diff --git a/ide/vs2022/mimalloc.vcxproj b/ide/vs2022/mimalloc.vcxproj
index 160f1436..dddab777 100644
--- a/ide/vs2022/mimalloc.vcxproj
+++ b/ide/vs2022/mimalloc.vcxproj
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@
       <SDLCheck>true</SDLCheck>
       <ConformanceMode>Default</ConformanceMode>
       <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>../../include</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
-      <PreprocessorDefinitions>MI_DEBUG=4;MI_GUARDED=1;%(PreprocessorDefinitions);</PreprocessorDefinitions>
+      <PreprocessorDefinitions>MI_DEBUG=3;MI_GUARDED=0;%(PreprocessorDefinitions);</PreprocessorDefinitions>
       <CompileAs>CompileAsCpp</CompileAs>
       <SupportJustMyCode>false</SupportJustMyCode>
       <LanguageStandard>stdcpp20</LanguageStandard>
diff --git a/include/mimalloc.h b/include/mimalloc.h
index 83cbda12..5916228b 100644
--- a/include/mimalloc.h
+++ b/include/mimalloc.h
@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@ typedef void (mi_cdecl mi_error_fun)(int err, void* arg);
 mi_decl_export void mi_register_error(mi_error_fun* fun, void* arg);
 
 mi_decl_export void mi_collect(bool force)    mi_attr_noexcept;
+mi_decl_export void mi_collect_reduce(size_t target_thread_owned) mi_attr_noexcept;
 mi_decl_export int  mi_version(void)          mi_attr_noexcept;
 mi_decl_export void mi_stats_reset(void)      mi_attr_noexcept;
 mi_decl_export void mi_stats_merge(void)      mi_attr_noexcept;
diff --git a/src/page-queue.c b/src/page-queue.c
index 3034e15d..9796f3dc 100644
--- a/src/page-queue.c
+++ b/src/page-queue.c
@@ -259,6 +259,14 @@ static void mi_page_queue_push(mi_heap_t* heap, mi_page_queue_t* queue, mi_page_
   heap->page_count++;
 }
 
+static void mi_page_queue_move_to_front(mi_heap_t* heap, mi_page_queue_t* queue, mi_page_t* page) {
+  mi_assert_internal(mi_page_heap(page) == heap);
+  mi_assert_internal(mi_page_queue_contains(queue, page));
+  if (queue->first == page) return;
+  mi_page_queue_remove(queue, page);
+  mi_page_queue_push(heap, queue, page);
+  mi_assert_internal(queue->first == page);
+}
 
 static void mi_page_queue_enqueue_from_ex(mi_page_queue_t* to, mi_page_queue_t* from, bool enqueue_at_end, mi_page_t* page) {
   mi_assert_internal(page != NULL);
@@ -335,7 +343,7 @@ static void mi_page_queue_enqueue_from(mi_page_queue_t* to, mi_page_queue_t* fro
 
 static void mi_page_queue_enqueue_from_full(mi_page_queue_t* to, mi_page_queue_t* from, mi_page_t* page) {
   // note: we could insert at the front to increase reuse, but it slows down certain benchmarks (like `alloc-test`)
-  mi_page_queue_enqueue_from_ex(to, from, true /* enqueue at the end of the `to` queue? */, page);
+  mi_page_queue_enqueue_from_ex(to, from, false /* enqueue at the end of the `to` queue? */, page);
 }
 
 // Only called from `mi_heap_absorb`.
diff --git a/src/page.c b/src/page.c
index 3cf91ba8..43ac7c4e 100644
--- a/src/page.c
+++ b/src/page.c
@@ -471,6 +471,7 @@ void _mi_page_retire(mi_page_t* page) mi_attr_noexcept {
   // how to check this efficiently though...
   // for now, we don't retire if it is the only page left of this size class.
   mi_page_queue_t* pq = mi_page_queue_of(page);
+  #if MI_RETIRE_CYCLES > 0
   const size_t bsize = mi_page_block_size(page);
   if mi_likely( /* bsize < MI_MAX_RETIRE_SIZE && */ !mi_page_queue_is_special(pq)) {  // not full or huge queue?
     if (pq->last==page && pq->first==page) { // the only page in the queue?
@@ -486,7 +487,7 @@ void _mi_page_retire(mi_page_t* page) mi_attr_noexcept {
       return; // don't free after all
     }
   }
-
+  #endif
   _mi_page_free(page, pq, false);
 }
 
