs) {
+    let d = settings_st.sg_defs[i]
+    if not d.saved { continue }
+    if d.kind == SETTING_TEXT {
+      value_set_str(v, d.key, settings_st.sg_text[i])
+    } else if d.kind == SETTING_FLOAT {
+      value_set_int(v, d.key, int(Math.floor(settings_st.sg_num[i] * 1000.0 + 0.5)))
+    } else {
+      value_set_int(v, d.key, int(settings_st.sg_num[i]))
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 # every key `v` names, held to its range; quiet, since a load is applied whole by its caller
 export function settings_from_json(settings_st: mut SettingsState, v: Val) -> void {
   if v == null { return }
@@ -30,7 +46,7 @@ function sg_read(settings_st: mut SettingsState, v: Val, id: int) -> void {
   let d = settings_st.sg_defs[id]
   if not d.saved or Value.kind(v) != 6 or Value.has(v, d.key) == 0 { return }
   if d.kind == SETTING_TEXT {
-    settings_st.sg_text[id] = sv_str(v, d.key, settings_st.sg_text[id])
+    settings_st.sg_text[id] = intern(sv_str(v, d.key, settings_st.sg_text[id]))   # the file's tree is let go
   } else if d.kind == SETTING_FLOAT {
     settings_st.sg_num[id] = settings_held(settings_st, id, sv_float(v, d.key, settings_st.sg_num[id]))
   } else {
diff --git a/packages/ludic.settings/tests/settings_test.ludic b/packages/ludic.settings/tests/settings_test.ludic
index 07ef279b..e7b373d2 100644
--- a/packages/ludic.settings/tests/settings_test.ludic
+++ b/packages/ludic.settings/tests/settings_test.ludic
@@ -35,6 +35,21 @@ program SettingsTest {
     expect_eq(fs[1].id, TOY_LANG)
   }
 
+  test "the store filled into a kept object changes its Values in place" (settings_st: mut SettingsState) {
+    declare(settings_st)
+    let o = Value.object()
+    settings_fill_json(settings_st, o)
+    let q = Value.get(o, "shadow_q")
+    let l = Value.get(o, "lang")
+    settings_set_int(settings_st, TOY_SHADOW_Q, 3)
+    settings_set_text(settings_st, TOY_LANG, "tr")
+    settings_fill_json(settings_st, o)
+    expect(Value.get(o, "shadow_q") == q)
+    expect(Value.get(o, "lang") == l)
+    expect_eq(Value.as_int(q), 3)
+    expect(Value.as_str(l) == "tr")
+  }
+
   test "a value out of range is the default" (settings_st: mut SettingsState) {
     declare(settings_st)
     settings_set_int(settings_st, TOY_SHADOW_Q, 9)