@@ -753,6 +754,7 @@ static mi_page_t* mi_page_queue_find_free_ex(mi_heap_t* heap, mi_page_queue_t* p
   size_t candidate_count = 0;        // we reset this on the first candidate to limit the search
   mi_page_t* page_candidate = NULL;  // a page with free space
   mi_page_t* page = pq->first;
+
   while (page != NULL)
   {
     mi_page_t* next = page->next; // remember next
@@ -764,7 +766,7 @@ static mi_page_t* mi_page_queue_find_free_ex(mi_heap_t* heap, mi_page_queue_t* p
     // collect freed blocks by us and other threads
     _mi_page_free_collect(page, false);
 
-#if defined(MI_MAX_CANDIDATE_SEARCH)
+  #if MI_MAX_CANDIDATE_SEARCH > 1
     // search up to N pages for a best candidate
 
     // is the local free list non-empty?
@@ -783,7 +785,7 @@ static mi_page_t* mi_page_queue_find_free_ex(mi_heap_t* heap, mi_page_queue_t* p
         page_candidate = page;
         candidate_count = 0;
       }
-      else if (!mi_page_is_expandable(page) && page->used >= page_candidate->used) {
+      else if (/* !mi_page_is_expandable(page) && */ page->used >= page_candidate->used) {
         page_candidate = page;
       }
       // if we find a non-expandable candidate, or searched for N pages, return with the best candidate
@@ -792,7 +794,7 @@ static mi_page_t* mi_page_queue_find_free_ex(mi_heap_t* heap, mi_page_queue_t* p
         break;
       }
     }
-#else
+  #else
     // first-fit algorithm
     // If the page contains free blocks, we are done
     if (mi_page_immediate_available(page) || mi_page_is_expandable(page)) {
@@ -803,7 +805,7 @@ static mi_page_t* mi_page_queue_find_free_ex(mi_heap_t* heap, mi_page_queue_t* p
     // queue so we don't visit long-lived pages too often.
     mi_assert_internal(!mi_page_is_in_full(page) && !mi_page_immediate_available(page));
     mi_page_to_full(page, pq);
-#endif
+  #endif
 
     page = next;
   } // for each page
@@ -828,10 +830,14 @@ static mi_page_t* mi_page_queue_find_free_ex(mi_heap_t* heap, mi_page_queue_t* p
     }
   }
   else {
-    // mi_assert(pq->first == page);
+    // move the page to the front of the queue
+    mi_page_queue_move_to_front(heap, pq, page);
     page->retire_expire = 0;
+    // _mi_heap_collect_retired(heap, false); // update retire counts; note: increases rss on MemoryLoad bench so don't do this
   }
   mi_assert_internal(page == NULL || mi_page_immediate_available(page));
+
+
   return page;
 }
 
@@ -839,7 +845,9 @@ static mi_page_t* mi_page_queue_find_free_ex(mi_heap_t* heap, mi_page_queue_t* p
 
 // Find a page with free blocks of `size`.
 static inline mi_page_t* mi_find_free_page(mi_heap_t* heap, size_t size) {
-  mi_page_queue_t* pq = mi_page_queue(heap,size);
+  mi_page_queue_t* pq = mi_page_queue(heap, size);
+
+  // check the first page: we even do this with candidate search or otherwise we re-search every time
   mi_page_t* page = pq->first;
   if (page != NULL) {
    #if (MI_SECURE>=3) // in secure mode, we extend half the time to increase randomness
@@ -858,6 +866,7 @@ static inline mi_page_t* mi_find_free_page(mi_heap_t* heap, size_t size) {
       return page; // fast path
     }
   }
+
   return mi_page_queue_find_free_ex(heap, pq, true);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/segment.c b/src/segment.c
index d2604436..16764da8 100644
--- a/src/segment.c
+++ b/src/segment.c
@@ -979,6 +979,13 @@ void _mi_abandoned_reclaim_all(mi_heap_t* heap, mi_segments_tld_t* tld) {
   _mi_arena_field_cursor_done(&current);
 }
 
+
+static bool segment_count_is_within_target(mi_segments_tld_t* tld, size_t* ptarget) {
+  const size_t target = (size_t)mi_option_get_clamp(mi_option_target_segments_per_thread, 0, 1024);
+  if (ptarget != NULL) { *ptarget = target; }
+  return (target == 0 || tld->count < target);
+}
+
 static long mi_segment_get_reclaim_tries(mi_segments_tld_t* tld) {
   // limit the tries to 10% (default) of the abandoned segments with at least 8 and at most 1024 tries.
   const size_t perc = (size_t)mi_option_get_clamp(mi_option_max_segment_reclaim, 0, 100);
@@ -1001,7 +1008,7 @@ static mi_segment_t* mi_segment_try_reclaim(mi_heap_t* heap, size_t block_size,
   mi_segment_t* segment = NULL;
   mi_arena_field_cursor_t current;
   _mi_arena_field_cursor_init(heap, tld->subproc, false /* non-blocking */, &current);
-  while ((max_tries-- > 0) && ((segment = _mi_arena_segment_clear_abandoned_next(&current)) != NULL))
+  while (segment_count_is_within_target(tld,NULL) && (max_tries-- > 0) && ((segment = _mi_arena_segment_clear_abandoned_next(&current)) != NULL))
   {
     mi_assert(segment->subproc == heap->tld->segments.subproc); // cursor only visits segments in our sub-process
     segment->abandoned_visits++;
@@ -1026,7 +1033,7 @@ static mi_segment_t* mi_segment_try_reclaim(mi_heap_t* heap, size_t block_size,
       result = mi_segment_reclaim(segment, heap, block_size, reclaimed, tld);
       break;
     }
-    else if (segment->abandoned_visits > 3 && is_suitable && !mi_option_is_enabled(mi_option_target_segments_per_thread)) {
+    else if (segment->abandoned_visits > 3 && is_suitable) {
       // always reclaim on 3rd visit to limit the abandoned segment count.
       mi_segment_reclaim(segment, heap, 0, NULL, tld);
     }
@@ -1087,15 +1094,11 @@ static void mi_segment_force_abandon(mi_segment_t* segment, mi_segments_tld_t* t
 
 // try abandon segments.
 // this should be called from `reclaim_or_alloc` so we know all segments are (about) fully in use.
-static void mi_segments_try_abandon(mi_heap_t* heap, mi_segments_tld_t* tld) {
-  const size_t target = (size_t)mi_option_get_clamp(mi_option_target_segments_per_thread,0,1024);
-  // we call this when we are about to add a fresh segment so we should be under our target segment count.
-  if (target == 0 || tld->count < target) return;
-
+static void mi_segments_try_abandon_to_target(mi_heap_t* heap, size_t target, mi_segments_tld_t* tld) {
+  if (target <= 1) return;
   const size_t min_target = (target > 4 ? (target*3)/4 : target);  // 75%
-
   // todo: we should maintain a list of segments per thread; for now, only consider segments from the heap full pages
-  for (int i = 0; i < 16 && tld->count >= min_target; i++) {
+  for (int i = 0; i < 64 && tld->count >= min_target; i++) {
     mi_page_t* page = heap->pages[MI_BIN_FULL].first;
     while (page != NULL && mi_page_is_huge(page)) {
       page = page->next;
@@ -1109,6 +1112,25 @@ static void mi_segments_try_abandon(mi_heap_t* heap, mi_segments_tld_t* tld) {
   }
 }
 
+// try abandon segments.
+// this should be called from `reclaim_or_alloc` so we know all segments are (about) fully in use.
+static void mi_segments_try_abandon(mi_heap_t* heap, mi_segments_tld_t* tld) {
+  // we call this when we are about to add a fresh segment so we should be under our target segment count.
+  size_t target = 0;
+  if (segment_count_is_within_target(tld, &target)) return;
+  mi_segments_try_abandon_to_target(heap, target, tld);
+}
+
+void mi_collect_reduce(size_t target_size) mi_attr_noexcept {
+  mi_collect(true);
+  mi_heap_t* heap = mi_heap_get_default();
+  mi_segments_tld_t* tld = &heap->tld->segments;
+  size_t target = target_size / MI_SEGMENT_SIZE;
+  if (target == 0) {
+    target = (size_t)mi_option_get_clamp(mi_option_target_segments_per_thread, 1, 1024);
+  }
+  mi_segments_try_abandon_to_target(heap, target, tld);
+}
 
 /* -----------------------------------------------------------
    Reclaim or allocate